Efforts by Radio Television Hong Kong to promote its programmes are starting to bear fruit, Director of Broadcasting Eddie Cheung said on Tuesday as he noted a gradual shift in the way people receive their content.

At a Legislative Council panel meeting, several legislators raised concerns about the public broadcaster's performance.

Michael Luk of the Federation of Trade Unions praised the quality of RTHK programmes in recent years, but felt the organisation could do more to expand its reach.

"Of course we understand RTHK is not a commercial radio or television station. But when it comes to delivering messages to a mass audience, it cannot be too nonchalant towards viewership and listenership," he said.

In response, Cheung said RTHK has already launched a promotional campaign, citing both outdoor and online advertisements which he said were effective.

Giving the Paris Olympics and Paralympics as examples, he revealed the hit rates and viewership of RTHK's streaming platforms doubled during that period.

Cheung noticed a fundamental change in the media consumption pattern, saying many people are no longer glued to their TV sets, and instead rely on mobile devices for information.

"On the RTHK website, every day we're seeing 3.8 million real-time streams, while our programmes are played 620,000 times and the website is accessed 500,000 times. We also record about 1.5 million daily views at our news website," he said.

The figures, he believed, are proof the broadcaster's programmes can arouse interest among the Hong Kong audience.

Meanwhile, Liberal Party’s Peter Shiu suggested RTHK team up with schools to produce content which educate students on national policies.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau pledged to take his recommendation into account.

"RTHK has a strong focus on national education for youth and promoting Chinese culture. We will do more and consider lawmakers' ideas for raising national awareness and education," he said.

Yau added RTHK will spare no effort to promote and broadcast the 15th National Games, scheduled for November next year. Hong Kong will host eight competitive events, including track cycling, fencing and golf.