Budapest Radio Station Interrupted Broadcast for CRI Programming During Chinese State Visit

On June 24, 2011, Budapest’s classical-music radio station Klasszik Radio halted its regular programming and aired Chinese state-produced content timed precisely to the arrival of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), the first visit to Hungary by a Chinese premier in 24 years, investigative Hungarian outlet Direkt36 reported. Former senior editor Viktor Hankó said the order originated directly from China Radio International (中國國際廣播電台), or CRI, the CCP-controlled international broadcaster, which in 2018 was brought under the China Media Group (CMG). Klasszik Radio was reportedly phoned by CRI representatives less than 48 hours before Wen’s arrival and sent prepared material on China’s history and Sino-Hungarian relations for the station to air. Referring to Wen Jiabao’s motorcade, Hankó told Direkt36 that the goal was “to show to that one guy sitting in his limousine that there are Chinese broadcasts even on Hungarian radio.” The same broadcast instructions were delivered to GBTimes Oy (環球時代傳媒公司), the Finnish-registered firm with which  Klasszik had partnered in December 2010, selling it part of its airtime. GBTimes Oy also acted in the interest of China Radio International. Four years later, a 2015 Reuters investigation identified Klasszik among the stations in GBTimes Oy’s European network carrying CRI-linked programming through a China-based subsidiary of CRI. GBTimes Oy CEO Zhao Yinong (趙亦農) told Reuters that CRI paid his company “several million euros” a year to produce China-friendly radio content. Chinese officials later told Klasszik staff that Wen was pleased with the broadcast, according to the Direkt36 report.