Jacqueline Pang

Personal life

Born on 27 August 1974 in Hong Kong to Fujian-ese parents of Vietnamese origin, Pang was educated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where her parents now reside. She has one younger sister who participated in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant of 1997. Pang also worked briefly as an airline hostess at Virgin Airways before embarking on her career in Hong Kong broadcasting.

In 2000, Pang married a businessman, but divorced him in 2006. She has one son. Pang was interviewed by local newspaper Ming Pao in Chinese about her personal feelings.

Radio

In 1998, Pang began working for government public-broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) Radio 2, which broadcasts in Cantonese with programmes aimed at youth, entertainment and popular music. Having a brief background as a DJ in Toronto, Pang trained for six months at RTHK and became a very popular broadcast DJ and announcer.

In 1999, Pang earned a main character role in the 32-episode Radio RTHK historical drama The Book and the Sword. She became noted for her vocal changes in taking on a character and was sought by dubbing studios and for commercial advertisements. Pang made appearances on RTHK's Teen Power coaching prospective DJs on how to use vocal changes to emote.

Pang was asked by director Alan K.K. Yip to sing a Cantonese-version of the theme for a Korean drama. "A Wrongly Secured Love" (錯落的深情) rose to the No. 12 position on the Cantonese Golden Songs Pop Chart in March 2003. Pang released a few records and had other Top 20 songs including "Waiting For Your Love" (等你的愛) sung with Chan Kin Chong (陳敬創).

In May 2004, Pang moved from the midnight music programme Late Mother, Late Father to the long-running 06:00–10:00 weekday programme Morning Suite (replacing Candy Che Suk-Mui) and also co-hosted the Saturday 12:00–14:00 Cantonese Top 20 Pop Chart (中文歌曲龍虎榜), increasing her on-air exposure.

Despite moving to television news in March 2008, Pang maintains a presence on RTHK Radio 2. She continued to co-host Cantonese Top 20 Pop Chart until July 2009, filled-in for her Morning Suite replacement on 1 October 2008, and made numerous guest-hosting appearances on other RTHK radio programmes. In October 2009, Pang began a new Sunday afternoon radio programme Lassies and Nerds (中女宅男殺很大) with co-host Tsang Chi Ho (曾志豪), which examines the social needs of those who are single and over the age of 30 in Hong Kong.

Master of ceremonies

Known as a very animated hostess for live stage and TV shows and special events, Pang also performs master of ceremonies (MC) duties at high-society private parties. Pang lectures on public speaking at the HK Productivity Council and makes appearances as a judge at the Master-of-Ceremony Competitions.

Pang is noted for her hosting of the popular annual environmental programme, The Solar Project, a RTHK combined live radio-and-TV stage production, from 2001 to 2007. Her last "Let's Go" concert by RTHK was held in Hong Kong in conjunction with TVB.

Television

Pang started in television in 2001 with segments on RTHK's education channel, ETV, including co-hosting "Education News" and "Inter-School Quiz". She co-hosted a number of televised awards shows and events, including the 21st Hong Kong Film Awards (2002), the 4th Global Chinese Music Awards (2004), benefits for Save China's Tigers (2005) and for victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and Hong Kong's 2008 New Year's celebrations. She is noted for hosting the annual televised production The Solar Project.

From October 2007 to February 2008, Pang co-hosted a thrice-daily 3-minute video news segment 'Witty Banter' for PCCW's 'NOW! News' Channel 332. In March, Pang was promoted to senior anchor for the channel's weekday morning news programme (09:30–12:30). Also in March 2008, Pang was invited to host NOW!TV's Dim Sum TV channel current-affairs programme Talk of Fame (點心名人榜). Pang hosted many early episodes, showing her ability to research and interview a wide variety of subjects.

Author, playwright and columnist

Pang's first book is Yi Zhong Ai Qi Duan Qing (一種愛 七段情', literally translated as 'One Kind of Love but Seven Situations'), a collection of gay and lesbian love stories. It was released on July 18, 2007 at the Hong Kong Book Fair. A second paperback titled 中女挑宅男 is a collection of short stories recounted from her popular RTHK radio programme Lassies and Nerds, published at the end of 2010. In July 2011, Pang released another Chinese book titled 中女解毒 (or Women in Detoxification) in parallel with a stage play of the same name, in which Pang starred. A follow-up book was released at the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair.

