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Virginia Radio Station Broadcasting Chinese Propaganda (reuters.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the better-than-spam dept.

An anonymous reader writes: An investigation by Reuters has uncovered a radio station located just outside Washington, D.C. that broadcasts dedicated Chinese propaganda to the U.S. capital and the surrounding area. In 2009, under new ownership, Virginia-based station WAGE erected new broadcast towers, amplifying its signal by ten times, and changed its call letters to WCRW, for "China Radio Washington." All WCRW programming shares a common theme, with newscasts that avoid any criticism of China and are critical of Beijing's political enemies; for example, a report on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year did not explain why people were in the streets, and said only that the demonstrations had "failed without support." WCRW's American owners claim they have no input on content and are only rebroadcasting programming provided to them by a state-sponsored Chinese company to which they lease the airtime. U.S. law requires that anyone seeking to influence American policy or public opinion on behalf of a foreign government must register with the Department of Justice, but according to Reuters, government officials didn't even know WCRW existed until Reuters told them about it.

8 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. so... by ganjadude · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The government is not even monitoring the radio waves in/near the capitol? Thats what I took from reading this. that is not a very smart thing

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    1. Re:so... by MountainLogic · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, the FCC is monitoring radio waves in the capitol and the rest of the country, but is less likely to monitor the content broadcast on the radio waves unless here is a complaint.

    2. Re:so... by jandrese · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The FCC operates on a complaint driven model. They don't tend to notice until someone writes a letter. They don't have the budget to hire airwave cops to drive around looking for violations all over the country. As far as the FCC was concerned this was just another properly licensed radio station until someone complained.

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      I read the internet for the articles.
  2. You're doing it wrong by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dummies, if you want to influence Washington, you don't put up radio stations, you bribe politicians directly. The Supreme Court made doing so legal.

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    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:You're doing it wrong by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In layman's terms, they're still required to do the "wink wink, nudge nudge" part, and per Citizens United, that means that because there is no direct transfer of funds, or quid pro quo, then that makes everything alright.

      The problem is that it's very easy to disguise certain levels of collusion that isn't supposed to happen, and given the ridiculous/ludicrous levels of money being tossed around, it strains credulity for everyone except the Supreme Court apparently to say there isn't something dirty going on.

      Let me put it another way. If Billionaire Bob decides to donate $50 million to the "Fund Attack Ads Against Candidate Alice's Opponents" PAC, do we really think that means Alice won't notice, or that it's not really a donation to Alice because FAAACAO PAC is a theoretically independent organization that just happens to be run by Alice's longtime best friend, who she totally never talks to about anything election related? Unless Eve happens to overhear them talking and tells the press about them colluding, but by then the election is probably long over, and the FEC has been pretty toothless of late... but that's another complaint.

  3. Re:Well duh by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "U.S. law requires that anyone seeking to influence American policy or public opinion on behalf of a foreign government must register with the Department of Justice, but according to Reuters, government officials didn't even know WCRW existed until Reuters told them about it."

    Like anyone in Washington does their job.

    They're too busy trying to influence American policy and public opinion on behalf of our own government.

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  4. Re:Well duh by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The only reason i can remotely think of in this particular case is that the people are a middle man for the chinese government.

    Sorry, my bad. I complete missed the modification to the first amendment. It has now been changed to read: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, unless they are middlemen for the Chinese government.

    I am so glad that the government censors are protecting me from speech that they may disagree with.

  5. Can't be working that well, then by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    An investigation by Reuters has uncovered a radio station located just outside Washington, D.C. that broadcasts dedicated Chinese propaganda to the U.S. capital and the surrounding area.

    If it takes an investigation by Reuters before anyone's even aware of your radio station, you're not doing a very good job.

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