洄鄉等花開：媒體人林清盛專訪 | Drifting Back Home Awaiting the Bloom
2017年，林清盛從台北回到花蓮。在壽豐鄉長大，東吳中文系畢業後，進入飛碟電台擔任「阿貓阿狗逛大街」節目主持人，如今則在飛碟聯播網花蓮太魯閣之音，主持「花現193」及「熱情東海岸」節目。在訪談的過程中，林清盛信手捻來許多關於花蓮隱藏版的小知識，從眼前一杯手搖茶的口味到花蓮當季盛產的蔬果，透過他眼中看到的花蓮，有深邃的關係與溫柔獨到的眼光。
遊子都需要一個理由
「離開了，要不要回來？什麼時候回來？回來要做些什麼？」這些生命裡的大哉問，對林清盛來說是每位花蓮遊子必經的思索，他只是將自己安放在這份理所當然裡頭。退伍之後，他想找一個回來花蓮後仍可繼續從事的工作，原本想選擇可以調遷的公務人員，卻也知道在僵固體制中謀生並非己志，恰巧身旁朋友詢問他要不要去做廣播，他便從中文系跨足傳播，進入綠色和平廣播電台，從助理做起，慢慢培養人脈。之後轉往News98電台，並開始經營電台主持。在習以為常的成就邏輯中浸淫久了，也取得不錯的成績，林清盛卻毅然決然的回家。
「在做都會型電台的時候，那些想回來的念頭就全忘了。回家的關鍵在於我父親，當我發現我的父親需要我回家時，以前做廣播是為了回花蓮還可以繼續，這個念頭就突然跑出來了。器材、播音、設備，團隊的專業程度，乃至於薪水，如果這些問題是問題，那你就永遠回不來。」一是因為北上步伐本有復返之願，二是因為父親日愈急迫的需求，林清盛笑談返花念頭之單純，卻也單純得足夠逼人。
尋找觀眾，也尋找自己的位置
回到太魯閣之音，林清盛面對一個巨大的斷層。以往在都會電台中所受的訓練、對於廣播的規模與要求，在地方電台卻完全行不通；不僅如此，對於花蓮而言，他是一個需要從零開始耕耘的媒體人，只有飛碟聯播網在地方上的名聲為基礎。他開始尋找定位，在太魯閣之音自己想要做的事：原住民與農業議題。做為一位專業的媒體人，同時也是一個花蓮的孩子，他從情至理都知道此議題之邊緣，只是如果今天他不碰，就不會有人要碰了。林清盛帶著如此簡單的心願，向商業走向的飛碟電台談出條件，讓他從零開始學習與累積。
對於這些冷門的節目走向，林清盛做了大量的地方訪問，聽眾竟不減反增。「這件事的可行基礎在於，地方台應當善盡報導地方事務的責任。過去的工作經驗告訴我，聽眾關注生活周遭的東西，可是我們長期收到的廣播資訊還是『台北的天氣如何』，我心裡想，台北的天氣與特賣會到底干我什麼事？花蓮的廣播是沙漠，絕對和地方事務被邊緣化有關。如果討論地方報紙的頭條新聞，或是哪家巷口開出了百萬頭獎，我的聽眾會在哪裡？」林清盛對於廣播的想像輪廓很是清楚，他相信人會對熟悉的事務有所連結，也相信廣播不會死。他在沙漠裡澆水，倚靠的絕非是譁眾取寵的媒體技能，而是一道道深具地方價值的情感漣漪。
扛起媒體責任，陪伴地方
除了地方報導，林清盛也在「花現193」中推動花蓮文化事務。他談環境、電影、動物與閱讀，卻也苦於花蓮的文化活動推廣窒礙難行。林清盛有一個獨到的在地觀察，他認為文化推廣首先要改善大眾運輸系統，尤其花蓮地形狹長，公車站牌與數量都不足夠，藝文互動的受群被鎖在有車階級之上。
「如果我們不改善大眾運輸，對於無車家庭或偏遠弱勢的孩子而言，是一件很不利的事情。文化起源於生活，但這不是我喜歡、我認為理想的生活世界。」台北闖出來的硬脾氣，使他扛著「媒體責任」的政治態度，更在節目中做為期一年的地震專題，將0206花蓮地震以來政府少做的事，一件件撿起來做，目的便是陪伴震災重建戶走一段最孤單的路。
陪伴兩字寫來容易，做來複雜。以「一次廣播作為一趟陪伴」的心願，在這不耐緩長，網紅直播與限時動態勃發的時代，似乎更是杯水車薪。清盛卻比我們樂觀許多，他說：「聽廣播的人都是寂寞的人，而直播只是換了另一種形式的廣播，用不同的媒介陪伴寂寞。人收聽廣播，其實只是想知道這個人究竟在做什麼，不過接收訊息的感官從聽覺轉到視覺罷了。」每個時代都有寂寞的人群，他們用各自的方式排解寂寞，林清盛只是安靜且準時地，等寂寞來找他。
林清盛是一個這樣的人：作為一個說話者，他的言談間橫亙著台北生活的明快俐落，同時夾雜著花蓮養他的悠緩溫吞；作為一個媒體人，他擁有不鄉愿的溫柔，也擁有不從嘴裡跑滿口道理的立場。他在這樣疊雜的生命敘線中，肩負著來自花蓮孩子洄游的命定，肩負來自家人的倫理羈絆，亦梳理著他與廣播的責任與關係──他在沙漠裡澆水，等寂寞開花，如此單純。
A special interview with media person, Lin, Ching-sheng
In 2017, Lin, Ching-sheng moved from Taipei to Hualien. Growing up in Shoufeng township, he went on to become the host of the radio show DOG CAT PERSONS at UFO network after having graduated from Soochow University with a major in Chinese Language. Now, he is the host of shows such as BLOOM 193 and PASSION OF EAST COAST at the Hualien local station of UFO network. During the interview, Lin, Ching-sheng provided us with many unknown knowledges of Hualien. From the flavor of a glass of handshake tea at sight, to the in-season vegetables and fruits of Hualien, the Hualien he sees holds a sense of sophistication and unique tenderness.
