ENG-1990 — Page 359

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

number of post offices throughout the territory to 116. Fanling Post Office and Mui Wo Post Office were reprovisioned in larger premises to provide improved facilities in those areas. Happy Valley Post Office was relocated to make way for redevelopment. To cater for the increased demand for delivery service in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung, a new delivery office was established to relieve congestion at the Tsuen Wan Delivery Office.

The Post Office issued five sets of special stamps in 1990. The first set, comprising four stamps, a souvenir sheet and a stamp booklet, was released in January 1990 to mark the Year of the Horse, the fourth in the current Lunar New Year series which started in 1987.

The second set, depicting some of the popular international cuisines in Hong Kong, was released in April. Another set, highlighting Hong Kong's commitment to environmental protection, was released in June. The fourth set, featuring one hundred years of electricity in Hong Kong, was released in October. A prestige stamp booklet and souvenir sheet were also issued.

The last set, which was released in November, comprised six stamps and four postcards on Christmas 1990, and was based on the winning entries of an open stamp design com- petition organised in 1989.

In order to expand the overseas market for Hong Kong stamps and philatelic products, arrangements were made with the Malaysian Post Office to sell various stamp products on a reciprocal basis. Additional sales agents were also appointed in Germany and Japan.

In 1990, the Hong Kong Post Office actively followed up various proposals adopted at the 1989 Congress of the Universal Postal Union for improving the efficiency of the postal service and mutual co-operation among postal administrations all over the world.

During the year, the Post Office launched a range of padded envelopes and cartons under the brand name Postpak. These provide superior protection to items of different size and type sent by post, and have proved to be very popular.

Broadcasting Authority

The regulation of television and commercial sound broadcasting is the responsibility of the Broadcasting Authority, a statutory body established in September 1987. The authority has 12 members, nine of whom represent a cross-section of the community and three are government officers. Its major function is to secure proper standards in programme content and technical performance of the two television licensees and a radio licensee through provisions in the Television and the Telecommunication Ordinances.

During the year the authority advised the government on the terms and conditions under which the licence for cable television should be granted and the guidelines for tenderers for a second sound broadcasting licence. A detailed examination and assessment of the proposals received for the second sound broadcasting licence was subsequently conducted and recommendations made to the government.

The Broadcasting Authority formed a working group in May 1988 to review the Codes of Practice on programme and advertising standards for television. As a result, changes were made to the provisions dealing with the family viewing policy, repeats of feature films, children's programmes and advertising standards for personal products. Following the extension of the authority's jurisdiction to cover commercial radio broadcasting in August 1989, the working group also began a review of the Codes of Practice for radio.

305