ChannelAPA.com is an Asian American niche entertainment channel on the global internet and YouTube which was founded in early 2008 by creative film producer Steven Nguyen and Kevin Hsieh. Based in San Francisco, it was invented to help Asian American artists and entertainers that don’t get a lot of support from the mainstream media.

SteveI wanted to share some more details with you about Channel APA with an interview I did with Steve Nguyen below…

What makes ChannelAPA stand apart of other websites as a gem out there?

I believe what makes ChannelAPA stand out is that we are a constantly developing multi-dimensional platform with a healthy flow of content provided by Asian American artists as well as other mainstream and independent artists who influence Asian media/entertainment. What I mean by multi-dimensional is that the site isn’t just a blog or a newsfeed, but rather a community-based symbol where Asian American artists can turn to if they want to be heard.

Do you have a story to share about someone benefitting from being highlighted on ChannelAPA?

It’s truly an honor to be commended for the work that we’ve done over the years by the Asian American community, and the guys that have stuck by us since we’ve been highlighting them are the hip-hop group Far East Movement. Before they reached double-platinum success on the Billboard charts, they were constantly touring and hustling without the help of a major label. ChannelAPA made it a routine to constantly follow their updates and get in touch with them in order to promote their music. Contrary to the stigma that most artists that who blow up in the industry get a swelled head, it’s nice to see that even after they’ve been signed to Cherrytree and made #1 hits… they haven’t turned their back on us. I got a message from James Prohgress Roh a few weeks ago thanking me for all the work I’ve done with them, and I’m glad that they consider us as a contributing factor to their success.

Is ChannelAPA run only by volunteers that work and contribute to the site?

The core of channelAPA is strictly volunteer based along with a few regulators such as Kevin and I to keep things in check.

How do you keep those volunteers motivated and interested so they don’t stray to another outlet?

I just like to think that we’re fun loving guys who take our business approach very seriously. We have an understanding that many of our volunteers and correspondents have other priorities and goals in mind, and we’re very supportive of our contributors who want to pursue other endeavors. My hope is that working with ChannelAPA is that next stepping stone for them to get to where they want to go. The reason why we work so well together is that we have something in common, and that is the passion for entertainment.

How do you get publicity for ChannelAPA, do you work up press releases and seek it out yourself? Or do you hope people are interested enough to just talk about it?

Surprisingly it’s all been through word of mouth, and up until a few months ago, we haven’t really sought any publicity. We’ve gone about it through grassroots way, and that’s mainly through the content we’ve produced for other artists and people have been kind enough to repost and digg our content.

What do you hope that ChannelAPA blossoms into.. would you see it bought onto a major network through the internet or on television? Or will it remain independent?

The goal is to develop into a self sustaining broadcast which will hopefully be fully functional in the next few years. The direction we’d like to take it would be towards the mainstream audience, but we’re still trying to figure out if the demand for an Asian American broadcast exists, and if so, how strong is that demand?

Since starting ChannelAPA have you had time to produce any new independent films or is ChannelAPA your sole focus now?

With regards to ChannelAPA, we’re catering to a specific Asian American audience that appreciates what we do. People look to me or Kevin to produce for the likes of AJ Rafael, Joseph Vincent, Just Kidding Films, Far East Movement, Beau Sia, and James Kyson Lee. Because of that, I haven’t really had an opportunity to direct my time toward making shorts or feature films these days. I’ve been relentless just focusing on ChannelAPA and a lot of times not producing many independent films lately because I’ve dedicated the last year of my life solely to this cause because I strongly believe in what we’re doing for our community.

What new and exciting things can be expected in the near future?

I’ve been so off my grind these days, but expect more films and videos to be produced. They’re coming soon.

Thanks for discussing Channel APA with Officially Plugged In viewers! I wish you big success with your dream.

You can see Steve’s official video and site links by clicking here.