Description

The Asia Program is pleased to recommend a special grant of $50,000 to Boston University, The WBUR Group for a radio broadcast and podcast series on President Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China.   Through Margaret Boles Fitzgerald, we learned of this project being organized by WBUR, Boston’s NPR News Station, that will examine the history of Sino-American relations through President Richard Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China a half century ago. The Great Wager: The inside story of how the U.S. and China became friends, and how it’s all falling apart , a multiplatform series hosted by Jane Perlez and Scott Tong, will be timed for launch in mid-February 2022, the 50 th anniversary of Nixon’s historic trip. Five episodes, one per week, will be broadcast nationally on Here & Now , the midday news magazine co-produced by WBUR and NPR ( https://www.wbur.org/radio/programs/hereandnow/about ). Episodes will be discussed in the context of current U.S.-China issues in the news; the final program will consider the legacy of this “wager” and the future of bilateral relations.   In partnership with Here & Now , WBUR’s award-winning iLab podcast production unit is tasked with production and distribution of this series. iLab has a track record of raising WBUR’s visibility among younger, more diverse listeners beyond the broadcast audience. Simultaneous to its broadcast debut, the full five-episode set will be released as an on-demand podcast in the Here & Now podcast feed. The WBUR website will feature accompanying text and visual material, as well as longer interviews conducted for the series, for example, an hour-long interview with former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Other interviewees include Minxin Pei and Yun Sun, experts associated with past and current HLF grants. The producers also plan a companion hybrid event featuring the author Gish Jen and theater director Peter Sellars.   The idea for the series was originated by Perlez, the former Beijing bureau chief of the New York Times . Her co-producers are Tong and Grace Tatter of On Point . Tong previously headed the Shanghai bureau of American Public Media’s Marketplace , which has received HLF support for Asia content through four grants since 2008. He spoke to the Luce Scholars during their wrap up in Shanghai in 2009.   At a time when America’s engagement strategy with China is being questioned, and to educate a generation not yet born at the time of the Nixon visit, there is value in revisiting the road to normalization of Sino-U.S. ties, spearheaded by a Republican president, and in reminding people of the benefits to human well-being and global peace and security it brought. WBUR stresses that this is evergreen content with relevance beyond the broadcast dates for education about the history of this important bilateral relationship, and that there is interest among younger audiences for programs that offer historical context on current events. The Asia Program, in coordination with Iris, would be in a good position to promote awareness of the program through our networks.   The recommended grant would cover two-thirds of the $76,874 requested, to be applied primarily to personnel costs, as well as to the special event and marketing. WBUR has waived indirect costs and is prepared to draw the project balance from its funds for general operations.   The extent of the credit we would receive at our suggested level of support is articulated in the proposal. Please also note that WBUR will be able to acknowledge HLF funding in the series press release and related announcements if it receives word of the outcome on or before January 25, 2022.
Margaret Boles Fitzgerald is a member of WBUR’s board of directors.     Submitted by Helena Kolenda