MINNEAPOLIS – The Year 2009 marked the end of the decade, full of surprises, and historical moments, there is no exception for Asian Media Access.
An agency founded in 1992, has come to its maturity, and has positioned itself as a national leader in communication. Over the past eighteen years, AMA has transformed itself from an organization dedicated to bringing Asian films to Minnesota to becoming an organization that is now taking an active role in aiding the Asian American & Pacific Islander communities find their voices through media arts and information technology.
Last year, Asian Media Access has opened its own Multi Arts Complex to further its missions, and started the second Phase of Capital Campaign – for the expansion of the second floor. In 2009 year along, Asian Media Access has served 135 families, 1709 youth and employed 60 youth as Youth Media Force team.
Within the Youth Media Force team members, they are 87 percent of At-risk of Substance Abuse; 85 percent Eligible for Free School Lunch; 83 percent English Language Learners; 62 percent living with family of six and more; and 35 percent of At-risk of Runaways/Homelessness.
But most of all, they are 100 percent of CREATIVE Talents, with tremendous energy the team produced:
• Video Program: 7 Original Dramas
• Radio Program: 7 Multi-lingual PSAs, 13 Original Rap Songs, 15 Chinese Talk Shows, 27 5min ESL lessons, and 31 Youth Talk Shows
• Stage Production: 2 – Medusa’ Riddle: The Returns; and Four Winds
• Postcards Designed: 170 (Focusing on Body Image, Substance Abuse, Runaways, and Teenage Pregnancy)
• Writings: A169-pages Youth Journal – Press Rewind, with 17 youth memorials, and 4 30-pages video scripts
Ending with such strong note, AMA is looking forward for another successful decade, but also notices the ever changing world of media and technology. Technology has advanced into our daily lives with a turbo speed. People talk and send message and pictures through our cell phones. Y-generation listens and downloads music into their iPods.
Professionals utilize satellite links conferencing around the world. Music fans watch web casting of live concerts. Community members learn and share worldviews through web blogging. For many teens, technology has reached its maturity with 3D animation and video games, and Japanese Manga has become the newest fashion among youth. Advanced technologies create new opportunities for storytelling, cultural expression and exchange using the medium of digital photos and video.
The future impact of information technology on the media community is vast and uncharted. AMA seeks to explore information technologies to find new ways of processing images, sound and text and incorporating them into artistic presentations and interpretations. AMA takes the opportunity to utilize beyond all the communication channels that we have utilized before – Internet, open exhibitions, TV, radio, and newspapers – and consider the HD Radio and Web Streaming as the next most effective communication channel to connect our fragmented AAPI communities together.
With the support from the BOB FM, AMA has launched the 24-hour AAPI HD radio station – Radio ASIA, 106.1 HD 3 and web streaming online at www.amamedia.org/radioAsia.htm.
The most appealing reason for HD radio is its localized program, and the radius of converge. Radio ASIA offers substantial large area coverage with Minneapolis/St Paul in the center, extending north to Brainerd, and reaching to Mason City, Iowa in the south; and over to La Crosse, Wisconsin to the east and Alexandria to the west. Radio ASIA is supported by Asian Media Access; Chinese Social Services Center; Laos Assistance Center; SEWA/Asian Indian Family Wellness; and Slavic Russian Community Center.
Some programs include:
• Emergency Broadcasts and Alerts: Life saving emergency information i.e. tornado warnings, Amber Alerts, public health warnings, etc. will be broadcast in multiple non-English languages.
• Local News in various languages on the hour: such as, 7:00 a.m. Chinese News; 8:00 a.m. Hmong News; 9:00 a.m. Russian News, 10:00 a.m. Laos News, with more in development.
• Health Talk: This program strives to educate the multicultural communities on health issues, discuss substance abuse prevention and intervention strategies, and promote improved wellness for the communities. Part of the program will involve a culturally competent health professional answering call-in questions from listeners on specific health matters.
• Sounds of Asia: Sounds of Asia will broadcast diverse music programming from traditional music to pop music that is well known throughout all of Asia.
• All in the Mix: Throughout the day, short 5-minute English as a Second Language (ESL) segment of various levels of difficulty will be broadcast. These segments will assist non-English language speakers and Limited English Language Learners to acquire some basic English language communication skills.
AMA is committed to the creation of radio broadcasting by and for people from diverse Pan Asian cultures, languages, and under-represented by mainstream media, in order to expanding audiences with innovative, educational programs that stimulate beyond his/her worldviews.
For more information, please contact Asian Media Access at 612-376-7715 and [email protected]