Pang is a regular contributor to weekday (Hong Kong) Chinese-language newspaper AM0730. Her column, running on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is titled "Zhong Nui Wan Sui" (Happy Zhong Girls). Pang also contributed articles in English to the Local section of the free daily newspaper The Standard. These articles echoed her Chinese-language blog. The last of Pang's well-received short articles was printed on October 25, 2010. A 2011 interview about her personal life struggles is also in print by The Standard.

Detention

On 12 January 2007, Jacqueline Pang Ching was detained (with several more-prominent RTHK DJs) by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for purportedly being involved in a fraud by a superior involving claims of reimbursement of tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars between 2002 and 2003. Due to lack of any conclusive evidence, Pang was released, and returned to host Morning Suite.

Notable Appearances

March 1998 – Pang joined Radio Television Hong Kong's Radio 2's FM Channel to Co-host a midnight (00:00–02:00) music programme after 6 months training.

1999 – Pang performed as Huo Qingtong (霍青桐), the daughter of a tribe leader, in an RTHK-produced 32-episode Radio Play titled The Book and the Sword. This serial programme was set in the early Qing Dynasty and told the story of an organisation that planned to overthrow the ruling government of Manchuria.

29 January 2001 – Pang co-compered the 'Lunar new Year of the Snake' celebration for RTHK.

18 February 2001 – Of 12 new TV programmes launched by RTHK, the popular ETV segment "Education News" was mainly hosted by Pang, and also Kelly Ho Ka-Lai, a high school teacher and Hong Kong's medallist in fencing (Commonwealth Championships, 1994). They were both very adept news anchors for the popular TV programme.

18 January 2002 – Co-hosted the 24th Top 10 Chinese Gold Songs Award Presentation concert.

21 April 2002 – Co-compered the 21st Hong Kong Film Awards, live at the Hong Kong Coliseum. (External link below)

26 September 2002 – Pang co-hosted the highly watched "Inter-School Quiz" for primary and secondary students on RTHK's Educational Television productions.

1 May 2004 – Pang joined Radio 2 FM's long-running 'Morning Suite' programme (06:00–10:00), replacing the previous female co-host.

2 July 2004 – Pang was invited to attend the Hong Kong Tramways' 100th Year live Celebration-on-a-Tram.

17 October 2004 – Pang was invited to co-host at the 4th Global Chinese Music Awards.

26 January 2005 – Pang performed as MC at the RTHK Press Conference of "Save the China Tigers". The RTHK TV programme filmed the actual relocation of the Tigers from China to Africa.

23 January 2006 – Pang co-hosted the live RTHK 28th Annual Top 10 Chinese Golden Songs Awards Ceremony.

4 April 2006 – Co-host of the first televised Inter-School Financial Quiz for RTHK, Hong Kong's Educational Television.

13 June 2006 – Co-hosted in Putonghua the 6th Solar Project 'Hand In Hand' in Xi'an, China. (Link above)

9 July 2006 – Pang compered the very first Press Show for the Hong Kong Performers Association.

3 February 2007 – Pang performed as MC at the 14th Green Power Hike, an outdoor activity supported by the Henderson Group of Companies.

11 February 2007 – Pang produced and co-hosted for RTHK Radio 2 the live radio performance "Fire Prevention – In Action" in Wanchai's Southern Playground with The Wanchai District Fire Services.

13 March 2007 – Pang co-compered the annual International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Hong Kong Group's 40th Anniversary Live Concert at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. It was broadcast on 25 March 2007.

25 March 2007 – Pang co-hosted the 18th Hong Kong Television Appreciation Index Awards (TVAI) in which RTHK obtained the highest average of 72.1, (Cable TV – 68.67, TVB – 68.36, ATV – 67.56). The figures were independently polled by The Hong Kong University and contributed by Prof. Robert Chung Ting Yiu of the public opinion programme.

14 June 2007 – Pang was MC for World Blood Donor Day for the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service. The theme was "Safe Blood for Safe Motherhood".

