{"id":10112,"date":"2014-06-30T17:18:23","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T21:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=10112"},"modified":"2014-06-30T17:23:58","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T21:23:58","slug":"details-of-shortwave-reductions-to-voa-rfe-rfa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/details-of-shortwave-reductions-to-voa-rfe-rfa\/","title":{"rendered":"Details of shortwave reductions to VOA, RFE, RFA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10084\" src=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg\" alt=\"Voice_of_America_Headquarters\" width=\"850\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg 850w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters-100x49.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a>Earlier today, I contacted Letitia King, Spokesperson for the <em>Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)<\/em>. I asked her for details regarding the cuts to shortwave services <a title=\"Sweeping cuts to VOA, RFE and RFA shortwave services\" href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/sweeping-cuts-to-voa-rfe-and-rfa-shortwave-services\/\">that were recently announced<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. King has just sent me the following list, with notes, which includes\u00a0all shortwave reductions under the BBG:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><br \/>\nFacts and Figures on Shortwave Broadcast Reductions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>June 30, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0U.S. international media must optimize program delivery by market. We are ending some shortwave transmissions. We continue shortwave to those countries where these transmissions are still reaching significant audiences or where there are no reasonable alternative platforms at a lower cost to the BBG.<\/p>\n<p>The shortwave reductions will save U.S. taxpayers almost $1.6 million annually.<\/p>\n<p>There are no reductions in staff or programming \u2013 these are transmission platform reductions only. Programming continues to be available through other media.<\/p>\n<p>Shortwave transmissions continue in many languages including to key shortwave markets like North Korea, Nigeria, Somalia, Horn of Africa, and elsewhere. (List enclosed below). Transmissions also continue on other platforms including AM, FM, TV and online.<\/p>\n<p><strong>VOA Azerbaijani<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 30 minutes SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> Satellite TV (HotBird)and satellite audio (TurkSat); Multimedia web and mobile sites &amp; social media<\/li>\n<li>SW is used by just 2% of adults weekly in Azerbaijan, and does not yield significant audiences for the service (0.4% weekly reach on radio in BBG\u2019s most recent survey). By contrast, satellite dish ownership is widespread, at 56%, and 18% use the Internet weekly. The service has both satellite and online products, which are far more likely to reach audiences in Azerbaijan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>VOA Bangla<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 1 hour SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> 1 hour MW(AM); FM and TV affiliates; Multimedia web and mobile sites; Social media<\/li>\n<li>SW is not widely used in Bangladesh (just 2% weekly), and the majority of the service\u2019s audience comes to its programming via FM and TV affiliate networks in the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>VOA English (in Asia)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 6.5 hours SW (2 hours of programming that was repeated)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> Some MW; Multimedia web and mobile sites &amp; social media<\/li>\n<li>Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, English speakers are rarely users of shortwave radio. They are more likely to be educated and affluent, and to have access to a broad range of media. Years of BBG research questions on consumption of VOA English on shortwave have failed to find any significant audiences outside Africa, in large part because usage of shortwave radio in other regions is mostly very low.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>VOA Lao<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 30 minutes SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution<\/strong>: 30 minutes MW; 7 affiliates in Thailand on Lao border, with reach into Laos; Multimedia web and mobile sites; Social media<\/li>\n<li>SW is very little-used in Laos \u2013 less than 1% of adults report listening to SW radio weekly. In BBG\u2019s most recent research in Laos, no surveyed listeners reported using the SW band to access VOA content. A strong majority (66%) hear VOA on FM, through affiliate stations on the Thai border that carry VOA content (Laos is so small that border FM stations have decent penetration into the country).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>VOA Special\/Learning English<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 5.5 hours SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> Learning English programs continue on SW on English to Africa. 