p2pnet - rss feed: Beijing Olympics pirate radio broadcast
p2pnet news view Radio | Freedom | P2P:- The first non-state radio station to broadcast in China since the Communist Party took power in 1949 went on the air today as part of a Reporters Without Borders protest.
“Only international Chinese-language radio stations broadcasting on the short wave would be able to break this news and information monopoly, but they are jammed by the authorities,” says RWB.
RWB members sent programmes in English, French and Mandarin over 104.4 FM, China’s only independent FM radio station in Beijing, just hours before the start of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, it says, going on »»»
In a programme lasting 20 minutes, Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard and Chinese human rights activists called on the Chinese government to respect free speech.
“The Chinese authorities refused to issue visas to ten of our members but this has not stopped us from making ourselves heard in Beijing by means of a clandestine radio broadcast using miniaturised FM transmitters and antennas,” Ménard said. “Reporters Without Borders devised and carried out this protest in a spirit of resistance against state control of the media.”
Until now, Only international Chinese-language radio stations broadcasting on the short wave have been able to break the Chinese news and information monopoly, and they’re routinely jammed.
Posts RWB »»»
In his introduction, Ménard described the broadcast as a “gesture of defiance towards the Chinese authorities, who are still keeping dozens and dozens of journalists and Internet users in prison.” Addressing the authorities, Ménard said : “Despite everything, there are people who are going to be able to speak out about things you don’t want the public to hear, in the very heart of Beijing. Regardless of the measures you take, you will not get rid of free speech.”
Ménard then urged the Chinese authorities to release prisoners of conscience and stop jamming the frequencies used by international radio stations broadcasting in Chinese. “You banned us from going to Beijing, you expelled us from China. But despite all that, we are here, making our voice heard peacefully, in a completely non-violent fashion. It is a way of saying censorship just won’t work.”
The broadcast included interviews with Chinese human rights activists who have found refuge abroad. A former journalist talked about the censorship and self-censorship that is imposed on her colleagues still in China. A human rights activist described the crackdown on Chinese activists in the run-up to the Olympics.
A former political prisoner described the appalling conditions in which he was held. “External pressure is essential to improve the situation of political prisoners,” Yang Jianli said. Finally the director of Boxun, a US-based, Chinese-language website that is still blocked in China, talked about what motivates the site’s volunteer contributors inside China who, despite the risks, post reports on the social and political situation.
The Radio Without Borders broadcast began at 08:08 local time on 08/08/08, exactly 12 hours before the start of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
The programmes were heard in different districts of the Chinese capital.
Click here for the English RWB broadcast, click here for the French version, and click here for the Mandarin programme.
Free-airing around the world
Meanwhile, SafeNet, owner of Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony BMG RIAA ‘investigator’ MediaSentry, has been hired by the Communist authorities in what will inevitably be a wasted attempt to use DRM to make sure no one shares official Chinese broadcasts.
Apart from the fact SafeNet’s MediaSentry has so far proved to be beneficial only for its shareholders, “Olympics will be televised around the world - what’s the point of MediaSentry securing the online portion?” - asks Billy in a p2pnet Reader’s Write.
“Maybe I’m missing something,” he says, “but locking down a small piece of the event while free-airing around the world most of the same content seems more like a political showing than a practical exercise.
“Is MediaSentry licensed to conduct investigations in China?”
Well, is it?
It certainly isn’t in large parts of the US, although it’s still conducting what are presumably illegal investigations there.
Stay tuned.
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.Stumble It!
RWB - Clandestine FM radio broadcast today in Beijing by Reporters Without Borders, hours before Olympic opening ceremony, August 8, 2008
wasted attempt - RIAA ‘MediaSentry’ owner hired by China, August 7, 2008
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August 8th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Long live pirate radio!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
On the other hand, I have resolved that these olympic games should be boycotted totally and completely. I will not watch. I will not read. I will not see or hear or acknowledge they exist. The advertisers will not reach me and the millions they paid are wasted. But the interviews sound like something I must listen to. (oops ending with a preposition) Anyway, good luck to RWB in their efforts.
August 9th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I’m pretty much on the boycott side too. I have nothing against the Olympics, I think they are a great way to bring countries together. I think that Communist China was a very poor choice of location for them. I think the Olympics should require a prospective country to perform some grand “Nobel” effort in the world somewhere in order to qualify as a host for the Olympics.
China has failed to effect the world in enough of a positive way to offset the negative way they impact millions of peoples lives. I just feel that any government or religion that fails to provide the people with Liberty (to go where they want, speak how they feel, and THINK what they want to THINK (and not be exterminated/imprisoned for doing so)), governments and religions like this are despicable.
The current Chinese government falls into this category.
Damn the “though police”. Pirate Radio is in the spirit of this, and I giggle to think of a Pirate Radio station in China. Via Con Dios, Pirate Radio…