30 June 2007 – Pang co-hosted RTHK's "Dragon Jamboree" performed at the Hong Kong Coliseum. This item was a very distinctive entry for the 2006 Guinness Book of Records as "The Largest Drum Ensemble" playing in unison, with more than 10,000 young players from Hong Kong, Macau and China participating.

14 July 2007 – Pang authored her first paperback, a narrative of unique and true stories called "7 Gay/Lesbian Love Stories" released on 18 July 2007 at the 2007 Hong Kong Book Fair.

2 September 2007 – Pang co-hosted the 7th Solar Project in Hong Kong live on RTHK and TVB.

25 October 2007 – Pang acted and sang as the Singing Dove on the Live Stage Play "An Ark Sparks In The Dark" at the Baptist A.C. Hall in Kowloon. This was a unique performance as it was the largest 200–plus-performer Cantonese Stage Musical produced by The Media Evangelism Limited in Hong Kong.

17 December 2007 – Pang co-compered at the press conference about the up-coming 'Countdown to 2008' programme together with China Beijing TV at Hong Kong's Times Square.

31 December 2007 – Pang co-compered with RTHK DJ Alex Li the 'Countdown to Zero Hour' to welcome in the 2008 New Year with Hong Kong's most popular singers and Olympic stars at Hong Kong's Times Square with the slogan "One World, One Dream" (Traditional Chinese -全 港 倒 數 2008 迎 奧 運) for the 2008 Olympics to a street audience of more than ten thousand. This production was seen and heard by millions as it was broadcast live on streaming video, as well as FM radio and television by RTHK in co-operation with Cable TV Hong Kong, counting down simultaneously with China Beijing TV's live broadcast. This broadcast was specially organised with Beijing to promote collaboration, support and mutual co-operation with Beijing for the approaching 2008 Olympics in China.

13 January 2008 – Pang co-compered the noon broadcast of the first segment (of two) of The 30th Anniversary of the 'Top 10 Chinese Gold Songs Award' presentation live on RTHK's FM Radio 2 and Internet webcast, the video simultaneously recorded by RTHK. The video of this production was broadcast on Saturday, 12 January on TVB's Jade channel.

19 January 2008 – Pang co-compered the second segment of The 30th Anniversary of the 'Top 10 Chinese Gold Songs Awards' presentation in a gala evening at the Hong Kong Coliseum. This RTHK programme was a joint production with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Once again, this was a triple-media live broadcast over RTHK Radio 2 FM, Internet webcast and TVB's Jade Channel This was the first time an RTHK programme was broadcast by Television Broadcasts Limited a.k.a. TVB in both standard definition (SDTV) and the new high definition Digital Terrestrial Television.

29 February 2008 – Pang confirmed, in a live interview, during the final hour of (the four-hour 06:00–10:00) Cantonese-language Morning Suite that she was leaving the long-running RTHK programme. Since 2004, Jacqueline "Pang Ching" has been entertaining early-morning listeners of Radio Television Hong Kong as a Presenter and DJ/Host on this popular Morning Suite programme led by RTHK's veteran broadcaster Luke Tsang Chi-wah on FM Radio 2 Channel, along with Cusson Law, and C.P. Ching. Pang will be replaced by Alison Hau Ka-ming. 'Pang Ching' has a challenging future as a Current Affairs Television Presenter/Host on a local pay-TV Channel, she can still be heard co-hosting on RTHK's archives of the 'Chinese Top 20 Pop Chart' until the end of June 2009.

17 March 2008 – Pang co-hosted the 09:30–12:30 weekday morning segments "China Affairs" and "News From Every Angle" on the 'NOW!News' TV Channel 332. Her first week on the channel coincided with the Meeting of International Press and China's newly re-elected premier in The Great Hall of The People (18 March 2008) where Pang interpreted (from Putonghua to Cantonese) on local 'NOW!News' live television broadcast as the Chinese Premier replied to the opening questions from reporters.

