?If your love life needs a lift, call late-night love
adviser Ni Lin at Happy Radio. The highly successful TV matchmaker
now offers to help you become more attractive and unlock the
secrets of passion as well as commitment - on love-talk radio.
Popular TV hostess Ni Lin
poses with local anchormen at the launching ceremony of her new
program "Fei Ni Mo Shu."
Over the past nine years, popular TV hostess Ni Lin has
successfully brought several hundred couples together through her
funny, savvy and touching matchmaking TV program, "Date on
Saturday."
But few know about her own love stories. Her wit, humor and
quick-thinking are displayed in front of the camera, making her a
reliable source when it comes to affairs of the heart. Yet when Ni
walks out of the TV studio, she is a mystery.
Recently the "matchmaker," wearing an elegant wedding dress (no,
she wasn't getting married - it was just show for the cameras and
publicity) launched a program by the Shanghai Media Group, "Fei Ni
Mo Shu" ("Only You"). It marks the beginning of a new career for
this anchorwoman off the screen and into a radio studio, giving
advice about love, always a favorite topic.
Every Saturday at 10 PM, on Happy Radio FM107.2, Ni will share
her knowledge and heretofore private emotional experiences with
listeners who feel helpless and confused in the face of love
problems in modern society.
"This entertaining radio show is perfect for me," Ni says. She
discloses that next year she will marry the man who unexpectedly
understood her melancholy on first meeting.
The one-hour program will analyze some current love topics,
introduce romantic resorts and give practical tips on love and
dating.
Ni and guest anchors will discuss if being well-matched in
social and economic status is significant in marriage and important
to keeping love fresh.
"In love and marriage, there are very real attitude differences
between men and women," Ni says. "I hope the program can be
inspiring, helping people to cherish love, learn from the other
gender's thinking mode, customs and characteristics."
Ni is not the first local TV hostess to expand her career to the
radio studio.
Entertainment anchorwomen Ji Xueping and Chen Chen have recently
opened emotional programs targeting white-collar female listeners
between 15 and 35 years old. Both of them believe such fresh and
innovative talk shows will revive radio, considered a fading medium
nowadays.
"The program got inspiration from interesting night chats with
roommates when I was a university student," Chen says. "It is
popular for undergraduates to chat in the dormitory about life,
love and dreams."
Though Chinese radio did have a popular age during the
1940-1980s, conventional broadcasting has suffered a steady decline
with the booming of new media such as the Internet, mobile
television and cellphone networks.
The 1,500 traditional AM/FM radio stations in China are
experiencing essentially flat revenue, taking up only two percent
of combined television, newspaper and Internet advertising.
"We need new positioning to attract the young audience and
foster their loyalty to radio," says Rong Rong, veteran radio DJ
and producer.
"Collaborating with well-known TV hosts is a 'win-win' approach.
Their fame will increase young people's interest in radio. They can
showcase another, unknown side to our listeners."
Additionally, they have opened radio versions of popular TV
programs "Dancing Star" and "Date on Saturday."
"Compared with television, radio broadcasting provides more
interactive features," says Karen Wang, a university student and
loyal radio listener. "It is faster and more inexpensive, which
means it is easily accessible."
Ni calls her latest role as a radio talk show host an engaging
experience. "I am totally enchanted with it. You don't have much
talking time when you host a television program. But now I am able
to express myself freely."
She anticipates that with the sharp increase of car owners,
radio broadcasting will have another golden period sooner or
later.
On the other hand, famous talk radio DJs such as Lin Hai, Wan
Feng and Qiu Lin are active in television hosting, planning and
producing.
Media experts and producers expect there will be few boundaries
between radio and television in the future as mass media platforms
and resources will be integrated and shared to achieve goals of
mutual interest.
"It is an inevitable trend," says Jin Lei, deputy director of
the Entertainment Center with SMG. "We appreciate and will
certainly strengthen the collaborations between radio and
television."
(Shanghai Daily February 12, 2007)
