Radio in China

Radio in China is a topic that has captivated society's interest for decades. Its importance is undeniable, and its impact has been felt in different aspects of daily life. Over the years, it has become an object of debate, research and reflection, generating different points of view and conflicting opinions. In this article, we will take a closer look at Radio in China and explore its implications in various contexts. From its influence on popular culture to its relevance in politics and the economy, Radio in China continues to generate a wide spectrum of discussion that leaves no one indifferent.

There are over 3,000 radio stations in China. China National Radio, the nation's official radio station, has eight channels, and broadcasts for a total of over 200 hours per day via satellite. Every province, autonomous region and municipality has local broadcasting stations. China Radio International (CRI), the only national overseas broadcasting station, is beamed to all parts of the world in multiple languages.

History of radio broadcasting

In 1950, approximately 1 million radio sets existed in China, mostly in bourgeois urban households.[1]: 45  The People's Republic of China began establishing a radio reception network assigning "radio receptionists" in schools, army units, and factories.[1]: 45  These receptionists organized group listening sessions and also transcribed and distributed written content of radio broadcasts.[1]: 45  Through the practice of rooftop broadcasting, village criers using homemade megaphones would also relay the content of radio broadcasts.[1]: 45  Radio receptionists and rooftop broadcasting remained a significant component of broadcasting practices until wireless broadcasting became widespread in the 1960s and 1970s.[1]: 45 

In 1978, China stopped jamming broadcasts from Voice of America (VOA).[2]: 104  VOA opened a bureau in Beijing in 1981.[3] In 1982, Radio Peking and VOA began regular exchanges.[3]

In 1998, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) began the Connecting Every Village with Radio and TV Project, which extended radio and television broadcasting to every village in China.[4]: 30 

Radio manufacturing

In the 1950s and 1960s, Red Star Radios became one of the Four Big Things, important and desirable consumer goods that demonstrated an increase in Chinese standards of living.[5]: 39–40 

Radio manufacturing expanded significantly during China's Third Front campaign to develop basic industry and national defense industry in China's rugged interior in case of invasion by the Soviet Union or the United States.[6]: 4, 219  In the Third Front regions, radio manufacturing increased by 11,668% percent as a result of the campaign.[6]: 219 

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Li, Jie (2023). Cinematic Guerillas: Propaganda, Projectionists, and Audiences in Socialist China. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231206273.
  2. ^ Minami, Kazushi (2024). People's Diplomacy: How Americans and Chinese Transformed US-China Relations during the Cold War. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9781501774157.
  3. ^ a b Li, Hongshan (2024). Fighting on the Cultural Front: U.S.-China Relations in the Cold War. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. p. 326. ISBN 9780231207058. JSTOR 10.7312/li--20704.
  4. ^ Shi, Song (2023). China and the Internet: Using New Media for Development and Social Change. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9781978834736.
  5. ^ Chatwin, Jonathan (2024). The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China's Future. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350435711.
  6. ^ a b Meyskens, Covell F. (2020). Mao's Third Front: The Militarization of Cold War China. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108784788. ISBN 978-1-108-78478-8. OCLC 1145096137. S2CID 218936313.