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Community Fears Loss of Chinese Language Programming

KPST Channel 66 Sold

By Ji Hyun Lim

For most Americans, television offers a bewildering array of programs aimed at just about every audience and every mood. Dry political sermons can be swapped for garish music videos with a deft wave of the remote control.

Yet for over 400,000 Chinese-speakers in the Bay Area, watching children’s programming, drama, and even the news has been limited to two Chinese language channels, KPST 66 and KTSF 26, and only during certain hours. To make matters worse, with Univision’s recent acquisition of KPST, their choices are likely to shrink even further.

Fornia Sue, 67, a retired housekeeper, is a regular KPST 66 viewer. Unlike many Americans, her viewing options on the tube are limited by her English skills. For the past 10 years, KPST 66 has been her means of getting information. Everyday, Fornia will prepare dinner with the television on, while her husband Paul records the news segments that appear sporadically between 6:30 and 11 p.m. The thought of losing part of this daily ritual saddens the Sues.

“We don’t want it cut off,” Fornia Sue said timidly. “So many of my Chinese friends watch channel 66. The station has lots of news from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong with good news and movies. I think many Chinese people like it very much and want to keep it on.”

Like many Chinese Americans in the Bay Area, the Sue family was unaware that they could speak out publicly to save KPST until recently. The public was informed of the sale of the station when news spread throughout the community on Nov. 16. – two weeks shy of the Nov. 29 Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) deadline for the public comment period.

Supervisor Mark Leno and community leaders held a press conference in front of KPST 66 offices in the South of Market last Thursday, urging viewers to join efforts to pressure Michael Powell, Chair of the FCC to extend the public comment period. Leno encouraged the Chinese community to write letters and participate in the efforts to keep KPST alive.

“With nearly one million Chinese Americans now living in the Bay Area, with 400,000 of them daily viewers of Channel 66, it is of extreme importance that the FCC require as a condition of sale of Channel 66 that the Chinese programming remain,” Leno explained.

He added, “We’re not asking for 24 hours of Chinese programming or even more than 4 1/2 hours. We shouldn’t have any less. It’s important for a very significant community and we want to protect the status quo.”

With nearly a 20 percent Latino population in the Bay Area, there are at least two Spanish language networks available to the public. Univision has not yet decided what to program on Channel 66.

With news reporters huddled around them, community leaders took turns explaining in Chinese and English the urgency of community participation. Leno pointed out that dropping the station would violate the “equal access to services ordinance” – a local ordinance created June 2001, that requires the city government translate vital documents and information in Spanish and Chinese. Leno expressed deep concern to keep 4 1/2 hours of Chinese programming intact as a right of the community, by urging the FCC to require it as a condition of sale.

“The FCC has jurisdiction over public airways,” Leno said. “They have to review every sale of every television or radio station before it can go through.”

He added, “We need fair and direct access to voice immigrant concerns because San Francisco is a big place for immigrants. Before integration, we need to provide news and give fair share [of information] for Chinese public.”

Leno’s office recently sent letters to local, state and federal elected leaders urging them to write to the FCC and inform the public on how to write a letter to the FCC. Leno’s office pointed out the importance of technical details such as including one original copy of the letter and four copies sent to the FCC. In addition, KPST 66 and Univision must also receive copies.

Fornia Sue expressed that English letter writing campaigns were daunting. Due to her lack of English language skills, her attempts to write to the FCC is especially intimidating.

Said Sue: “I don’t know how to write a letter in English. My English is poor. I would write Chinese if they [FCC] could read Chinese.”