Monday, October 26, 2009

New shortwave station launches in Nanning, China


Tony Harding, a Hong Kong-based journalist covering the 6th China-ASEAN Expo, has just sent us this report:

Guangxi People’s Radio and China Radio International today launched a new radio service - Beibu Bay Radio - “Voice of Guangxi Beibu Gulf”. The station broadcasts on a network of 15 FM frequencies and 2 shortwave transmitters across Southern China from studios in Nanning, Guangxi province. The station will be on the air from 0700-2400 daily (2300-1600 UTC), in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Thai and English.

There are DX opportunities to hear the station on 5050 kHz and 9820 kHz, and on the Web at http://www.bbrmedia.com/ . The main English language program, called The Hot Pot Show (This a Chinese form of eating, not a reference to the Golden Triangle in South East Asia), is from 1600-1800 local time (0800-1000 UTC).

At the opening ceremony, attended by the consuls of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the wish was expressed that the station will be able to give China’s angle on events and trade in the area.

The launch of the station coincides with the 6th China-ASEAN Expo being held in the city and is also in preparation for the 1 January 2010 removal of trade tariffs between the 11 countries to form the biggest free trade area in the world. China is attempting to bolster cooperation as well as projecting a more favourable image abroad.
(Source: Tony Harding for Media Network/R Netherlands Weblog)

China Radio International's report of the ceremony at:
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/10/23/1461s524477.htm