Chinese broadcaster denies host spent US$865,800 on lavish light show for birthday
- But Jiangsu radio station says it has given Deng Huang a warning for breaking the rules
- Rumours of decadent 10-hour celebration have been circulating online for months
A provincial state broadcaster in eastern China has denied online rumours that its star radio presenter spent 6 million yuan (US$865,800) on a lavish light show to celebrate her birthday in Nanjing last year – even though it said Deng Huang was warned for breaking the rules.
Rumours emerged on social media that Deng arranged a 10-hour light show – involving military helicopters and drones – in the Xinjiekou business district and a decadent birthday feast at the nearby Jinling Hotel, China News Service reported on Sunday.
It began with a post on microblogging site Weibo in May, with photos of skyscrapers lit up with Deng’s image that quickly went viral, and many people reported the high-profile celebration to the local authorities in Nanjing.
Deng is the host of popular morning radio show Sunshine City on the Jiangsu People’s Broadcasting Station.
But in a statement on Weibo on the weekend, the broadcaster said Deng had actually been filming a commercial that also celebrated her birthday on July 28. As part of the shoot, major skyscrapers including the Nanjing International Finance Centre were lit up for two hours that evening. It added that Deng’s assistant had organised the light show, which cost 100,000 yuan.
The broadcaster acknowledged that drones were used to film the spectacle, but said it was an illegal activity and had been dealt with by air traffic authorities.