South Asian Voices on the Air
Long before podcasts and social media, the heartbeat of the Bay Area's South Asian community pulsed through the airwaves. Radio became a lifeline and a way for new immigrants to stay connected to home, hear familiar languages, and find belonging in a new land. From early AM stations broadcasting Hindi film songs to modern FM shows blending Bollywood beats with Bay Area stories, radio carried more than music. It carried identity, comfort, and conversation.
Stations like Radio Zindagi, Bolly 92.3 FM, and Radio Punjab 1310 AM have bridged distances through sound by sharing news, laughter, faith, and dialogue across generations. Each broadcast reminds listeners that while the frequencies may change, the mission remains the same: to keep community alive, one voice at a time.
COMMUNITY RADIO
Bolly 92.3 FM - Stories, Songs and Connection
Broadcasting from San Jose, Bolly 92.3 FM carries on decades of South Asian radio tradition in Northern California. Through music, talk, and conversation, hosts like Namrita Yuhanna have built spaces that blend Bollywood nostalgia with Bay Area realities.
Namrita Yuhanna is a radio host with Bolly 92.3 FM and the voice behind Off the Cuff, a program that blends candid conversations and community-centered storytelling. Through her on-air presence, she engages Bay Area listeners around South Asian culture, everyday experiences, and local happenings, highlighting the continued importance of ethnic radio as a connective space for immigrant and diasporic communities in Silicon Valley.
Through music and conversation, we remind people they are not alone.
COMMUNITY RADIO
Radio Zindagi 1550 AM
We wanted to bring back what people missed about India — the sounds, the conversations, the feeling of home.
Launched in 2010, Radio Zindagi 1550 AM became the Bay Area’s first Hindi-language radio station to blend Bollywood music, news, and community conversation.
Director of Operations Sebha Shah describes the station as “a local hub… where people tune in for culture, information, and comfort.”
Today, under CEO Taresh Anand, Radio Zindagi is expanding into digital platforms while keeping its signature warmth and community focus. As Shah notes, “radio is still powerful… it keeps us company, it keeps us connected.”
MAINSTREAM RADIO
Sasha Khokha - Bringing Nuance to Public Radio
When I was in journalism school, I realized there was such a vacuum in stories about the South Asian community — especially stories that reflected nuance, complexity, and questions of identity and belonging.”
Sasha Khokha is a reporter and host with KQED and NPR’s The California Report Magazine whose work centers immigrant communities, labor, and the working-class realities often missed in mainstream coverage. She traces her journalism roots to India Currents, an ethnic media publication where, as she notes, “they take a chance on people” and helped launch many South Asian journalists. Across her career, she has pushed back on stereotypes that flatten South Asians into a single story of success, insisting on reporting that reflects class, language, and lived complexity.
Mainstream Radio
Deepa Fernandes — Reporting Across Borders and Communities
Journalism, for me, has always been about accountability and visibility for communities whose stories are too often ignored.”
Deepa Fernandes is an award-winning journalist whose work spans public radio, print journalism, and long-form storytelling. Reporting for outlets including NPR, KQED, and the San Francisco Chronicle, Fernandes has covered immigration, labor, and global justice with a focus on voices often left out of mainstream narratives.
Her career reflects how South Asian journalists in California have shaped public understanding not only of local communities, but of migration and power on a global scale. Whether reporting from California or abroad, Fernandes brings a deeply human lens to stories of displacement, resistance, and belonging.
Other Bay Area: Ethnic Radio Stations
Radio Punjab (KMKY 1310 AM) serves Bay Area South Asian listeners with a mix of Hindi and Punjabi content, including music, community updates, and talk programming. It represents a long-running presence of Punjabi and Hindi radio on local AM airwaves, connecting diaspora audiences to language, culture, and everyday community life. Learn more.
Punjabi Radio USA (KLOK 1170 AM) broadcasts Punjabi music and talk shows that blend cultural conversation with community news and commentary. With programming designed to keep listeners connected to Punjabi language and public life, the station has become a prominent Bay Area radio voice for Punjabi-speaking audiences. Learn more.
