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China has built a center of propaganda in the Finnish university city of Tampere, where Chinese-funded Radio86 has expanded its operations rapidly, Helsingin Sanomat reports. Radio86 receives its funding from China's state-run China Radio International.

Radio86 is run by Tampere-based FutuVision Media, which now employs around 60 people. Currently, the company produces programming in 13 languages and is recruiting more people continuously. FutuVision Media's annual turnover in 2010 was EUR 2.6 million.

Radio86 was established by the Chinese businessman, Zhao Yinong, who as managing director of FutuVision Media acts as a contact between Tampere and China. Radio86's spokesman is Henrik Resman, CEO of Brightlight Communication and managing director of GBMM Hungary.

Tampere-based Global Broadcasting Media Management (GBMM) develops and manages the Radio86 network, while FutuVision Media produces content for Radio86's different channels. GBMM generated a turnover of EUR 4.4 million in 2010.

Radio86's new editor, Jussi-Pekka Koskiranta, worked previously for Finnish public broadcaster YLE's culture desk. His task at Radio86 is to manage its European reporters. Mr Koskiranta does not expect China to exert control over the content that Radio86 produces.

"News laced with propaganda does not sit well with western audiences," Mr Koskiranta says. "We have to find an approach that is different from China's official news and that of western media. This is, naturally, a great journalistic challenge," he concedes.

However, China Radio International is known to control Radio86's operations closely, according to Helsingin Sanomat's information. A person close to Radio86 says the Chinese have imposed their diktat on story angles and made demands on programming formats.

The source told Helsingin Sanomat that the Chinese planned to increase the volume of programming and establish new radio stations, particularly in Africa, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe, where obtaining radio licenses was much easier than in western countries.

Heikki Luostarinen, professor of communications and media at Tampere University, said other media should be wary of cooperation with channels financed by the Chinese government, which has increased its propaganda operations more than any other government.

China was looking for media that would not be regarded as its own, Mr Luostarinen said. "This is like money laundering: they are looking for places to hide the traces of propaganda." He advised against cooperation with a government that used violence to rule its citizens.

In Finland, Radio86 produces content for Groove FM. Another channel, Rondo FM, will carry daily programmes, including current affairs, from Radio86. Rondo FM's owner, Classicus, took over Classic Radio's license in late 2009. The channel has been in financial trouble.

After the critical reporting on China's human rights record ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese Communist Party invested billions of dollars in correcting China's image in news. China began looking for "Trojan horses," Helsingin Sanomat's Jussi Ahlroth wrote.

China is looking at establishing a global network of TV and radio channels as well as newspapers that would be under the control of its official mouthpiece, the state-run Xinhua News Agency, which reports to the propaganda department of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese government knows that its network will never gain such trust and respect as Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari government. Therefore China seeks to increase its credibility through "Trojan horses" like Rondo FM, Mr Ahlroth pointed out.

http://www.hs.fi/english/print/1135268493410