Though most television viewers knew Lisa Ling from her 1999-2002 stint as co-host of “The View” (ABC, 1997- ), the Sacramento, CA native distinguished herself as an investigative reporter since the age of 15, continuing to do so as host of “National Geographic Explorer.”Born Aug. 30, 1973, Ling’s parents divorced when she was seven, with her conservative father, a China-born aviation supervisor for the Air Force, raising Ling and her younger sister. Ling’s television journalism career began at the age of 16 when she co-hosted “Scratch” (1991-94), a syndicated news magazine for kids. At 18, Ling was able to cover more serious topics for another syndicated news magazine, “Channel One News,” which was broadcast in schools. Over the next seven years, Ling became the program’s senior political correspondent, reporting from more than 30 countries, including Russia (to report on election referendums), Afghanistan (to cover the Taliban’s takeover of the country), and Iraq, among numerous others. Despite a punishing 40-hours-a-week workload for the channel, Ling also attended the University of Southern California, even making the Dean’s list in her freshman year. However, due to her numerous commitments, she left the college in her junior year.
In 1999, Ling joined reporters Barbara Walters and Meredith Viera, comedienne Joy Behar, and former lawyer Star Jones on a new daytime talk show, “The View.” Ling contributed the “twenty-something” perspective on women’s issues. She remained with the program until 2002, when a desire to return to serious reporting brought her to “National Geographic Explorer” (1985- )
As the show’s first female host in its twenty-year history, Ling took a typically hands-on approach to her new position. She investigated the drug war in Colombia, explored family issues in China, and traveled to the bottom of the ocean in a submersible in search of sunken treasure. She also contributed to the network’s “Ultimate Explorer” (2004), an eight-part news magazine commissioned by MSNBC.
During this busy period, Ling also found time to contribute and host a number of other projects. In 2000, she became a contributing editor with USA Weekend, while in 2001, she returned to Channel One to host a televised town hall meeting (co-produced by the WB Network) to answer teen viewers’ concerns about the events of September 11th and terrorism worldwide. That same year, she also hosted “Teen People’s 20 Teens Who Will Change the World.” She even lent her face and name to several lighter projects, including a rare acting turn on the NBC sitcom, “Ed” (2000-04) in 2002, and a series of television ads for Old Navy in 2000.
Perhaps her most personally rewarding side project was her participation in the 2001 Boston Marathon. She undertook the grueling race to raise money for pediatric cancer after a pair of devastating deaths occurred in her family. First, her cousin, Alison, succumbed to liver cancer at the age of 14. Then Alison’s father – Ling’s uncle, John Pierce – who was training to run the Boston Marathon to raise awareness for a fund he had established in his daughter’s memory – died during a mini-marathon. With only two months before the marathon, Ling stepped in for her uncle and ran the 26-mile course in 4 hours, 34 minutes, raising over $100,000 for his fund by campaigning on “The View.”
In addition to her hosting and reporting duties for “Explorer,” Ling also contributed periodically to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (1986- ).
