Final answer:
A specific song that played before the nightly news during the Nationalist period reflecting Maoist principles is not documented, but propaganda was a key part of Mao Zedong's rise to power, and songs like "The East Is Red" are representative of the type of Maoist music that would have been used during the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Nationalist period in China, a song that reflected Maoist principles and would play before the nightly news is not specifically documented. However, propaganda was a powerful tool used by Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to inculcate Maoist values among the people. Propaganda art and music were crucial elements of this campaign, and thus it is plausible that songs which were imbued with Maoist ideology, like those praising the CCP or Mao himself, were broadcast.
Songs that exalted Mao Zedong and his ideologies were common during the Cultural Revolution, which followed the Nationalist period. Illustrations like the propaganda oil painting of Mao and students holding up his "Little Red Book" during the Cultural Revolution in 1967, reflect the extent of the cult of personality around Mao. Music during the period echoed the sentiments shown in visual propagandas, celebrating Mao's teachings and Communist principles.
One such example could be "The East Is Red," which lauds Mao Zedong as the savior of the people and glorifies the Communist revolution. While not explicitly stated as the music before the nightly news during the Nationalist period's end, it serves as a good representation of the type of music that would reflect Maoist principles during the era of Mao's rising power and the establishment of the People's Republic of China after the defeat of the Nationalists.