The first transmitter used by Yan'an Xinhua Radio
News and public opinion work is an important part of the party's propaganda work. For a long time, the Party's press and public opinion tools were mainly newspapers and periodicals and news agencies. In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japan, under the sabotage and interference of Japanese imperialism and the diehards of the Kuomintang, it was difficult for party newspapers to be transmitted to the Kuomintang and occupied areas. The text broadcast of Xinhua News Agency can only be read by receiving and translating telegrams. Xinhua Ribao, which was publicly distributed in the Kuomintang area, also had many important commentaries and articles difficult to publish due to the Kuomintang's censorship and control of the press. It has become an increasingly urgent task for the broader masses of the people to hear the ideas and voices of the Party Central Committee.
In the exhibition hall of the Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition Hall, there is a Soviet-made transmitter, 101.5 cm long, 55 .6cm wide and 161 cm high; the shell of the box has been deformed, the surface is rusty, and there are many scratches; the paint has discolored and fallen off, the dashboard has cracks, damage, and missing screws; the switch is rusty, and there are many missing internal parts. This rusty, badly damaged transmitter was the first used by Yan'an Xinhua Radio, and it witnessed the first years of the Chinese Communist Party's founding of broadcasting.
In August 1939, Zhou Enlai went to Moscow for treatment with an injury to his right arm. While in Moscow, Zhou Enlai and Ren Bishi, in their talks with the leader of the Communist International, Dimitrov, proposed the establishment of a radio station in Yan'an, which was supported by Dimitrov. In March 1940, Zhou Enlai returned to China with his wounds and brought back a Soviet-made radio transmitter aided by the Comintern, and prepared the most critical equipment for the construction of the Yan'an Radio Station. In order to facilitate transportation, the transmitter was disassembled and first airlifted to Xinjiang, and then transported by car to Yan'an via Lanzhou, Xi'an and other places.
The CPC Central Committee has decided to set up a broadcasting committee, with Zhou Enlai as its director, Wang Yi, director of the Third Bureau of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, and Xiang Zhonghua, president of the Xinhua News Agency, as members to lead the work of preparing for the establishment of radio stations. After Zhou En's arrival in Chongqing, Zhu De presided over the preparatory work. After repeated inspections by the Third Bureau of the Central Military Commission, Wangpiwan Village, 40 miles northwest of Yan'an, was selected as the radio station site. On December 30, 1940, Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station began broadcasting, marking the birth of the people's broadcasting industry. Yan'an Xinhua Radio has a frequency of 7500 kHz, a power of 300 watts, and a call sign XNCR. X is the code prescribed by the International Telecommunication Union for chinese radio stations. NCR is the first letter of the English word "New Chinese Radio" for "New China Radio". At the beginning of the broadcast, the number and time of broadcasting of Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station changed repeatedly, starting with 2 hours once a day, and then increasing to 2 times 3 hours and 3 times 4 hours, and the wavelengths used were 28 meters, 30.5 meters, 61 meters, etc.
The establishment of the Yan'an Xinhua Radio Broke the Kuomintang's news blockade and spread the voice of the Party Central Committee. Yan'an Xinhua Radio Mainly broadcasts important documents of the CPC Central Committee, important articles and editorials of Liberation Weekly and Liberation Daily, international and domestic current affairs news, revolutionary stories, and anti-Japanese songs. The radio transcripts were provided by Xinhua News Agency, and the Radio Section, which was specifically responsible for compiling the manuscripts, was sent to the radio stations on horseback by the communicators every day. Because the frequency of Yan'an Radio Station was relatively weak, the voice of the female announcer was relatively clear, so the people who served as broadcasters at that time were all female comrades, including Mai Feng, Yao Wen, Xiao Yan, Sun Qian, and so on. Mao Zedong was very supportive of the radio station's work, and when he learned that the station had a record player, he also played more than 20 records of his treasured collection.
In January 1941, the Kuomintang brazenly launched the Anhui Incident. On the 18th, the Xinhua Daily published Zhou Enlai's inscription: Mourning for the Victims of the Death of Jiangnan, Thousands of Ancient Strange Grievances, Jiangnan Yiye; Same Room Ge, Why Fry Each Other!? At a time when Xinhua Daily was engaged in a sharp struggle with the Kuomintang, in late January, Yan'an Xinhua Radio broadcast Mao Zedong's "Orders and Speeches for the Anhui Incident." According to available materials, this was the first time that a party radio station had broadcast Mao Zedong's writings. The Yan'an Xinhua Radio broke through the news blockade of the Kuomintang authorities from the air, exposed the truth of the anhui incident, spread the voice of the party Central Committee, and showed great power in the struggle. On November 7, 1941, on the day of commemorating the 24th anniversary of the October Revolution, Mao Zedong delivered a radio speech calling on the people of the whole country to strengthen unity and expel the Japanese bandits from China; and to call on the people of the whole world to unite and push the world's anti-fascist struggle to a higher stage.
On December 3, 1941, Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station broadcast japanese for the first time. The broadcast was mainly aimed at the Japanese army invading China. The content of the manuscript was provided by the Enemy Work Department of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, and the content was mainly to expose the reactionary and cruel nature of Japan's war of aggression against China, publicize the policies of the Communist Party of China, and call on Japanese soldiers to actively participate in anti-war activities. Broadcast time is 30 minutes once a week on Friday. The announcer is Kiyoshi Hara, a Chinese-Japanese female comrade.
Because the Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station has rudimentary equipment, small transmission power, and the machine often fails, it has been interrupted from time to time. In March 1943, Yan'an Xinhua Radio had to stop broadcasting. Although the broadcast time of more than two years is not long, Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station has written a new chapter in the people's broadcasting industry, disseminating the ideas and voices of the Party Central Committee in a difficult and difficult environment, and training the first batch of editors and technicians for the people's broadcasting cause.
In August 1945, after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Yan'an Xinhua Radio Station resumed broadcasting, adding a 500-watt BC-601 transmitter in addition to the original transmitter.
The years passed and the times changed. The party's broadcasting and propaganda work has flourished vigorously, and has made immortal contributions to the liberation of the people, national independence, and the prosperity and strength of the country. The transmitter in the history exhibition hall of the Communist Party of China has been mottled, but the determination of the Chinese Communists to overcome all difficulties in an extremely difficult environment, the modern scientific and technological consciousness and innovative spirit displayed by the Chinese Communists will inspire the Chinese Communists and Chinese people in the new era to continue to create more magnificent miracles on earth. (Courtesy of the Exhibition Hall of the History of the Communist Party of China)
Source: Learning Times