In the age of the Internet, bilingual talk show Fei Yu Xiu keepslisteners tuning in with its free-flowing banter and mix of today's topmusic. Chen Nan reports.
Many radio listeners in China start their day with Fei Yu Xiu, abilingual radio talk show on China Radio International. FromMonday to Friday, 9 am to 11 am, the two hosts, Xiao Fei and YuZhou, tell funny stories, sharing their views on different topics andplay music.
"It's a ritual for many people like me to listen to the show everymorning," says Sun Hong, 27, who lives in Shanghai and is one ofthe show's big fans.
Sun, a graduate of Tsinghua University's Journalism andCommunication Department, directed a documentary titled Fei YuXiu, which will be shown at cinemas in September to mark theshow's 10-year anniversary.
"I used to focus on people living on the edge of society, such as migrant workers and craftsmen.When I found that there are many people like me who listen to Fei Yu Xiu, I wondered, 'Since wehave so many ways to entertain ourselves nowadays, why is a radio show so popular?'" shesays.
Sun spent the last five years interviewing fans of the show and shooting behind-the-scenesstories of the two hosts. "Radio hosts usually do lots of preparation to ensure the shows soundseamless, but Fei Yu Xiu is different," she says. "I like the hosts' witty and improvisedconversations and the music they play during the broadcast. They are not afraid of makingmistakes. They just laugh over it and make fun of themselves, which is so natural."