25 May 2008 – Pang compered a live open-air afternoon function for the benefit of victims of China's 12 May 2008 Sichuan earthquake at Hong Kong's Times Square. Children from several primary schools and kindergartens dressed in a variety of colorful ethnic costumes sang the songs "I love China" and "Commitment" while money was collected for earthquake relief. In attendance were Vice Chairman Ms. Elsie Leung (JP) of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee and the NPC Standing Committee, the Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Mrs. Carrie Yau, Mr. Yu-Chun, Chairman of the CPPCC National Standing Committee of the Hong Kong–Guangdong Community Organizations and the Liaison Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials from other departments.

1 June 2008 – Pang joined together with other Hong Kong pop, radio and TV stars and performing artists on stage, singing before an audience of thousands for 12 May 2008 Earthquake victims in China, at the "Artistes' 512" Relief Fund-Raising Ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremony was broadcast on TVB's pay-TV channel 2.

22 June 2008 – Pang joined as the special guest on RTHK's 3-hour (21:00–24:00) Sunday night music and talk programme "2000 Beautiful Songs Reunion" hosted by Albert Au, chatting about her new career in Television as Current Affairs Anchor at NOW!TV. Having put out a few records earlier in her career, Pang sang early romantic favorites like "La Vie En Rose", "Fly Me To The Moon", "If" and other popular English and Chinese folk numbers, and duets with Au.

27 August 2008 – Pang compered on this day (her own birthday) at 3D-Gold's Exhibition of elaborate jewellery, which included a unique 19.9 million HK-dollar diamond-encrusted wedding bouquet. The bouquet was specially designed for the upcoming wedding of well-known female pop singer Kelly Chen Wai-Lam (陳慧琳). Miss Chen, who is the appointed Spokesperson of 3D-Gold, said she has considered not using the bouquet at her wedding in October 2008 as it might pose a high security risk.

1 October 2008 – Pang was invited to stand-in as co-host on RTHK's Radio 2 Morning Suite (06:30–10:00), the same radio show that she stopped co-hosting eight months previously, this time in the absence of Alyson Hau Kar-ming, her replacement. She was warmly welcomed back by her peers.

1 October 2008 – Pang was interviewed in an article for the October issue of the local ladies' fashion and beauty magazine Jessica.

26 October 2008 – Pang returned to RTHK's nighttime airwaves to guest-host three weekly episodes of the 3-hour (21:00–24:00) RTHK Sunday night programme series "2000 Beautiful Songs Reunion" on RTHK with a few guests of her own choice while original host Albert Au was away on leave.

4 December 2008 – Pang joined as the special guest on RTHK Radio 2's Made In Hong Kong 2-hour (13:00–15:00) weekday programme with Pop host Alex Li Chi Kong, and described her heartfelt experiences as a news anchor with NOW!TV for the last nine months.

1 February 2009 – Pang was once again a special guest, singing with Alex Li on this particular Sunday Night 3-hour (21:00–24:00) programme "2000 Beautiful Songs Reunion". Alex Li replaced regular host Albert Au who was away on holiday.

2 March 2009 – Pang's first contribution (on Page 26) to the free (Hong Kong) Chinese-language Newspaper "AM730". Her articles in the AM730 News section begin on 10 March 2009, and are found every Tuesday and Thursday.

4 May 2009 – Pang writes her first short article (in English) about herself in the online version of The Standard newspaper. It is titled "Middle Age is like Enjoying a Good Steak", the first of many weekly articles to follow.

7 May 2009 – Pang is the special guest on the first hour of RTHK Radio 2's "Made In Hong Kong" 2-hour (13:00–15:00) Cantonese weekday programme. This time Pang speaks on her personal experience as a flight attendant prior to beginning her career in broadcasting.

22 June 2009 – Pang was master of ceremonies at the premiere of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen at the Grand Ocean Theatre in Hong Kong.

27 June 2009 – Pang hosts her last Saturday "Cantonese Top 20 Pop Chart" on RTHK's Radio 2 FM channel. Wong Tin-yee, took over her spot with regular co-host K.F. Chow.

