Bilingual radio keeps listeners tuning

Xiao Fei and Yu Zhou host Fei Yu Xiu on China Radio International. Photo provided to China Daily

In the age of the Internet, bilingual talk show Fei Yu Xiu keeps listeners tuning in with its free-flowing banter and mix of today's top music.

Many radio listeners in China start their day with Fei Yu Xiu, a bilingual radio talk show on China Radio International. From Monday to Friday, 9 am to 11 am, the two hosts, Xiao Fei and Yu Zhou, tell funny stories, sharing their views on different topics and play music.

"It's a ritual for many people like me to listen to the show every morning," says Sun Hong, 27, who lives in Shanghai and is one of the show's big fans.

Sun, a graduate of Tsinghua University's Journalism and Communication Department, directed a documentary titled Fei Yu Xiu, which will be shown at cinemas in September to mark the show'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 we have so many ways to entertain ourselves nowadays, why is a radio show so popular?'" she says.

Sun spent the last five years interviewing fans of the show and shooting behind-the-scenes stories of the two hosts. "Radio hosts usually do lots of preparation to ensure the shows sound seamless, but Fei Yu Xiu is different," she says. "I like the hosts' witty and improvised conversations and the music they play during the broadcast. They are not afraid of making mistakes. They just laugh over it and make fun of themselves, which is so natural."

Lei Jianjun, a professor at Tsinghua University's Journalism and Communication Department, produced the documentary and says most listeners are students and white collar workers. "Over the last 10 years, the show has witnessed the stories of a new middle class in China. Like the attitude of the show, they are positive and enjoy simple lives despite the busy pace of life."

The two hosts belong to the same generation as their listeners. Xiao Fei, 33, known to his fans as Felix, became a DJ on the show after graduating from Beijing Film Academy. "My ideal job was forming my own band but as an independent singer-songwriter, I could barely afford my life," says Xiao Fei, of Beijing.

Xiao Fei prepares a song list for the show, which enables him to listen to a wide range of music. He also writes songs based on his life experiences. "It feels like tasting different food, being a singer-songwriter and a DJ. These two roles keep me busy and excited," he says.

Xiao Fei recently released an English album, 01, marking his transition from a veteran DJ to a singer-songwriter. He plans to tour the country in October.

During a recent live performance to introduce the album, hosted by his longtime partner Yu Zhou, Xiao Fei switched from guitar to harmonica, jamming with other musicians to reggae, rock 'n' roll and rap tunes.

"I used to think I would never release the album. I even gave up on the idea. But years of playing music on the radio show enabled me to listen to lots of music, which tempted me to make the album," he says.

The other host of the show, Yu Zhou, 32, of Hunan province, attributes its success to good timing and the right chemistry between the hosts and listeners. "I think we were both surprised to see that the radio show is 10 years old and with that, we experienced our lives and made something out it."

Yu, an English major graduate, published a comic book this year to fulfill her longtime wish of being an artist. The show's audience, she says, "is like the third host of the show. They are invisible and share their life stories".