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COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

Among Hong Kong's own media catering to the local public are many daily newspapers, a variety of periodicals, two private television companies, one government radio-television station, one commercial radio station, and one radio service station for the British Forces. The free, critical and outspoken press, both printed and electronic, provide an efficient and speedy supply of information to a literate, industrious and healthily inquisitive society. They also play a vital part in the territory's precautionary measures against sudden climatic threats, so that when typhoons approach or rainstorms spell danger they react to alert, inform and advise the population.

To keep pace with the rapid advances and innovations in the communications field in recent years, the Hong Kong government has been expanding its information services, and has been producing and taking part in an increasing number of public affairs programmes on radio and television.

Information Policy

二二

The Secretary for Administrative Services and Information has overall policy responsibility for the government's relations with the media. The main aim is to keep the media fully informed of the government's policies and thinking, as well as proposed legislation and forthcoming events, thus providing a valuable means of communication with the general public to enhance public awareness. On this front, the Administrative Services and Information Branch is responsible for supervising the work of the Government Informa- tion Services, Radio Television Hong Kong and the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority. Apart from formulating policy on a wide range of information and broadcasting matters, the Secretary for Administrative Services and Information also over- sees the planning and implementation of major government publicity campaigns and advises the government on the presentation of its policies and on public relations matters generally.

Liaison Division

The Liaison Division of the Administrative Services and Information Branch is respon- sible for overseas public relations matters. It serves as a point of contact between the government's overseas offices and non-government bodies, such as the Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourist Association, chambers of commerce and consulates and commissions. An Overseas Public Relations Group comprising government and non- government representatives co-ordinates overseas public relations activities.

Receiving overseas visitors is another major function of the division. A Visits Office was set up in September 1983 to handle parliamentary visits from the United Kingdom. The role of this office has since been expanded to include the arrangement of programmes of visits and briefings for VIP visitors from all over the world. In this task the office maintains close contact with the government's overseas offices, commissioners and consuls-general of foreign countries in Hong Kong.

To promote Hong Kong's overseas public relations, the Visits Office has, since May 1985, been co-ordinating programmes on overseas speaking engagements for prominent people. Suitable platforms are arranged for influential Hong Kong personalities and other internationally-known people to speak for Hong Kong before audiences in North America, the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Overseas Conferences

The Hong Kong Government's office in Brussels, in collaboration with various trade organisations in Belgium and with the support of the Belgian government, organised a