China held a gathering in Beijing Friday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its broadcasting service and founding of the China National Radio (CNR), with senior officials calling for innovation in the sector to enhance its appeal.

Over the past 70 years, Chinese broadcasters have played an important role in covering the country's development, said Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in a congratulatory message.

Li encouraged the broadcasting sector to make use of "new and high technologies, including the Internet and mobile phone technologies, and improve its emergency response amid fierce competition from various forms of media institutions."

Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, asked the sector to step up support for the country's social and economic development and better publicize the CPC and central government's voice among the people.

Liu urged the broadcasting sector to innovate and produce more good radio programs to cater to people's interests and increasing cultural needs.

The CNR is China's national radio station. Set up in 1940, the station was initially called the Yan'an Xinhua Broadcasting Station.

The CNR launched a new channel to broadcast in the ethnic group language Uigur Friday and its existing channel for ethnic Tibetan group began to broadcast in three Tibetan dialects the same day.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2010)