Sound of Hope

Sound of Hope (SOH) is a provider of radio news, lifestyle and cultural programming, talk shows and commentaries founded by Chinese hi-tech workers in Silicon Valley who are also Falun Gong practitioners. SOH was established in June 2003, to address the lack of independent Chinese-language radio in the U.S. that are free from Chinese Communist Party's control or influence. SOH, and along with New Tang Dynasty Television and The Epoch Times, were regarded as part of a network of media organizations established by Falun Gong[1] practitioners. SOH, however, took the path of developing into a more general purpose Chinese public radio, serving the Chinese diaspora in US, Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea via AM/FM radio and Chinese people in China via Shortwave radio.

Sound of Hope
Traditional Chinese希望之聲
Simplified Chinese希望之声

SOH Network radio programmes are primarily in Chinese varieties (Mandarin and Cantonese). It also offers a small English service called America Daily.

SOH is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has two main operations. One serves Chinese Americans in the U.S. via AM/FM and the other serves China via shortwave radio. Each operation produces its own content for its audience.

The US radio started from KSQQ FM 96.1, KVTO AM 1400 during afternoon and evening hours and has grown to be the largest Chinese radio in the region, adding KQEB-LP FM 96.9 and KQEK-LP FM 92.9 as affiliated stations. It provides news and lifestyle talkshows that is pertaining to daily life of local expatriate Chinese. It covers a range of major issues that are of particular concern to local Chinese listeners, such as election reporting, local policy debates, California drought, Cupertino city redevelopment, and the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

The US radio also provides network programming to 14 affiliated Chinese-language FM radios which makes SOH the only Chinese-language radio network in the U.S.

The China radio broadcasts to mainland China through more than 100 shortwave stations. Programs of SOH can also be listened to via online streaming and mobile apps.

SOH also produces YouTube video programs which receives popular viewership. YouTube channels like 江峰时刻 attracts more than half a million fans.

General

Sound of Hope, along with The Epoch Times and NTDTV, was founded by Falun Gong practitioners who had emigrated to the West. During its initial phase, most of its staff are Falun Gong adherents who volunteered their time and services. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, NTDTV president Zhong Lee stated that the company's original purpose was to speak out against the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong, but that it "can also play a big role pushing democracy in China."[1] It was the last of the three media to be established, beginning operations in June 2003, supported by a network of volunteers that continue to maintain the station's programming. In 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the boards, including Allen Zeng and its reporting staffs of 20 are composed of Falun Gong practitioners.[3]

The station is critical of the Chinese government and favorable of human rights, Falun Gong, and other suppressed beliefs in China. It has also come out with an audio version of the Nine Commentaries, a critical works on the Chinese Communist Party and its actions throughout history. The service broadcasts to mainland China for 24 hours a day and is regarded as the largest non-governmental short wave radio broadcast to China. As a result of this and regular attempts to broadcast into China, their China-directed airwaves have been interfered with, and radio reception of the station in China is not good. In depth reporting also focuses heavily on reported human rights abuses by the Chinese government against dislocated residents, practitioners of Falun Gong, and on current efforts to withdraw support of CCP leadership following the publication of the Nine Commentaries by the Epoch Times.

Sound of Hope has launched iPhone and Android APP for users to listen to the programs.[4]

References
  1. Chen, Kathy Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire The Wall Street Journal 15 November 2007
  2. 希望之聲. ""希望之声"导航". soundofhope.org/.
  3. Hua, Vanessa (18 December 2005). "Dissident media linked to Falun Gong / Chinese-language print, broadcast outlets in U.S. are making waves". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 9 December 2006.
  4. 希望之聲. ""希望之声"移动收听". soundofhope.org/.
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