The head of RTHK, Eddie Cheung, said on Monday that the station is striving to fill scores of vacancies, after a legislator questioned whether staff shortages are affecting the broadcaster's operations.

At a Legco IT panel meeting, unionist lawmaker Lam Chun-sing noted that fewer than 600 of the station's 730 or so civil service positions are filled.

In response, the director of broadcasting said recruitment exercises are ongoing and RTHK plans to ask Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) to help publicise the vacancies to Hongkongers studying journalism on the mainland.

"We have been pro-actively working with ETOs to promote our recruitment exercises," Cheung said.

He added that the broadcaster has been relying more on technology to ease the staff shortages.

Panel chairman Junius Ho said public money would be better spent if there was improved synergy and cooperation between RTHK and the Information Services Department.

He described the two government departments as "the soul and the body" that are separated.

Several lawmakers also said they found RTHK's buildings on Broadcast Drive to be worn out during a site visit last month.

Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Algernon Yau said officials are looking into plans for a new headquarters for the station and will give lawmakers an update once something concrete has been worked out.