Page 383 - Bahrain Gov annual reports(V)_Neat

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PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

(Report by J. H. D. Belgravc, Public Relations Officer, Bahrain Government)

During 1956 the Public Relations Department again occupied itself with matters that
could be better handled by Departments of Social Welfare and Labour. By the end of the
year, however, there were welcomed indications that these responsibilities were to be transferred
elsewhere thus leaving the Department to fulfil its main purpose, in the words of the Report on
Public Relations in Bahrain prepared by the Hon. William Buchan : “To project the person­
ality of the Government into the mind of the Bahrain Public.”
In 1956 the peace of Bahrain was considerably disturbed by political activities which
culminated, after strikes and threats of strikes, in the arrest of a number of the members of the
Committee of National Union and the dissolution of that organisation. Itjs against this
background of instability that the activities of the Department during 1956 must be viewed.
These, then, were the main activities of the Department in 1956 and plans for 1957.

The Radio. As was the case in 1955, the main medium of publicity used by the Department
in the year in question was broadcasting, and, by the end of the year, the B.B.S. was on the air
two and a half hours nightly and an hour and a half on Friday mornings. A number of
new programmes were introduced during the course of the year, including transcribed material
from foreign stations including the Voice of America, Sharq al-Adna, Radio Baghdad, Radio
UNO and Radio UNESCO. Material received from outside Bahrain is most useful in that it
adds variety to programmes that would otherwise consist entirely of programmes recorded in
Bahrain. Throughout the year an average of 90 letters a day were received, mainly in con­
nection with the listeners requests programmes, some 45 from Bahrain, 40 from Saudi Arabia
and five from other Gulf States.
It is hoped to introduce more dynamic programmes in 1957 to help better explain Govern­
ment policies—to give publicity to developments. A greater use will be made of portable tape
recorders to bring outside voices into the programmes and record the voice of the man in the
street. Among the new programmes planned for 1957 are “English by Radio, “Personality
of the Week,” “Music from East and West” and “Government Development, how it is carried
out and how it progresses.” A small Radio Times will also be published not only containing
radio programmes for the coming week but also summaries of notable programmes, news
concerning new programmes, etc. It is also planned to increase the hours of broadcasting to
3 J per day by the end of the year.

Bahrain Letter. During 1956 a number of issues of this Press Release were published and
covered such matters as educational and public health developments, elections for councils, etc.
The material and photographs supplied with the Letter have again appeared in numerous
Arabic and English publications. In order to give greater emphasis in the foreign press to
peaceful development and progress in Bahrain, it is planned to increase the number and circu­
lation of the Letter, and for this and other small printing work a Gestetner is being purchased
so that the Letter can be produced and printed in the office.

Press. Continuous efforts were made during the year to co-operate with the local press
by investigating complaints, supplying material for publication, arranging visits, etc. This
co-operation was at times successful, but then would be ended by increased political activity or
the suspension of the paper concerned. As for the international press, Bahrain was given
more coverage for events such as the strike than for other developments, and if is with a view to
giving the world a more balanced picture of Bahrain that the number of editions of Bahrain
Letter, as already mentioned, will be increased in 1957. It is also hoped that if any newspapers
are published in Bahrain during 1957 the Department will again be able to co-operate with
them in order to present to the Bahrain public a balanced picture of Bahrain.

General Publicity. The Department continued to supply reference material and statistics
on Bahrain to all interested persons and editors. Requests for information were also received
from Universities and Chambers of Commerce in various parts of the world.