Switched on to the development of radio in Shanghai

Personal profile of Wang Haibin

Wang Haibin was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in May 1971. He was a primary school student when China's reform and opening-up policy began in 1978. Now, he is CEO of a new media Internet company.

With the tremendous social vicissitudes, structural reform and conceptual changes in the country since 1978, Wang came to Shanghai, where he has faced up to many challenges. Starting his career as a radio anchor, Wang has acquired a large stage on which to display his talents. He is now leading a team to explore and take part in the new media realm.

Wang has received the 12th Shanghai Changjiang Taofen Prize Award (Taofen category) and the honorary title of Changning District Leading Talent. His team received the honors of Shanghai Model Team and China Charity Award.

My Story

China's reform and opening-up began in 1978 when I was just a primary school student. Forty years have passed and I have worked in media for nearly 30 years. I have benefited a lot from reform and opening-up. The tremendous changes of the era and development of the country provided individuals with more opportunities and a wider platform. Each reform of the Shanghai radio industry has also brought about my personal development.

In 1992, Shanghai founded the brand new Shanghai Oriental Radio Station. The competition between two radio stations in the city activated the local radio market. At that time, Shanghai radio also reformed its personnel system. In addition to college graduates, it started to select talented people from throughout society.

It was also sending to the public a signal of the rise of a new and reputable radio station. It was this reform that pushed me to come to Shanghai and embark on my Shanghai radio journey.

Over the past 40 years, it seems that the radio industry in Shanghai has verified the saying that "a lasting unity will be divided; rather, a lasting division will be united." From having only one radio station to two stations, the rise of Oriental Radio Station, and the changes to the station's news radio programs, every person in the radio industry has developed a global vision for radio broadcasting. Years ago, the radio stations in Shanghai already had over 10 channels, each of which had specific positioning and functions. It reflected the advanced thought of people in the industry. Market segmentation was already emphasized before the arrival of the Internet era.

In 2009, in terms of its plan for initial public offerings, Shanghai radio was changed again into one center and one corporation. Since a lasting division will be united, today's Shanghai radio has one center. The nature of all these changes is competition. The concept of competition is introduced to each reform, which provides every radio worker with a big space for growth.

Shanghai radio's reform in 1992 offered me a big platform to become an outstanding radio anchor. During the reform in 2002 when radio in Shanghai started to have professional channels of different functions, I became deputy director of the news editing department. It gave me more challenges as well as opportunities for self-improvement. With the arrival of the Internet era around 2014, traditional media faced huge challenges. Shanghai radio launched the "Internet plus" strategy. It was also a brand new opportunity for us to run AJMIDE and explore and practice in the new media realm.

Someone asked me what is the biggest challenge for me to run the Internet company AJMIDE as I used to be a traditional radio worker. I told him challenge is everywhere, from the selection of talent, the transition of employees, flow of work, mechanisms and the achievement of profitability to my personal development. Each of the challenges, no matter big or small, is vital to success.

I have witnessed the social vicissitudes, structural reform and conceptual changes in the country since China's launch of reform and opening up. Within one year, AJMIDE completed the process of demutualization and first-round financing. Introducing capital market to the system was hard to imagine more than 10 years ago. It is the progress of reform and opening-up that propelled the changes of the system and fueled our enterprise reform.

Over the past 40 years, reform and changes have been everywhere and many Chinese people have held an open and inclusive attitude. My heart for "changes" will go on. I will move on the road of traditional radio's media convergence transition, and pass on the giant power of reform to the new generation of radio workers.

Personal profile of Wang Haibo

Wang Haibo is Wang Haibin's twin brother. He's a sports journalist and radio host. Wang has witnessed the development of Shanghai soccer from having only one team to two competitive teams. He also reported on the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Wang is the presenter of a radio program about people's well-being in areas including such as public affairs and environmental protection. These issues also reflect the changes of people's livelihood demands in Shanghai.

Wang Haibo has received the 2011 Golden Microphone Award, the 10th Shanghai Changjiang Taofen Prize Award (Changjiang category) and Outstanding Individual of Shanghai Mass Sports.

My story

From a layman in radio to a winner of the Golden Microphone Award, the past 20 years have been an arduous and rewarding experience for me. I am really proud of that.

I have taken up a career of both a sports journalist and anchor of a radio program about people's well-being issues. I have reported on Shanghai Shenhua Football Team, China national football team when it was coached by Qi Wusheng, China national Olympic football team when it was coached by Bobby Houghton, and the rapid development of Shanghai soccer from having only one team to two competitive teams. I also witnessed the rapture of Shanghai football fans at Hongkou Football Stadium as well as fans' tears in the chilly winds at the Dalian Jinzhou Stadium.

My first report on the Olympics was in Sydney. Along with over 100 anchors from 68 radio stations of 13 countries, I broadcast the latest news about the Olympics to Chinese audiences.

When Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games, I was one of the 20,000 or so torchbearers who carried the Olympic flame.

I still keep the video clips about the rising and waving of the national flag when Chinese athletes won gold medals. I was so excited to witness moments like that.

During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, I cooperated with three anchors of China National Radio to live broadcast the event's opening and closing ceremonies, as well as China's National Pavilion Day. We had many rehearsals to guarantee high-quality live broadcasts. Anchors' quick reactions and the ability to handle various situations are highly required in such kind of big special events. We also worked hard to present an inspiring and thought-provoking closing ceremony which offered the audience an immersive experience of the Expo.

Our program managed to overcome the fact that radio shows lack visual images. With the anchors' commentary, trailers and sound effects, the program successfully broadcast the spectacular closing ceremony and conveyed many emotions to the audience.

This program was a joint effort of Shanghai Radio, Dongguang News Radio and China National Radio's "Sound of China" to be broadcast live to the whole country and overseas. It showed the power of Shanghai radio. I received the 2011 Golden Microphone Award for this program.

Meanwhile, I am also producing radio program "Haibo Hotline." The changing topics in the program also reflect the changes of people's livelihood demands in Shanghai. Shanghai news radio programs used to invite government officials like the Shanghai mayor, Party secretaries in district committee, district governors and other government officials to the studio to have a dialogue with the audience. They had objective talks about people's well-being issues such as a summer hotline, public affairs and environmental protection. With the development of the city, the demands of its people will continue to change. I will move on the road of press supervision and serving the people.