ENG-1988 — Page 326

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COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

($34.2 million), Dragons Forever ($33.6 million), Prison on Fire ($31.7 million) and Chicken and Duck Talk ($29.4 million).

All films intended for public exhibition in Hong Kong must be submitted to the Film Censorship Authority (the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing). Censorship standards are based on the results of regular surveys of community views. A panel of advisers, comprising about 140 members of the public, assists the film censors in reflecting community views.

Following the coming into effect of the new Film Censorship Ordinance 1988 in November, films are classified into three categories: those approved for exhibition to persons of any age (Category I), those to be advertised as 'not suitable for children' (Category II), and those that can only be exhibited to people aged 18 years or over (Category III).

During the year, 548 films for public exhibition were submitted for censorship (including films intended for cine-clubs and cultural organisations) under the previous Film Censor- ship Regulations 1987, of which 384 were approved without excisions and five were banned. Since the passage of the Film Censorship Ordinance, 153 films (including films intended for cine-clubs and cultural organisations) were submitted to the Film Censorship Authority. Of these, 22 films were classified as Category I, 44 as Category II, 57 as Category III, and 30 were exempted.

Information Services Department

The Information Services Department - known also as GIS, the Government Information Services - provides the link between the administration and the information media and, through them, the people of Hong Kong.

The work of the GIS is carried out by several divisions. The News Division distributes a great variety of government information through its teleprinter and facsimile networks, which are directly linked with leading newspapers, radio and television stations, and news agencies. The facsimile system is capable of transmitting to the media both photographs and typed or printed messages. Telex and international facsimile services enable govern- ment offices overseas to receive messages without delay and to communicate directly to the department and, through it, to the rest of the government. The News Division operates a 24-hour media enquiry service, handling an average of 20 000 questions every month.

The division is also responsible for organising and conducting press conferences, including the year-round meet-the-media sessions by heads of government departments. In addition, a media service team is charged with the responsibility of planning and providing press facilities for public functions attended by top government officials and visits by VIPs from overseas.

In an emergency such as a typhoon, the newsroom becomes a co-ordination centre. It disseminates up-to-date information to the media at the earliest opportunity, particularly the radio and television stations, to keep the public informed of developments. Apart from this mobilisation of both manpower and equipment in the newsroom, other staff man various key positions within the government's organisation for managing emergencies, contributing to the minute-by-minute flow of information.

The Public Relations Division has three sub-divisions: media research, departmental units and overseas. The media research sub-division keeps the government fully informed of public opinion as expressed in the information media. It produces the Gist, a daily news sheet in English which summarises news and editorial comment in the major Chinese language papers, as well as opinions voiced on radio and television. Other publications include Opinion, a weekly review of Chinese editorial comment, What the Magazines Say and special reports on media coverage of subjects of particular interest to the government.