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Chinese Communist Party Paid WCRW $4.4 Million To Broadcast Propaganda

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It had to register as a foreign agent back in February 2019 and the info comes from a required filing released Thursday since it's considered a "foreign agent."

freebeacon.com

CCP Paid DC Radio Station $4.4 Million To Broadcast Propaganda

The Chinese Communist Party paid a Washington, D.C., radio station $4.4 million over the past two years to broadcast propaganda, according to new federal foreign agent disclosures. The Virginia-based Potomac Media Group detailed its lucrative contract with the Communist Party’s International...
freebeacon.com freebeacon.com
 
Nothing illegal about it. Communists have first amendment rights too.

The matter has been discussed by both the FCC and congress.

BTW the Russian gov't also pays radio stations to run their propaganda.
 
And of course, as we all know, the Amerikan gummit would NEVER pay any domestic media outlet to broadcast their agitprop! EVER.

Could you imagine the scandal that would erupt if THAT ever came to light? All the Portland scene kiddiez that would be rioting and looting?
 
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The China Radio International deal was different. CRI ran several years on several stations in the USA. I managed one of those stations. The concept was a global targeted thing where the Chinese government sought an advertising agency and programming company would lease stations around the world and following the recommendations of the BBC (the company hired by the Chinese as a consultant) would mostly originate programming using hosts in the country where the broadcast was heard. For example, American stations carried programming that as originated by Americans covering topics of interest to Americans.

Sounds crazy, right? The Chinese Government felt by doing this they could achieve better trade deals for key products to satisfy China's needs. You heard a negative comment about China here and there and you heard about how the USA's form of government was the best on earth. Amid all that there was a 5 minute newscast produced by China Radio International each hour. Yes the news was skewed to make China look good (aka we're your Daddy just taking care of you).

As I understand it, and I could be wrong, the agency handling everything on this half of the world (North, Central & South America), being in the USA had to have other clients accounting for at least 20% of the agency's business. It seems that might have slipped below 20% right as Congress decided to look in to the situation and about the same time the Chinese Government decided their plan was not working out. All the stations that carried the programming saw it go down in a matter of about 72 hours. Literally they went from many affiliates to zero in 3 days. A couple of remaining stations had carried CRI programming but not on a fulltime basis and it was the Chinese language version not English.

The American programming was things like entertainment news, sports talk and other 'light' talk programming or blocks of music programming. At one point there was an hour of hit country and a 3 hour pop/CHR/Alt style program that really mixed things up. In a nutshell, none of it was political other than a public affairs program that dealt with various issues of general interest to Americans. I recall one program on a non-profit that went around looking for businesses lacking handicap access and would file suit against these businesses. Some of those businesses had filed a suit against the non-profit and was scrutinizing the actions of the non-profit against their IRS classification. They had business owners on the air and a statement from the non-profit. They explained how all of this worked from a legal aspect.
 
I generally think that hearing Chinese or Russian views of news, including their propaganda, is potentially educational. I used to listen to Vladimir Pozner and Joe Adamov, probably daily, on Radio Moscow, and it was straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

It didn't make me into a communist.

This sort of thing also has been done in national newspapers. The NY Times used to run full page ads of Chinese propaganda (which looked just like feature news articles) on a frequent basis. They made a fair bit of money doing so, too.
 
TheBigA said:
Nothing illegal about it. Communists have first amendment rights too.

The matter has been discussed by both the FCC and congress.

BTW the Russian gov't also pays radio stations to run their propaganda.
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Exactly. Technically a station could sell blocks of programming to any foreign government, as long as it didn't contain material encouraging overthrow of the U.S. Government.
 
I looks like the Beijing government has ended its deal with WCRW. AM 1190 Leesburg is now carrying limited brokered programming and plenty of announcements for available airtime (English, Spanish, etc.) The New World Radio Network folks operate the station now.. This is the group behind the old WUST 1120.
 
I find it funny people are up in arms about this.. because for the most part the only people listening to these types of stations are radio geeks and DXers.. and not really for the content.
 
RF101 said:
I looks like the Beijing government has ended its deal with WCRW. AM 1190 Leesburg is now carrying limited brokered programming and plenty of announcements for available airtime (English, Spanish, etc.) The New World Radio Network folks operate the station now.. This is the group behind the old WUST 1120.
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I remember the former WUST programming moving to an online stream after iHeart bought it, maybe it returns to AM again at WCRW. At least WCRW has a (limited) night signal.
 
DXingRadio said:
Piece from the Washington Examiner on WCRW separating from CRI's programming.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Virginia radio company cuts ties with China after getting static

A Virginia radio company that was paid millions of dollars to broadcast Chinese Communist Party propaganda says it has cut ties with China after it came
www.washingtonexaminer.com www.washingtonexaminer.com
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It appears from that article that the Chinese stopped paying their invoices for airtime, and the Washington Examiner is dressing a simple commercial matter up as some kind of political victory.
 
On the surface it appears the real issue is Potomac Radio Group taking $4+M from the Chinese to buy blocks of programming after the company had already received an SBA loan. Had Brian immediately paid the loan back before mature from the Chinese proceeds, he'd be in less hot water.

Can't believe the carelessness to not realize that broadcasting Chinese government propaganda would bring scrutiny from offended listeners. He didn't appear to break any laws by allowing the programming. What amounts to double-dipping? That's a problem.
 
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