Chinese Delivery, Take Two: A New ‘URadio’ Border-Blaster Ask

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On June 22, the FCC gave the entity behind URadio, a Mandarin-language audio operation targeting the large Chinese population across Southern California, 48 hours to sever its programming pipeline to a mega-watt AM based in Tijuana, Mexico, for delivery of its music and messages to U.S.-based audiences.


Why? Their application to the Commission’s International Division failed to include a key participant, the Commission found. And, that participant is funded by the Chinese government, it said — likely under pressure from an influential Republican Senator.

Now, the parties involved with bringing URadio to Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside-San Bernardino, Oxnard-Ventura and Santa Barbara are trying again.

On Thursday (8/13), a permit to deliver programs to foreign broadcast stations was accepted for filing at the Commission.

It seeks the FCC’s OK for a Section 325c permit for GLR Southern and its parent company, H&H Group USA LLC; and Phoenix Radio US “to deliver a full range of Mandarin Chinese-language programming including music, entertainment, weather reports, local (Los Angeles) traffic reports and local Chinese community news’ to XEWW-AM 690.

The inclusion of Phoenix Radio in this application is crucial, as the June ruling that put an end to XEWW’s use for URadio clearly stated that the parties involved with URadio failed to include Phoenix Radio in its initial application.

Phoenix Radio produces the programming in the Irwindale studio for URadio. RBR+TVBR independently confirmed in April that URadio’s base of operation is an office building prominently displaying a Phoenix TV sign at the entrance to its parking lot. This connection to Phoenix TV, despite its locally originating programming schedule, is what raised eyebrows in Washington, in particular with Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

While Russia’s “Sputnik” has generated its own controversy and the British Broadcasting Corp.’s BBC News is widely distributed across the U.S., the use of a Mexico-based broadcast facility with programming originating from a studio in the U.S. brings a broader issue to the landscape — the use of non-U.S. signals by a foreign entity to target U.S. listeners.

XEWW-AM 690, with 77kw during daylight hours and 50kw at night, has been used since summer 2018 for URadio. It did so under the FCC-approved use of the station administered by the government of Mexico.

With many Republican leaders and conservative Talk show hosts referring to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus as “the Chinese virus” or the “Wuhan virus,” referring to the city in China where sickness tied to COVID-19 first emerged, a heightened concern over propaganda tied to the nation has arisen. Hence the comments Cruz made on April 24 regarding URadio.

“China should not be able to set up shop in Mexico and blanket America with propaganda,” Cruz said, noting that he intended to introduce legislation in the senate that would bar the People’s Republic of China and other foreign governments from “exploiting” FCC loopholes to propagandize to Americans from radio stations in Mexico or Canada.

“CanCon” regulations implemented by the CRTC across the 1970s and 1980s have squashed the use of Canadian AMs and FMs with the intent of primarily reaching U.S. audiences. Secondary audiences across the border are a rare exception.

A ‘GO’, WITH NO HUO?

On July 9, 2018, former“W Radio” programmer GLR (now rebranded and a part of Gen Media Partners) agreed to sell its interest in XEWW to Vivian Huo’s H&H Group USA, a division of a New York-based investment banking firm. Huo is a U.S. citizen.

Nevertheless, Cruz, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made it clear the Phoenix TV connection to URadio is, in his view, problematic.

The FCC’s International Bureau concurred, as it confirmed that Phoenix Radio is partially owned by two entities with Chinese government direct investment — Extra Steps Investment Ltd. and China Wise International Ltd.

But, it appears the bigger issue for the Bureau was the omission of Phoenix Radio on the Permit to Deliver Programs to Foreign Broadcast Stations — the“section 325(C)” request to the Commission that on Thursday was resubmitted and now includes Phoenix Radio.

As the Bureau dismissed the application in the grounds that it was deficient, it is clear that the parties involved can argue that there is no longer a deficiency. But, will Huo’s involvement fly? Or, are Extra Steps and China Wise no longer tied to Phoenix Radio?

That’s not entirely clear. What is clear is the ire of Phoenix Satellite Television.

“URadio was founded in 2018 in the U.S. under the supervision of FCC and has been complying with all applicable U.S. laws,” it said. “Our mission is to serve the Chinese community in the greater Los Angeles area by providing information and assisting U.S. government in promoting public policies in the U.S. that is important to our community’s welfare.”

It is now up to the FCC to determine if that mission is acceptable for American audiences, by way of a Mexican AM radio facility.