| Sound of Hope | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 希望之聲 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 希望之声 | ||||||||
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Sound of Hope (SOH) 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.[1]
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.
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.[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. All three companies were founded by Falun Gong practitioners — which observers believe determines it editorial stances. 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.[2]
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.
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