CRI Tamil - with a network of listeners’ clubs in T.N. - in talks with Chennai’s FM stations for launch of a daily two-hour broadcast
The state-run China Radio International’s Tamil radio station, the most popular of its more than 60 international channels, marked its 49th anniversary here on Sunday announcing plans to expand its presence in India by launching broadcasts on local FM radio stations.
CRI Tamil, which broadcasts on shortwave in Tamil Nadu where it has an extensive network of listeners’ clubs run by 25,000 registered listeners, is in talks with FM radio stations in Chennai to launch a daily two-hour broadcast, Zhao Jiang, CRI Tamil’s director, told The Hindu.
CRI Tamil launched an FM broadcast on Colombo’s FM 102 station in 2010, a move that has enabled it to expand its listeners’ base in Sri Lanka this past year. The channel now broadcasts for four hours in Sri Lanka every day, at 1.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.
Quiet celebration
CRI Tamil held a quiet celebration to mark its anniversary here on Sunday, inviting members of Beijing’s Tamil community, mostly from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The channel has a grander plan to mark its 50th anniversary this year, and will invite listeners from India to visit China. CRI, one of Beijing’s four main state-run media outlets along with the Xinhua news agency, China Central Television (CCTV) and the English-language China Daily newspaper, is now at the centre of an $8 billion expansion, part of China’s plans to boost its “soft power” overseas.
At CRI’s 70th anniversary celebrations last year, the channel was called upon by the Communist Party’s propaganda chief and Polit Bureau member Li Changchun to “create favourable international opinions about China and constantly boost its soft power.” As China’s only world service radio station, he said CRI would be developed into “a world first-rate broadcaster with increasing global influence.”
Founded in 1941
CRI was founded in 1941, before the People’s Republic was established, at the Communists’ revolutionary base in Yanan. It broadcasts in 61 languages today, with 3,000 hours of daily programming.
Much of the “soft power” expansion drive of the four main state-run media outlets has been directed, so far, at the West — Xinhua’s opening of a new office at Times Square in New York and the launch of a 24-hour English news-channel to emulate the success of Al Jazeera have made global headlines.
CCTV's English channel has opened a U.S. office and has begun to broadcast exclusive programming tailored for American audiences, while China Daily has launched editions across Europe, where it is available for free in many cities.
Prominence in Asia
CRI is playing a prominent role in Asia, where its broadcasts have enjoyed wide following for decades, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. CRI Tamil has listeners in Tamil Nadu, the rest of India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and also in Europe and the United States.
Last year, CRI’s Urdu channel launched FM broadcasts in Pakistan, shortly after CRI Tamil’s FM debut in Sri Lanka.
The Tamil station, launched in 1963, is widely popular for its programmes on Chinese culture and language. Its content generally refrains from engaging with overtly political issues, and devotes much of its attention to the arts.
Staff growth
The station has grown over the past 49 years. Starting with a small seven-member part-time Chinese staff, it functions today with 19 full-time Chinese staff — all fluent in Tamil and mostly graduates of the Communications University of China, which initiated a Tamil programme primarily to cater to CRI’s needs. The station also employs two Indian staff.
Speaking in fluent Tamil, the station’s director, Ms. Zhao, who prefers to go by the name Kalaimagal, said the station received 5,00,000 letters from its fans in India and elsewhere every year year — more than any other CRI station and accounting for one-sixth of all correspondence received by the 61 channels. She said the channel was interested in launching FM broadcasts in India to reach out better to its listeners.
The channel is currently available on shortwave, broadcasting every day at 7.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m., and also broadcasts online through its website.
It is heartening to know that China is doing its part in promoting Tamil. CRI Tamil receives largest numbers of letters than any other of their departments. On one hand we have Dravidian (Telugu-speaking) parties in Tamil Nadu doing everything possible to destroy Tamil out of India - for example through immunity they have given to Hindi-imposing "CBSE" and "Matriculation" school or removal of Tamil language out Tamil Nadu based "Central" institutions and through reservation system banning Tamil speaking communties. Now we know who really the "guardians" of the Tamil language and that the enemy of Tamil language is within Tamil Nadu state. Hope CRI Tamil can have Short Wave stations that can reach Bangalore, Delhi.
I want china radio Tamil broad coast short waves number and program.
@ Venkatesan: However hard anybody tries to defame or reject Tamil, it wont happen, since the western world is now realizing the antiquity and originality of Tamil. I'm working at the Tamil Archive at a European University that is striving to modernise its collection of ancient and modern Tamil literature.
there is a hidden message or thread here. Many countries have strong state run media which not only in the country but also using soft power and by broadcasting in international languages send their / support their idealogy. BBC, CRI, and in America so called national public radio (NPR) and American public media. At the outset while these all look like neutral, they spread what the government wants to be spread / upholding and suporting their country.
Only in India our politicians put all effort to ring death bell to Akashavani and vivid bharati. Also the state (govt) run FM radio is also in shackles. All political parties are focussed on drumming up for their stations. We need to strongly and swiftly revive state run radio not only in India but also abroad.
China is encouraging Tamil through its telecast. But India is curtailing Tamil Radio & TV telecasting time. News are not read in Tamil by DD National. It is a crime committed by the Government. What is the remedy? Tamil is not printed in the tickets purchased by Tamil People in India. It is available only in Hindi & English. It is another crime committed by GOI. Who can correct it? Can the GOI can understand the voice???????? or else this reply also will be curtailed?
I am delighted to read this article.Union Government should be ashamed of this as it is trying to curtail the growth of the greatest language in the world.
When i was in Delhi i used to listen these channels including BBC Tamil Channel and Sri Lanka Rupavahini...etc.. they played a vital role in my life and to many Tamilians who were outside the state especial in North India....it reduces my home sick..i never forgets those days ..... BEST WISHES for the China Radio International’s Tamil radio station for entering 50th year....
@ ananda Kumar. Rightly said. I feel it is deliberate!!
@ Eric Selvaraj. Indian government instead of being proud of having such a language is making every effort to scuttle its growth. There is also a well planned effort not to acknowledge that Tamil is the oldest Indian language.
Indian Government with its callous act removed Tamil from the public life. If you take any rail ticket which is purchased in TAMIL Nadu, there is no TAMIL is printed. The people of Tamil Nadu are facing a serious threat against TAMIL even in Tamil Nadu. There is no Tamil in Indian Oil distributing companies. But everywhere Hindi is available. This clearly shows the objective of INDIAN Govt. We Tamils are losing everything. How can we march ahead when our Govt., our nation is against us???
A beautiful initiative. If Indian govt comes with "innovative schemes" -
LIC asking non-Hindi speaking people to sign in Hindi -and on the other
hand you have China which is promoting Tamil. I admire Chinese for the
way they are managing their country. The cleanliness and the discipline
which i heard from the tourists who visited China makes me think that
they are light years ahead of Indians.
i am sure that atleast they will speak pure tamil.....these local FM stations are making a mockery of our language....
With the central government taking very little care for the proliferation of the Tamil language, and actually trying still to impose Hindi (such as the recent LIC circular controversy), it is refreshing to note that the Chinese are doing something about it, albeit probably with their own agenda in mind.
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