Radio World photo by James O’Neal
Radio World takes a tour of VOA Greenville
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Tag Archives: VOA
Video documents the history of the VOA Bethany site
(Update 18 August 2011)
Digging back through our archives, I found this video post from February. If you aren’t familiar with the history of the VOA Bethany site, this is a must see.
Thanks to Kim Elliott for bringing to my attention.
VOA adding new English services
VOA Press Release:
Washington, D.C., May 17, 2010 ? Voice of America has unveiled a dynamic new lineup of interactive radio programs and Web features aimed at expanding its English-speaking audience around the world.
Three new radio programs, Daybreak Asia, Crossroads Asia, and Middle East Monitor, focus on key developments in each region, with in-depth features, more newsmaker interviews and dynamic interaction with listeners, viewers and website visitors. Another program, International Edition, provides lively, fast-paced world news coverage, and American Caf? brings you stories about life in the United States.
Listen to VOA programs and explore the new Web features at www.voanews.com
VOA English Programs Director John Stevenson describes the new programs as, “for and about the people in the regions, providing the story behind the story, with more background and analysis, increased use of graphics on our website and more social networking with sites like Facebook.”
VOA English has an estimated global weekly radio audience of more than 11 million people. VOA newscasts and programs are available on a host of platforms, including our website, via podcasting, social networking sites, radio and television affiliate stations around the world, and now on VOA’s upgraded mobile phone site http://english.voa.mobi.
Other languages are also available by going to http://www1.voanews.com/english/mobile/ and selecting from the list.
(Source: VOA)
VOA Expands In South/Central America
VOA’s Spanish-language division also will step up its use of Radio/TV Martí’s production facilities in Miami because of budget pressures on both broadcasters, the officials added.
[…]”Our focus is on the Andean region because of the upheavals that are going on there,” said Spanish division director Alberto Mascaro. “Our second priority is Central America, especially Nicaragua and Honduras.”
VOA honors former director who introduced Special English programming
Henry Loomis (1919-2008)
Voice of America (VOA) recently broadcast a tribute to former director, Henry Loomis who passed away last month. The VOA tribute was appropriately broadcast in “Special English”–a broadcast method Loomis created and championed at VOA.
Importance of Special English
Loomis developed the concept of Special English for VOA while travelling the world in the 1950s. He noticed that English was quickly becoming an international language and VOA’s international listeners were keen to learn but needed a simplified “text book” English broadcast to better understand the content. Loomis developed English broadcasts with slower speaking rates and more simplified vocabulary.
Though VOA began broadcasting in Special English on October 19, 1959, the programming was internally criticized as ineffective and American embassies even demanded that the slower rate program be cancelled. Regardless, Loomis continued to champion the method and hundreds of listeners soon wrote to VOA praising the system. Today, Special English programming remains some of the most popular at VOA.
Other Special Language Broadcasts
Since I am a native English speaker, I rarely listen to programming in Special English. However, I have listened to programming from other international broadcasters in Special French (Français Facile).
Français Facile from Radio France International gave me the confidence to listen to professional news broadcasts in French when I was still a student. Though I speak French fluently now, I still like to listen to these broadcasts. I believe the slower rate and careful diction actually help to improve my French vocabulary.
If you have never heard a broadcast in Special English, I encourage you to listen to the VOA broadcast mentioned above–click here to download the recorded broadcast as an mp3 file (courtesy of VOA).
More information on Loomis and Special English: