Radio Sales Increased During Beijing Protests
Sales of shortwave radios soared during China’s crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations last year despite heavy government jamming of Western shortwave news broadcasts, a state-run newspaper reported Sunday.
The state-run China Daily’s Business Weekly supplement said a record 870,000 radios were sold in June, 1989, the first month of the crackdown, when Chinese troops drove demonstrators from Tian An Men Square and opened fire on Beijing protesters.
Overall, sales of radios shot up 33% in June, 1989, over the previous June, the newspaper said, and sales for all 1989 were up 10%.
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