A Reason to Come Back
"Should I come back? When do I come back? What will I do after coming back?" These profound life questions are essential to Hualien natives who want to come back to Hualien according to Lin, Ching-sheng. He answered these questions with absolute positivity. After having served the mandatory military service, he wanted to find a job in Hualien. Initially he had wanted to go into civil service that would allow relocation, but he knew that it was not his calling to eke out a living in a rigid system. In a serendipity, a friend asked him if he would like to go for broadcasting. He then tapped into broadcasting with a Chinese language major. Before jumping aboard the news department of UFO network as a host, he started out as an assistant at GreenPeace Broadcasting Station while having his network widened. Having long immersed himself in the normal definition of success and had some accomplishments achieved, he determined to go back home all of a sudden.
"When I was engaging in the metro radio station, I put all the thoughts of going back home behind. The turning point was when I found out my father needed me to go back home. The idea came back to me that I went into broadcasting because I could go on doing it even if I decided to go back to Hualien. If you let yourself be bothered by problems such as the quality of instruments, transmission of sound, facilities, and the maturity of the team, or even the salary, you will never be able to come back."
Searching for the Audience and Finding One's Position
After arriving at UFO network Hualien, Lin faced a gaping fault. The training he had received from the metro radio station regarding the scale and the requirement of broadcasting does not work at all in local radio station. Moreover, in Hualien, he was a media person that had to start from the ground up, relying only on UFO network's local reputation. He started to find his own position by doing what he wants to do at UFO network; that was to raise the issues of aborigines and agriculture. As both a professional media person and a Hualien local, he knew exactly how marginal these issues are. If he did not bear the brunt, nobody would. With this simple determination at heart, he negotiated a deal with the business-oriented UFO network to let him make progress by learning from the basics.
Lin did a whole slew of local interviews to cater to the direction of these less popular programs. Surprisingly, he managed to grow the audience instead of losing them. "The doable ground of this outcome is based on the reason that the local radio stations should fulfill their responsibility of reporting local events. My past experience tells me that the audience cares about what happens around them. However, most of the time we received information such as 'the weather condition in Taipei' from the broadcast. It prompted me to think, what does it have to do with me regarding the weather condition and grand sales in Taipei? The reason why Hualien has a broadcast desert definitely has to do with the marginalization of local affairs. Where would my audience be if I discussed the headline of local newspaper or which store sells the million winning lottery ticket?" Lin's sketch of the outline of broadcasting is very clear. He believes that people form connections with affairs that they are familiar with and he believes that there will be no demise for broadcasting. He thrives in the broadcasting desert not by his grandstand media gimmick, but by his emotional relatability with the local value.
Shoulder the Media Responsibility and Keep the Local Company
Aside from local reports, Lin also promotes Hualien's cultural affairs in Bloom 193. He talks about environment, film, animals, and reading. But he is also hindered by the stagnation of Hualien's cultural affairs. Lin has his own unique take on local observation. Taking into the account of Hualien's narrow strip of land, he thinks that the promotion of culture depends first on the improvement of mass transportation. Because of the insufficiency of bus stops, there is a hierarchy for audience of cultural events which places people with cars on the top.
"Culture derives from life. If we failed to better our mass transportation, there would be severe consequences for family without cars or underprivileged kids in rural area. This is against my ideal of a utopian society." The stubborn attitude that he has developed while working in Taipei prompts him to carry on a political attitude of "media responsibility". He put the attitude in practice by making a one-year long earthquake program. He picked up whatever was left undone by the government in the aftermath of 0206 Hualien Earthquake one by one with the intention of accompanying the sufferers through the hardest journey.
The word company is easier said than done. The wish of making every broadcast slot into the opportunity of keeping the listeners company is like David and Goliath when compared with the live streaming and Instagram stories from the internet celebrities. However, Lin is much more optimistic than us. He said: "People who listen to the broadcast are lonely people. Live streaming is broadcast in another form which uses a different medium to keep the loners company. People listen to broadcast in order to get to know what the person is doing. It's just that the receiving sense shifts from the ears to the eyes. "Every era has its group of lonely people who use different ways to cope with their loneliness. Lin stays quiet and punctual when it comes to waiting for the visit of every loneliness.
Lin is the kind of person whose conversation is filled with the clear alacrity of Taipei life mixed with the slow humbleness that is particular in Hualien. As a media person, he has a sense of gentleness that does not yield to people-pleasing and a stance that does not fall into preaching. Amid the intersecting life storyline, he shoulders the fate of a returning Hualien kid and the familial trammels while figuring out his responsibility and relationship with broadcasting. He waters in the desert, simple-mindedly waiting for the loneliness to bloom.