China Radio International comes to London

Do you want to find out more about the Chinese culture in this New Year of the Dragon? Do you need to know the news that affects the Tiger economies on a day-to-day basis? Do you want to expand your horizons beyond the Western world-view? Now you can. From today, the pulse of China will be felt across the airwaves of London as China Radio International (CRI) is brought to the capital for the first time by World Radio Network (WRN) and Spectrum Radio 558AM.

The daily international English-language news and currently affairs programme from CRI will be broadcast on Spectrum 558AM at 11pm each weekday evening, live from Beijing. In each programme the day's news headlines are followed by half-an-hour of political, business and current affairs commentary. The CRI broadcasts have regular reviews of the Chinese press as well as extensive coverage of sports, the environment, tourism and technology developments in the region.

CRI has 29 news bureaux around the world that provide international news, while a range of reporters across China bring in-depth coverage of the major news stories across the world's most populous country as well as daily coverage of events in Hong Kong and the recently returned territory of Macao. China Radio International on Spectrum Radio 558 AM is set to give listeners in London a unique insight into China's daily life, it's history and it's future.

China Radio International's London debut has been made possible by World Radio Network. The programme is being downlinked from satellite at WRN's Technical Operations Centre in central London and relayed to Spectrum 558 AM for broadcast.

Mr Xin Liancai, Director of International Relations at China Radio International said "I am pleased that new audiences in London will be able to obtain a new insight into China through CRI's programme."

Jeff Cohen, WRN's Director of Development added "WRN is delighted to be able to provide the technical expertise to bring CRI's programme to London. We believe it will be a great success."

China Radio International will also be broadcasting a daily programme on four of WRN's international radio networks. This is the first time that a broadcast from China Radio International has been made so widely available on mainstream radio instead of the conventional short wave that international broadcasters rely on. In Europe, the CRI programming will be heard on the WRN1 English Network and a German language programme from CRI will also go out on new EuroMax Deutsch network, WRN's 24/7 German language channel, launched on 18 January. To North America, the CRI programme will go out on the hugely successful World Radio Network from NPR overnight service, now heard on over 20 NPR member stations across the USA, including WNYC in New York City and WAMU in Washington DC. CRI programming will also go out on WRN's North America 24 hours a day radio network available via satellite, cable and local AM and FM rebroadcasters across the US.

World Radio Network: http://www.wrn.org
EuroMax Deutsch: http://www.euromaxonline.com
China Radio International: http://www.cri.com.cn