Sam Chu Lin

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Sam Chu Lin (1939 – 2006) was a Chinese American journalist. Born in Greenville, Mississippi, Lin died, at the age of 67, in Burbank, California on March 5, 2006. In the 1960's, he was one of the first Asian Americans to appear on-air on both radio and (in 1968) television, eventually working for all four major broadcast networks. Lin's career in broadcasting began in his hometown and later led him to Phoenix, New York City, San Francisco, and finally Los Angeles. It was with CBS News in New York that he first reached a national audience.

During his lifetime, Lin won several awards for his reporting and community service, and produced stories on the history of Asians in the U.S. for ABC and NBC. Lin's last broadcast news position before he died was as a freelancer for KTTV (Fox affiliate, Los Angeles), a position he held since 1995. He was also a frequent contributor to such Asian American publications as AsianWeek and Rafu Shimpo, as well as the San Francisco Examiner. His last published article is a feature story on efforts to preserve Phoenix's Sun Mercantile building, dated March 3, 2006. Chu Lin is survived by his wife, Judy, and two sons, Mark and Christopher.