30 minutes MW; Multimedia web and mobile sites, including special interactive teaching products; Social media, including social English lessons<\/li>\n<li>BBG audience research indicates strong interest in learning English, but very limited shortwave listenership to VOA Learning English, outside a few select markets. The service is working more closely with other VOA language services to create English learning products for distribution on more popular channels. And Learning English offers a variety of digital products that are increasingly popular, including a Skype call-in show, videos on YouTube, and a website featuring both audio and transcripts for online audiences to follow as they listen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>VOA Uzbek<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 30 minutes SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> Satellite audio and TV (HotBird); FM and TV affiliates in neighboring countries; Multimedia web and mobile sites (with circumvention tools deployed); Social media<\/li>\n<li>SW is not widely used in Uzbekistan (just 2% weekly), and does not yield significant audiences for the service (0.3% weekly). Adults in Uzbekistan are much more likely to own a satellite dish (13%) or use the internet (12% weekly) than to use SW, so the service provides content on those platforms. Uzbekistan is an especially difficult market to penetrate with USIM content, but SW is not an effective platform for the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RFE\/RL Persian (Farda)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 1 simultaneous SW frequency for 6 broadcast hours<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> SW on multiple frequencies for all 24 broadcast hours remains on, in addition to 24 hours daily MW; &#8220;Radio on TV&#8221; on VOA Persian stream; 24 hours daily satellite audio with slate plus 24 hour Audio on 4 other satellites including Hotbird, the most popular satellite in Iran; Multimedia website (with circumvention tools deployed); Social media; mobile app with anti-censorship proxy server capability built-in.<\/li>\n<li>This is only a reduction to the number of simultaneous frequencies during some of the broadcast day. SW radio, with 5% weekly use in 2012, is considerably less popular than other platforms on which audiences can access Farda content, such as MW (10% weekly use), satellite television (26% own a dish, and 33% watch satellite television weekly) or the internet (39% weekly use).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RFA Lao<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 2 hours SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> 5 FM radio affiliates in Thailand provide cross-border coverage; Multimedia web &amp; mobile sites; Social media<\/li>\n<li>SW is very little-used in Laos \u2013 less than 1% of adults report listening to SW radio weekly. RFA Lao\u2019s listeners come overwhelmingly via FM stations on the Thai border \u2013 94% of past-week listeners report hearing RFA on FM. (Laos is so small that border FM stations have decent penetration into the country).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RFA Vietnamese<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cuts:<\/strong> 2 hours SW<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continuing Distribution:<\/strong> MW coverage of all broadcast hours remains on; Multimedia web and mobile sites (with circumvention tools deployed) include webcasts and other videos; Social media<\/li>\n<li>\u00b7 SW radio is very little-used in Vietnam \u2013 less than 1% of adults report any weekly use of the waveband, and RFA reaches just 0.2% of adults weekly on radio. MW is slightly more popular, but the future for USIM in Vietnam is likely online: 26% of Vietnamese use the Internet weekly now (with much higher rates among certain populations, like the young and the well-educated), and three in four personally own a mobile phone. While Vietnam attempts to block access to sensitive sites, Vietnam is actually the most active country in our most popular Internet Anti-Censorship tools with almost 600 million hits per day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Languages that continue on Shortwave<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>VOA<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Afan Oromo\/Amharic\/Tigrigna to Ethiopia and Eritrea<\/li>\n<li>Bambara<\/li>\n<li>Burmese<\/li>\n<li>Cantonese<\/li>\n<li>Dari<\/li>\n<li>English to Africa<\/li>\n<li>English to South Sudan<\/li>\n<li>French to Africa<\/li>\n<li>Hausa<\/li>\n<li>Khmer<\/li>\n<li>Kinyarwanda\/Kirundi<\/li>\n<li>Korean<\/li>\n<li>Kurdish<\/li>\n<li>Mandarin<\/li>\n<li>Pashto (to FATA and Afghanistan)<\/li>\n<li>Portuguese to Africa<\/li>\n<li>Somali<\/li>\n<li>Swahili<\/li>\n<li>Tibetan<\/li>\n<li>\u00b7 Shona\/Ndebele\/English to Zimbabwe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>OCB<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Spanish to Cuba<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RFE\/RL<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avar\/Chechen\/Circassian<\/li>\n<li>Belarusian<\/li>\n<li>Dari<\/li>\n<li>Pashto (to FATA and Afghanistan)<\/li>\n<li>Persian<\/li>\n<li>Russian<\/li>\n<li>Tajik<\/li>\n<li>Turkmen<\/li>\n<li>Uzbek<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RFA<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Burmese<\/li>\n<li>Cantonese<\/li>\n<li>Khmer<\/li>\n<li>Korean<\/li>\n<li>Mandarin<\/li>\n<li>Tibetan<\/li>\n<li>Uyghur<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>MBN<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arabic (Afia Darfur to Sudan\/Chad)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Earlier today, I contacted Letitia King, Spokesperson for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). I asked her for details regarding the cuts to shortwave services that were recently announced. Ms. King has just sent me the following list, with notes, which includes\u00a0all shortwave reductions under the BBG: Facts and Figures on Shortwave Broadcast Reductions June [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3,43],"tags":[3064,3070,936,1529,1160,1528,1093,1094,34,3065,402,1812,832,1811,182,1823],"class_list":["post-10112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-bbg-cuts","tag-bbg-reductions-shortwave","tag-broadcasting-board-of-governors","tag-radio-free-asia","tag-radio-free-europe","tag-radio-liberty","tag-rfa","tag-rfe","tag-shortwave","tag-shortwave-cuts","tag-voa-cuts","tag-voa-learning-english","tag-voa-shortwave","tag-voa-special-english","tag-voice-of-america","tag-voice-of-america-cuts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-2D6","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10081,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/sweeping-cuts-to-voa-rfe-and-rfa-shortwave-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":0},"title":"Sweeping cuts to VOA, RFE and RFA shortwave services","author":"Thomas","date":"June 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfortunate news from the Voice of America: Congress has approved major\u00a0cuts to US international broadcasting over shortwave. Thanks to Dan Robinson for sharing this significant\u00a0news. Dan writes: This news emerging from VOA late Friday: VOA to end shortwave broadcasts in English and several language services Monday. Received this late Friday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Voice_of_America_Headquarters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10412,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/bbg-publishes-report-on-the-efficacy-and-future-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":1},"title":"BBG publishes report on the efficacy and future of shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"August 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bennett Kobb, who shares this downloadable Report of the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting. If you recall, this\u00a0report was produced by a Broadcasting Board of Governors committee\u00a0and chaired\u00a0by\u00a0Matt Armstrong. Both Bennett and I believe it's unfortunate that the committee failed to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3377,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/bbg-watch-ashe-seeks-comments-on-u-s-international-broadcasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":2},"title":"BBG Watch: Ashe seeks comments on U.S. international broadcasting","author":"Thomas","date":"April 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a great opportunity to communicate directly with a BBG member who wants your input regarding upcoming changes to US international broadcasting: (Source: BBG Watch) Often referred to as a senior Republican member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Ambassador Victor Ashe has invited the public, including BBG\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/BBG-Logo-300x207.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10094,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/amendment-to-h-r-4490-protects-critical-shortwave-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":3},"title":"Amendment to H.R. 4490 protects &#8220;critical&#8221; shortwave services","author":"Thomas","date":"June 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to yesterday's\u00a0post\u00a0regarding sweeping cuts to VOA's shortwave service, an\u00a0SWLing Post reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) writes: \"HR4490 contains the following amendment attached to the bill by Cong Lowenthal of CA. Cong Lowenthal has the largest Cambodian community in the US in his constituency as well as Vietnamese.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"View of the Capitol Building from the roof of the Voice of America on 330 Independence Ave., S.W.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/K3VOA12-1024x682.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26040,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/shifting-away-from-shortwave-significant-reductions-for-bbg-under-fy-2018-budget\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":4},"title":"&#8220;Shifting away from shortwave&#8221;: Significant reductions for BBG under FY 2018 budget","author":"Thomas","date":"May 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG Press Release\u00a0via Dan Robinson) FY 2018 budget request reflects key BBG priorities amid spending constraints WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 The Broadcasting Board of Governors today released the FY 2018 budget request to support key U.S. foreign policy goals by providing news and information around the world while accommodating the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/VOA-site-B-Wallpaper-MainBuilding2-1024x640.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/VOA-site-B-Wallpaper-MainBuilding2-1024x640.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/VOA-site-B-Wallpaper-MainBuilding2-1024x640.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8977,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/deadline-approaching-bbg-seeks-public-comment-on-relevancy-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":10112,"position":5},"title":"Deadline approaching: BBG seeks public comment on relevancy of shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"March 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Reminder: The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)\u00a0is asking for your comments\u00a0on the relevancy of shortwave radio broadcasting. In short, simply send the BBG an email (limited to 1,200 words or less) with your comments\u00a0by Friday (March 14th, 2014).\u00a0The BBG has set up the following email address:\u00a0ShortwaveCommittee@bbg.gov Click here for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Students in South Sudan listen to their favorite shortwave radio program, VOA Special English.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DSCN2988wtmk-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10112\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}