KQED has canceled Pacific Time, the only nationally syndicated radio program about Asia and Asian American affairs in all of the U.S.A.. The show covers news, cultural trends and entertainment stories across Asia. It holds a special place in my heart, not only because I stream it live every Friday morning in Beijing, but also because the producers gave me my first break in radio back in the days when I was a journalist working in San Francisco.

According to a San Francisco Chronicle article, after 7 years on the air, KQED canceled the show due to lack of funding. It's a real shame because Pacific Time offered extensive, nuanced coverage of Asia, something which is sorely lacking in the mainstream media. With China rising as a major economic player and the Beijing Olympics around the corner, the mainstream media is all too eager to cover China's toxic toothpaste and lethal dog food. Sure, we're getting more news about China, but with Pacific Time gone, we'll be missing an important chunk of the story.

You can hear their last show on October 11, 2007.

In Beijing, you can stream KQED radio at 9:30 AM on Friday, October 12 to hear the show live.

And for all of those Chinese music geeks out there, here's a shout out to one of the show's creators, Nina Thorsen. The last time I saw her was at a Cui Jian concert in San Francisco. She made sure that Pacific Time used music featuring Asian and Asian American artists, week after week. Much of this music is in an archive that will be up indefinitely on the site.

ASL @ 14:26 | .(7336) |