ICRT NO LONGER FULFILLS IT’S PUBLIC CHARTER
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updated 2009/09/29 09:58
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This was 4:30 AM Sunday October 4th. The Chinese TV News Networks are talking about an earthquake and a typhoon. The Central Weather Bureau has a typhoon warning but it is in weather-speak with longitudes and latitudes and UTC times and nothing useful to my little overtaxed brain. .
I have no idea what’s going on.
Friends, before you get on my case for not being 「prepared」 I want to tell you that there was a time in this land when there was a radio station that did it’s job inform the public. When ever there was a typhoon warning there was a real live person warning telling you that it would be a good idea to pause your busy lifestyle, get to the supermarket to buy some food. He would tell you the exact position of the storm as it was approaching (not that I ever looked it up. Give regional evacuation information and other important information when your town or city was affected.
Admittedly they’d tell you things that you may think are common sense but really only become so after you’ve lived here a while (Watch the signs hanging over head, they can become flying weapons). Most importantly… in the tradition of real radio there were people who got out there, risked there lives to get to that microphone to inform the public both New-be’s and old timers alike.
For those of you who can remember. There is a tradition in radio to inform the public. It is shown in Orson Wells War of the World’s radio show. Dead air should only happen when you are dead. This is the general rule even now in the USA and I’d hope other developed countries. Once there was a time when my local NJ radio station was ordered to evacuate the area due to a chemical spill. This little radio station put itself in remote mode, and moved everything into the van and kept the public informed by broadcasting from the perimeter of the disaster area.
A Community Service Radio Station Should service the community that is included in it’s name. In this case the International Community.
- It should provided the above emergency information so basic to the art of radio. .
- It should provide language and assimilation training for those of us who choose to make this place our home. (That’s what other countries do, I’ve been to some.)
- It should act as a bridge between the locals and the international community by training the locals how they should deal with foreigners and vice versa.
My wife is a teacher in a closed environment. We take care of 4 young children. She doesn’t have time to watch TV. I whose Chinese is below first grade, have some time to listen to the radio and would be informed enough to make necessary decisions am at a loss on what to do in these situations.
I also lost sympathy for MR. Tim at that radio station. I e-mailed him my ideas. He expressed sympathy. About a month later I hear an add telling us foreigners to tolerted the early morning English Language Lessons for the local. He told us that we are one of the few places in the world with a full time English Radio Station He further stated that we should be thankful and grateful to the locals who take part in the English Language Lessons and buy their products. Otherwise this “service”, wouldn’t exist.
For me… I’m going to do my best to learn Chinese and try to tap into the local media for my survival information. What kind of service is an automated music server when my car escaped destruction by a mere 2 cms. I was stuck in the garage by flood water and did not have the time to evacuate it.
When did ICRT Die? It died a week after the big earth quake. Before the big one, there was an extensive morning show equivalent to “All Things Considered” of National public radio. Jeffery Mindesh who should be giving Chinese lessons, had a great show too. Then, after it did a great job. It was like they said to themselves “We did it!, we fulfilled you reason to be”. they stopped all but the bare bones English Services
