A radio station airing programs in nine different languages for foreign immigrants in Korea will start services Tuesday.
The Woongjin Foundation, a non-profit organization sponsoring multicultural and multilingual communities here, said the "The Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting" station will kick off its first regular airing for the 1.2 million foreign residents here.
The programs will be provided through www.wjk.kr and www.radiokiss.co.kr; satellite SkyLife channel 855 and cable TV C&M channel 811 for Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino (Tagalog and English) and Thai; and SkyLife channel 856 and C&M channel 812 for Arabic, Russian, Mogolian and Japanese.
Disc jockeys will introduce traditional, modern and popular music from their respective countries. Brief segments offering Korean lessons, news, counseling services as well as information about living in Korea will be provided, too.
I don't know how many people listen to the radio these days---I don't even own one in Korea---but am I to understand that these radio broadcasts will only be available online or through the television?
The station also noted that all of its DJs have majored in Korea-related fields in their respective countries or have studied in Korea and that they will become the bridge between different cultures and lives.
SkyLife will give discounts to multicultural families installing the satellite dishes and will also install them at immigrant centers and other locations.
Unlike GFN, Gwangju's so-called Foreigner's Network---I have a post on that coming later---this is an initiative actually aimed at multicultural residents in their own languages. It's a good effort, and I'll be interested to see what the response is.
8 comments:
Sounds like a positive move.
I can't recall the last time I listened to a radio... Maybe 10 yrs ago?
Your first link doesnt appear to work and the second site is all in Korean...any ideas where I can find info about the Tagalog schedual?
(I am going to study Tagalog, I am going to study Tagalog, I am going to study Tagalog...etc)
It does look like it's only through the internet and tv, doesn't it. But still, for a non-profit organisation it's quite an achievement, and I think a huge step in the right direction.
Let's not forget how keen Koreans are that Korean-Americans should retain their sense of "Koreanness," and I'm glad that finally the same is starting to happen for people originally from other countries and cultures who live permanently in Korea.
And there definitely seems to be a growing popular sentiment to reach out to these people in Korea recently, and I think it really needs to be encouraged.
Yeah, I know that first link doesn't work. It didn't work when I first looked at the article, either, but since adding ".co" in the URL didn't work, I just left it as-is. The websites for that foreigner taxi service didn't work when they were in the newspaper, either; not until it got close to the launch date.
The last time i listened to a radio...probably 5 years ago..
Well, it's tough. It was Craig White---of Galbijim and Daegu Pockets---who pointed out in regards to English radio that many foreign English teachers don't even have radios, and suggesting that internet radio or other methods would be more effective. But, when you're reaching out to some of these foreign groups, you have to wonder how many have ready access to internet radio or SkyLife.
Either way, it's a hell of a development, and I applaud the company for setting it up.
www.live365.com is a really good website for getting your radio fix, especially around the Christmas holidays.
I pay them a few dollars a month, so it's always playing in the background without any commercials at all. I also like listening to the music they have from the 1900s-40s. There are a lot of themes on it too if you like movie or TV soundtracks, Disney, Elvis, or the Beatles.
hummm. Like still doesnt seem to be working. The programs are a nice idea but if foreign immigrants (and myself!) cant find information about the programs in their own language on the websites I dont see this reaching much of an audience.
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