1 July 2009 – On this public holiday (following the 06:30 news), Pang is welcomed back as the day's surprise guest-host on RTHK's Radio 2 Morning Suite Cantonese programme by hosts C.C. Pang and Cusson Law who worked together with her on this programme more than a year previously. She spoke about her many experiences, and helping the sight-impaired to enjoy movies. She uses her Cantonese-speaking skills to narrate the visual action while simultaneously watching the movie. On her regular workdays Pang is senior anchor on PCCW's NOW!TV (Channel 332) from 09:30–12:30.

5 July 2009 – Pang returned as guest-host for one episode of RTHK's late-night (21:00–24:00) Sunday programme "2000 Beautiful Songs Reunion". singing along with some of her guests from the Asian pop circle.

11 August 2009 – Pang sat-in as a last-minute guest-host of the 3-hour (21:00–24:00) Radio 2 phone-in programme "星 空 奇 遇 鐵 達 尼" or "My Heart", replacing regular host Mak Yan Sau.

16 August 2009 – Pang was invited to be a panel judge of the 2009 Hong Kong Master of Ceremony Competition 2009 (全港司儀大賽), held annually by the Junior Chamber International (Hong Kong), this year at Olympian City. Participating faithfully every year, Pang shares her knowledge in public speaking with less-experienced MCs.

23–24 September 2009 – Pang hosts two evenings of the 3-hour phone-in radio programme '星 空 奇 遇 鐵 達 尼' or "My Heart" on RTHK's Radio 2.

4 October 2009 – Pang returns to RTHK to compère her new Sunday afternoon (14:00–16:00) programme '中女宅男殺很大' loosely translated as (middle-age) Lassies and Nerds on Radio 2 FM Channel (94.8-96.9 MHz) with younger co-host Tsang Chi Ho (曾志豪).

14 October 2009 – Pang was host to a charity event held by HSBC, featuring Leon Lai Ming as guest star.

15 December 2009 – Pang appeared as a cooking guests on the NOW!TV Channel 100 (Saturday 19:00) one-hour programme "Cooking Mama", to be shown and repeated on Christmas Day. This is the Cantonese version of the English-speaking programme of the same name.

24 December 2009 – Pang is a guest on R2's Christmas Eve '去 你 度 去 我 度 – 點 只 聲 靚' (literally: "Your Place, My Place") 20:00–21:00 radio talk show together with her Morning Suite replacement Alyson Hau, each of them revealing their innermost thoughts and experiences in radio broadcasting and their major decisions on (Pang's) leaving for NOW!TV and (Alyson's) accepting the position of co-hosting Morning Suite.

2 March 2010 – Pang, noted host of her own RTHK Radio 2's Sunday 14:00–16:00 radio programme '中女宅男殺很大' or Lassies and Nerds was featured as one of the subjects in HKTVB's (Jade Channel) Tuesday Report. In this programme she briefly touches on why she divorced in 2006. The growing number of listeners to her radio programme is a testament to the increasing number of 'over-30s singles' in Hong Kong.

22 July 2010 – Pang (and her co-host C.H. Tsang) were interviewed on the RTHK Cantonese programme '去 你 度 去 我 度 – 點 只 聲 靚 or ("Your Place, My Place"). The topic of 'still single' middle-aged women and men and life-after-divorce theme of Pang's programme "Lassies and Nerds" was discussed in detail regarding why this pet topic was selected. Of special interest, Pang openly admitted to reaching 'middle age', a topic generally avoided by women. The openness and directness of these sensitive topics of discussions have been the main reasons of the programme's quickly increasing popularity in the past year.

8 August 2010 – Pang was invited by the Digital Youth Federation to take part in an outdoor 2010 training camp, where she performed as a mentor for proper Cantonese pronunciation and voice classes for teenagers.

14 Sept 2010 – Pang was interviewed on a new RTHK educational programme "Taste of Science" about her eating of fruits as a meal, and her subsequent weight loss from 130 pounds (59 kg) to her now-petite 90 pounds (41 kg), early in Canada.

23 October 2010 – Pang performed a part in one episode of an RTHK TV series 女人多自在4 第二集 (太太離家上班去), translated as "Women with Dreams" Series 4 Epi. 2 (My Wife Goes To Work).

25 October 2010 – Pang completed her series of contributory short articles for the free newspaper The Standard. Her first article was on 4 May 2009.

