ISD and the Handover

The international media showed intense interest in Hong Kong in the
lead-up to, and during, the Handover. A world-class Press and Broadcast
Centre (PBC) - the largest of its kind ever established in Hong Kong - was
set up in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Phase I as part
of the government's plan to help media coverage of the historic event.

The PBC was divided into two - a broadcast centre providing exclusive
working booths for TV and radio broadcasters and sophisticated technical
facilities for the host broadcast consortium led by Radio Television Hong
Kong (RTHK); and a press centre providing the print media with exclusive
work spaces and a large free seating area for some 600 journalists. All the
necessary telecommunications equipment such as phones, faxes and data
lines were provided.

The ISD team in the Handover Ceremony Co-ordination Office was
responsible for setting up the 9 000 square metre PBC, which the ISD
then managed from the centre's opening on June 15 to its closing on July
9. A total of 116 media organisations from around the world (47 TV
stations, 15 radio stations and 54 newspapers and news agencies) booked
225 exclusive working booths in the PBC. Representatives of many other
news organisations used the free seating work stations.

Nearly 8 500 media personnel were accredited to cover the Handover and
related events with 6 500 of them actually collecting their accreditation
badges. ISD manned a central enquiries desk on an around the clock basis
throughout the PBC's operating period and handled some 9 000 enquiries.
At the height of its operations up to 200 information officers and 100
executive officers and representatives of other grades provided support
services for the various facilities at the PBC.

The live core feed of the Handover and related events was distributed
through RTHK's master control room in the PBC to the various
broadcasters in the centre and uplinked to satellite (Intelsat and AsiaSat 2)
for global reception.

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