RBC Attaining New Heights Through Innovation
Organization
Radio Beijing Corporation, or RBC is a state-owned radio station with independent transmission facilities. It was founded on February 2, 1949. The radio station is east of the overpass at Jianguomen on the southern side of Beijing’s main thoroughfare, Changan Avenue. The radio station has eight specialized channels, one content production center, 14 administrative departments and a wholly owned the Beijing Broadcasting Company. RBC employs more than 730 staff.
Programs
Radio Beijing Corporation now has eight regular radio frequencies including News Radio (AM828KHz FM100.6MHz), Public Service Radio (AM1026 FM107.3MHz), Capital Life Radio (AM603KHz), Sports Radio (AM927KHz FM102.5MHz), Music Radio (FM97.4MHz), Literature and Art Radio (FM87.6MHz), Communication Radio (FM103.9Mhz) as well as Radio 774 (AM774KHz), fifteen cable FM channels and sixteen digital channels on the Beijing Cable TV Network, with a total broadcasting time of 353 hours and a transmission capacity of 190.5 kilowatts. Besides the Beijing area, RBC’s programmes can reach other parts of northern China. It cooperates closely with provincial and city stations in China and dozens of media organizations worldwide in countries including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
There are numerous flagship programmes favoured by audiences, including News Hotline, Driving You Crazy, Smooth Traffic on the Road, Citizens’ Taxi, Beijing News, 1039 Service Hotline, Traffic News, Time for Law and Order, Happy Tea House, News Panorama, Chinese Music Global Chart, Crazy for Songs, China Music Chart, Ha Ha Ha Hour, Law Arena, BangBang Brings the World to You, 974 Music Time for Car Lovers, Pop Wonderful Too, Whispers Tonight, Novel Reading, News 2006, Friends of Radio, Crime Scene Tonight, Leisure Chat on Beijing, Have Your Say, Humour Collection; In the Public Eye, Time for Oral Literature..
Listeners’ favorite hosts include Wang Jiayi, Yang Yang, Wang Wei, Liu Sijia, Li Li, Wu Zhoutong, Wang Dong, Wang Wei (female), Liang Hong, Gu Feng, Luo Bing, Li Yang, Lu You, Xiao YU, Su Jingping, Zhu Yun, Da Peng, Gao Lei, Han Li, Zheng Yang, Teng Bing, Liu Jing, Wu Yong, Chun Xiao, Gao Ting, Li Shuang, Xiao DI, Liu Xiao, Jiu Jie and so on.
By the end of 2006, RBC had won national government awards including China’s top Journalist prizes:
Taofen Prize: one time
Five-One Project Prize:16 times
Chinese Journalism Award: The First Prize, 6 times;
The Second Prize,10 times;
The Third Prize, 17 times
China Broadcasting Award: The First Prize, 54 times
China’s Radio, Film and Television Prize: 5 times
Technical Innovation
RBC has established digital platforms for programme production, storage and transmission. The radio station now has 13 digital studios with matching production facilities and 1 video studio. In 2004, RBC purchased three world-leading audio matrix systems for two-way monitoring of transfer and transmission of radio programs.
ISDN and Internet technologies are widely used throughout the radio station. RBC staff has access to a network of more than 1000 desk-top computers. A video-conference system has been installed in all the meeting rooms inside the office building.
With the permission of State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), Radio Beijing Corporation has launched Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), which represents the third generation broadcasting technology.
Management
On November 28th 2003, RBC became the first radio station in China to pass the ISO9001-2000 quality management system. The introduction of this system has enabled staff to work more efficiently. Strict control of the process has ensured high quality in all aspects of work at the radio station, which is vital for self-improvement and maintaining a lead amidst fierce media competition.
Market Achievement
In recent years, RBC has been reaching more and more listeners. In 2006, the penetration rate reached 56.4 percent. On average, listeners tune into RBC for over 123.8 minutes each day. RBC’s eight regular channels (News Radio, Public Service Radio, Capital Life Radio, Sports Radio, Music Radio, Literature and Art Radio, Communication Radio and Radio 774) enjoy 68.8 percent of the Beijing broadcasting market share.
RBC’s revenue in 1992 was only 6.5 million yuan. In 2006, the figure increased to 510 million yuan. To face fierce competition in the broadcasting industry, RBC has made a strategic adjustment to its advertising operations. Now, agents take care of the advertising business for all channels, rather than RBC does by itself. The agencies are chosen through public bidding. RBC has set up two departments, one to deal with advertising operations and the other for management. The new system has made maximum use of advertising resources and broadened the profit margin.
Business Expansion
In early 2004, RBC set out its five-year development plan for business expansion. Whilst maintaining steady growth in advertisement revenue, the radio station’s goal is to actively restructure its business operation, boldly explore cross-region and cross-trade business expansion, promote the development of content providers, introduce new media and digital broadcasting, and expand the scale of the business. In the process of adopting this new business model, the radio station will achieve its goal of becoming the leader in the broadcasting industry; it will centralize financing, develop independently, control the development scale, and integrate with step-by-step strategies.
Currently Radio Beijing Corporation has the subsidiary companies as the following: Simulcast Co Ltd; Beijing Jolon Digital Media Broadcasting Co Ltd; Beijing Blue Sparkle Music Culture Co. Ltd; Beijing Shannon Media Co Ltd; Beijing Communication Radio Automobile Association Co. Ltd; Radio Beijing Training Center. At the beginning of 2006, newspaper supplementary <<New Radio>> was produced by RBC independently, thus Radio Beijing does not only rely on one form but also enhance its influence, essential for its cross-trade business.
Public Commitment
The public welfare initiative, “Conquer One Acre of Desert in Duolun, Return Beijing A Piece of Blue Sky”, was launched by Beijing News Radio. Over the seven years, more than 400 organizations and ten of thousands of individuals have donated 6 million RMB to this event. The move has been recognized with an award from Beijing Municipal Government.
In 2006, Radio Beijing has donated 300 thousand RMB to the construction of a remote suburban primary school. On the Teacher’s day of 2006, RBC donated 700 thousand RMB to reward excellent teachers of Beijing Municipal Government.
“Beijing Xinjiang Hetian Hope Primary School was created by RBC with a voluntary donation of more than 400 thousand RMB from RBC’s employees. The school has been put into use officially with current enrollment of more than 240 students.
Beijing Communication Radio and the Beijing Taxi Administration Bureau have jointly founded Beijing Taxi Hope Primary School in Wuyi County, Hebei Province. The efforts have helped nearly 1,600 school-age children returning to classes in eight years’ time.
On November 22nd of 2004, Beijing Communication Radio was joined by other media organizations to set up the first “Ethical Driving Day”, in Beijing, promoting the idea of “Safe Road, Ethical Driving”.
RBC Blueprint
The quality management system has put wings on the ready-to-fly management engine of RBC. An audience-oriented management principle has required the station to broadcast programmes which are close to the truth, close to life and close to listeners. The use of advanced technology has guaranteed the smooth broadcasting of all programmes. The fast growth of Beijing Broadcasting Company has enabled RBC to break away from the business model of relying only on advertisements. Radio Beijing Corporation is making determined efforts to reach new heights and stride dynamically to accomplish the mission of becoming a leading media organization both at home and abroad.
Dec 26th, 2007