31 October 2010 – Pang and her co-host C.H. Tsang of the Sunday talk programme on RTHK's Radio 2 '中女宅男殺很大' or Lassies and Nerds revealed that the first part of a segment of their programme would be broadcast on RTHK's 'Sik Si Fung' at 13:00 every Sunday. Presented as a radio play in several segments, this would expand on their main topic – the increasing numbers of Hong Kong divorced, separated, or still single middle-aged women and men having difficulties seeking partners. It began broadcast on 14 November (12:00–16:00) and continued for six weeks.

2 November 2010 – Pang showed her versatility and personality in a voice-training and posture-training session at 'U21 LIVE' with teenagers interested in a broadcasting career.

14 November 2010 – Pang's RTHK Radio 2 talk programme '中女宅男殺很大' or Lassies and Nerds with co-host C.H. Tsang was shown on RTHK's TV programme 'Hong Kong Stories Series 14, Epi.6' in Cantonese on 12 December 2010. It was repeated in an English-subtitled version on ATV Home in late 2011. The discussion reviews the reason for the popularity of their live talk show and shows its attempts to match-make the single or divorced participants by phone-in calls.

17 April 2011 – Pang co-anchored at NOW!TV studios the 'Red Carpet Opening' ceremony on the waterfront just outside the Hong Kong Cultural Center, as well as throughout the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards Ceremony. This was broadcast in full-length on Channel 100 and 101.

27 July 2011 – Pang released her new book in (traditional) Chinese titled "中女解毒" (literally, Women in Detoxification) at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair. These are some of her personal collection of stories about local unattached single women in their late 30s.

11–14 August 2011 – Pang starred in a stage play (for six shows on four continuous days) in Perry Chiu's Experimental Theatre, in a programme named "中女解毒", under the same title as her latest book. Other female co-stars in this Cantonese play were Jiao Yuan(焦媛), Huang Yu Shi(黃宇詩), Wen Ruixing(文瑞興), and Zhu Fengxian (朱鳳嫻). Performed at the Hong Kong's Sheung Wan Civic Centre Theatre, the stage performance centered on stories of middle-aged single or divorced women seeking men as companions and encountering none to their satisfaction. The synopsis: "To be a single middle-aged woman is not a sin."

23 October 2011 – Pang played a supporting part of a housewife with two children in episode 2 of a Cantonese RTHK Series TV drama "Woman with Dreams".

6 November 2011 – Pang starred in a single repeat performance of the above Cantonese stage play "中女解毒" (literally, "Women in Detoxification"), again at the Sheung Wan Civic Center.

13 June 2012 – Pang was interviewed on a local Cantonese-speaking TV station about her personal life experience and growth in the past years of her broadcasting, and lately her progress on theatrical acting as well as singing. She talks about her stage plays, of which Part II of "中女解毒", will be produced between 22 November and 1 December 2012 at the Sheung Wan Civic Center.

19 July 2012 – Pang released another new publication revealing her views (a traditional Chinese edition) of the 'middle-aged single or divorced women in Hong Kong' at the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair.

4 November 2012 – Pang was a special guest (among others from her stage play) on the Cantonese TV talk show "Ko's Blog" on ATV's local HD Channel 15. In reference to her approaching stage performance (22 November – 1 December) and her own Sunday radio talk show, Lassies and Nerds, Pang was asked to voice her latest opinions of the needs of the single 'middle-aged' woman in Hong Kong.

14 March 2013 – Pang hosted the forum "Healthy Eating and Business Opportunities: A Forum for the Catering Industry" on the premises of the Hong Kong Productivity Council at the invitation of the "[email protected]" campaign of DH. The comments by the organiser of her was that her MC skills were truly masterly and professional.

11 July 2013 – Pang performs in a stage play with her three other partners to reveal the frustrated emotions of middle-aged women in Hong Kong in finding happiness and a good husband. The performances in Cantonese run from 11 to 14 July 2013 at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre on Hong Kong Island where Ms. Perry Chiu, an active producer in the Venue Partnership Scheme, again directs this satiric comedy.

5 September 2013 – Pang was invited to host TSA Wine Media and follow Mr. Peter Kwong and his love of wine.