BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - An investigation into acelebrity anchorman at state broadcaster China CentralTelevision (CCTV) has widened to a subsidiary of U.S. publicrelations company Edelman, the subsidiary said on Friday.
Chinese authorities visited the Beijing office of PegasusPublic Relations Consulting on Thursday, Pegasus said in astatement.
Chief executive Steven Cao was cooperating with theinvestigation. The company had also launched an internalinquiry, the statement added.
Rui Chenggang, who hosts a financial news programme, wasdetained earlier this month, the latest CCTV employee to be swept up in an investigation into the network.
Rui, famous for his sometimes nationalistic rhetoric, isknown for starting a movement to oust a Starbucks outlet fromBeijing's historic Forbidden City.
He founded Pegasus along with Cao and Howard Hong. Edelmanacquired the firm in 2007, but Rui did not sell his minoritystake in the firm to Cao until 2010 in a transaction thatEdelman said "took longer than expected". Cao is also the chiefexecutive of Edelman's China operations.
Several foreign firms have been swept up in the government'scampaign against corruption, including British drugmakerGlaxoSmithKline PLC.
Pegasus was also hired by corporate sponsors involved inunderwriting CCTV's presence at the World Economic Forum inDavos in 2009 and 2010, Edelman said, without elaborating on whothe sponsors were. Rui had moderated panels at the forum.
It is unclear whether Rui is suspected of any crime, andChinese public security authorities have not made any mention ofhis case. Rui could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Angus MacSwan)