Sound of Hope
Encyclopedia
Sound of Hope is a global, non-profit provider of radio news, cultural programming, talk shows and commentaries. SOH was established by Chinese immigrants in the United States in June 2003 and now has operating teams spread across North and South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Sound of Hope, along with NTDTV and The Epoch Times
, are is listed as "Falun Gong affiliated" media in a US Congressional report on Falun Gong and China.
SOH Network radio programmes are primarily in Chinese languages (Mandarin
, Cantonese and Taiwanese), but also offers a multi-lingual service that includes English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese
and Korean programming.
SOH has two main operational arms. There is the Chinese side, known as The Sound of Hope Radio Network, and the Western side which is led by the English language SOH Network, headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
The Chinese version of SOH is a non-profit radio network based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California in the United States. Operating from May 2003, the radio network provides independent around-the-clock reporting about China and China-related issues.
The two sides of SOH are currently broadcasting in about 20 cities worldwide through local AM/FM radio, as well as to mainland China
through shortwave
radio and to a worldwide Internet audience via online streaming. It reaches a worldwide audience which includes millions of expatriate Chinese and tens of millions of listeners in mainland China.
The station is critical of the Chinese government on its human rights record
and sympathtic of religious freedom of Falun Gong, suppressed beliefs, and other dissidents in China. It also provides programs promoting traditional values from Chinese history.
reported that the boards, including Allen Zeng and its reporting staffs of 20 are composed of Falun Gong practitioners.
Their programs in English include a weekly segment entitled "Speaking of Asia," concentrating on Asian news and culture. English programs also cover traditional Chinese stories and originally included a segment on learning to speak Chinese. The French version includes weekly recipes. Programs can be heard on the internet and is broadcast in a number of major cities, including Sydney, Chicago, and New York. Sound of Hope also provides several podcasts with an Asian focus, as well as on more general interest topics.
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 15 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 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.
The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times is a multi-language, international media organisation. As a newspaper, the Times has been publishing in Chinese since May 2000. It was founded in 1999 by supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline....
, are is listed as "Falun Gong affiliated" media in a US Congressional report on Falun Gong and China.
SOH Network radio programmes are primarily in Chinese languages (Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Cantonese and Taiwanese), but also offers a multi-lingual service that includes English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and Korean programming.
SOH has two main operational arms. There is the Chinese side, known as The Sound of Hope Radio Network, and the Western side which is led by the English language SOH Network, headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
The Chinese version of SOH is a non-profit radio network based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California in the United States. Operating from May 2003, the radio network provides independent around-the-clock reporting about China and China-related issues.
The two sides of SOH are currently broadcasting in about 20 cities worldwide through local AM/FM radio, as well as to mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
through shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
radio and to a worldwide Internet audience via online streaming. It reaches a worldwide audience which includes millions of expatriate Chinese and tens of millions of listeners in mainland China.
The station is critical of the Chinese government on its human rights record
Human rights in the People's Republic of China
Human rights in the People's Republic of China are a matter of dispute between the Chinese government, other countries, international NGOs, and dissidents inside the country. Organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have accused the Chinese...
and sympathtic of religious freedom of Falun Gong, suppressed beliefs, and other dissidents in China. It also provides programs promoting traditional values from Chinese history.
General
Sound of Hope, along with NTDTV and The Epoch Times, are listed as "Falun Gong affiliated" media in a US Congressional report on Falun Gong and China. 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. All three companies were founded by Falun Gong practitionerswhich observers believe determines it editorial stances. In 2005, the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
reported that the boards, including Allen Zeng and its reporting staffs of 20 are composed of Falun Gong practitioners.
Their programs in English include a weekly segment entitled "Speaking of Asia," concentrating on Asian news and culture. English programs also cover traditional Chinese stories and originally included a segment on learning to speak Chinese. The French version includes weekly recipes. Programs can be heard on the internet and is broadcast in a number of major cities, including Sydney, Chicago, and New York. Sound of Hope also provides several podcasts with an Asian focus, as well as on more general interest topics.
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 15 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
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses by the Chinese government against 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.