China Drive Explained

China Drive is the only daily bi-lingual news and lifestyle radio show in China. It is broadcast seven days a week, 5–7 pm Beijing time on China Radio International and focusses on life in China. The programme has four main presenters.

On Air Personalities

Monday to Wednesday

• Mark Griffiths
• Yan Yinan

Thursday and Friday

• Mark Griffiths
• Ning Yan

Saturday and Sunday

• Yan Yinan
• John Artman

Format of the show

• Hang Out Feature (A reporter, or one of the show's presenters goes to a location in Beijing and does a short report on what's there for visitors to see.)
• Business-related report
• Media Scan - a review of the day's foreign and Chinese newspapers and media websites
• Movie Review with Zhao Kun
• Science & Technology Feature with Li Dong
• This Is IT - fashion feature with Shen Si
• Roundtable Discussion - every Friday an important issue is discussed in depth

Team of Reporters for China Drive

Original Team

• Yan Yinan, Host
• Chris Verrill, Host/Producer
• James West, Business

Ongoing

• Li Dong (Michael Li)
• Liu Min
• Wangjing
• Shen Si

Former Team Members

Chris Verrill Verrill was the first producer and co-host of China Drive. He spent only one year at CRI. He later launched Beijing Playhouse, China's English Broadway Theatre, www.beijingplayhouse.com

• James West - Executive Producer of Hack on Triple J

Trevor Metz Trevor was the co-creator and former afternoon host of Real Time Beijing--a sister program to China Drive. He spent four years with CRI. He left the show to narrate the documentary series Discover China on 5CTV https://web.archive.org/web/20090209090658/http://5ctv.tv/

History

China Drive first broadcast on CRI on December 1, 2005. It was hosted by Yan Yinan and Chris Verrill.

China Drive broadcast weekdays 5 pm to 7 pm. It replaced and combined four different half hour shows that were on the air at 5 pm, 5:30 pm 6 pm, and 6:30 pm. The show was a lighthearted features magazine.

Program Distribution

Webcast

http://english.cri.cn/4026/more/4163/more4163.htm

China Drive first broadcast on CRI on December 1, 2005. It was originally hosted by Yan Yinan and Chris Verrill.

In China

• 87.9 MHz FM in Shanghai
• Easy FM on 91.5 MHz FM in Beijing
• 104.7 MHz FM in Guangzhou

In the United States

• WNWR on 1540 kHz AM in Philadelphia
• WUST on 1120 kHz AM in Washington, DC

In Europe

• 1440 kHz AM via Marnach, Luxembourg covering most of Europe
• 558 kHz across the UK. The morning edition of the show is re-broadcast 9-10pm the day of original transmission. The afternoon edition is aired between 3pm and 5pm the following day.