Sound of Hope 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 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. SOH Network radio programmes are primarily in Chinese varieties. 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 KSQQFM 96.1, KVTOAM 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. 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." 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. Sound of Hope has launched iPhone and Android apps for users to listen to their programs.
