{"id":22769,"date":"2016-12-11T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-12-11T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=22769"},"modified":"2016-12-11T07:56:24","modified_gmt":"2016-12-11T11:56:24","slug":"washington-post-a-big-change-to-u-s-broadcasting-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/washington-post-a-big-change-to-u-s-broadcasting-is-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Post: “A big change to U.S. broadcasting is coming”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

View of the Capitol Building from the roof of the Voice of America on 330 Independence Ave., S.W.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares this editorial from the The Washington Post<\/a>:”<\/p>\n

“FOR YEARS, members of Congress have fumed about what they regard as ineffective U.S. public diplomacy, including the failure of broadcasting operations such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty to match the reach and apparent influence of networks such as Russia\u2019s RT and Qatar\u2019s al Jazeera. A frequent and arguably fair focus of criticism has been the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the body created to supervise government-funded media outlets while serving as a firewall between them and the political administration of the day.<\/p>\n

A radical change to that system is now coming \u2014 and it looks like one that Vladi\u00admir Putin and Qatar\u2019s emir might well admire. An amendment quietly inserted into the annual National Defense Authorization Act by Republican House leaders would abolish the broadcasting board and place VOA, RFE\/RL and other international news and information operations under the direct control of a chief executive appointed by the president. The new executive would hire and fire senior media personnel and manage their budgets.<\/p>\n

[…]The point of board governance was to prevent direct political interference in programming by the White House, State Department or other agencies. It was a guarantee that for decades has helped to attract journalistic talent to the broadcasting organizations, as well as listeners seeking reliable information. The board of governors had serious problems: Its members served part time, and not all took their duties seriously. But the system\u2019s biggest flaw was remedied three years ago with the creation of a chief executive position.<\/p>\n

The new reform, driven by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.), enhances that executive\u2019s power and makes him answerable to the White House rather than the bipartisan board. A new advisory panel will be created, but it will be toothless: Its members will also be nominated by the president from a pool provided by Congress.[…]”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Click here to read the full editorial at The Washington Post online.<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, Richard points out this article in BBG Watch which highlights comments from Dan Robinson.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares this editorial from the The Washington Post:” “FOR YEARS, members of Congress have fumed about what they regard as ineffective U.S. public diplomacy, including the failure of broadcasting operations such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty to match the reach and […]<\/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":[8,56,960,3,43,1],"tags":[936,1529,1160,1528,1094,10,4378],"class_list":["post-22769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-broadcasters","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","category-uncategorized","tag-broadcasting-board-of-governors","tag-radio-free-asia","tag-radio-free-europe","tag-radio-liberty","tag-rfe","tag-voa","tag-washington-post"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-5Vf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33775,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/broadcasting-board-of-governors-bbg-rebranded-as-u-s-agency-for-global-media-usagm\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":0},"title":"Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) rebranded as U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)","author":"Thomas","date":"August 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG\/USAGM Press Release) WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2018 Effective immediately, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent U.S. government agency that employs thousands of talented journalists, storytellers, and media professionals, is now the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The U.S. Agency for Global Media is a modern media\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","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\/2018\/08\/USAGM-Logo-1024x311.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/USAGM-Logo-1024x311.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/USAGM-Logo-1024x311.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10387,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/us-house-passes-h-r-4490\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":1},"title":"US House passes H.R. 4490","author":"Thomas","date":"July 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0United States International Communications Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 4490)\u00a0has just passed the the House today, next it will go before the US Senate. This bill proposes major changes to the overall structure of US international broadcasting. Click here to read previous posts about the bill\u00a0and read the press release\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","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":5291,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/radio-liberty-president-steve-korn-has-resigned-in-wake-of-closure\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":2},"title":"Radio Liberty President Steve Korn has resigned in wake of closure","author":"Thomas","date":"January 4, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: The Washington Post) American-financed Radio Liberty, which penetrated the Iron Curtain with news of the outside world during the Cold War, has been trying to join today\u2019s information revolution \u2014 and the static crackling around its efforts has been loud enough to reach Washington. The radio station, funded by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RFE-RadioLiberty","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/RFE-RadioLiberty1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":62398,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/usagm-shutdowns-a-roundup-of-reports-and-reactions\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":3},"title":"USAGM Shutdowns: A Roundup of Reports and Reactions","author":"Thomas","date":"March 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A Note to Our Readers: On the USAGM Shutdowns and Keeping the Conversation Respectful At the SWLing Post, we\u2019ve always strived to keep this space a safe haven \u2014 free from the divisive politics that so often cloud the media landscape. Our focus remains on sharing the joy of radio,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/VOA-Site-B-44-of-170.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/VOA-Site-B-44-of-170.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/VOA-Site-B-44-of-170.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/VOA-Site-B-44-of-170.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8819,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/bbg-tries-to-improve-employee-morale\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":4},"title":"BBG tries to improve employee morale","author":"Thomas","date":"February 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In December 2012, we posted a survey from\u00a0the 2012 edition of\u00a0The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government\u00a0by The Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte. The survey\u00a0indicated that the\u00a0Broadcasting Board of Governers (BBG) had been ranked in the\u00a0bottom five places to work in the federal government. According to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BBG-Logo","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":22545,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/breaking-news-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors-bbg\/","url_meta":{"origin":22769,"position":5},"title":"Breaking News: Beginning of the end of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)","author":"Thomas","date":"December 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor\u00a0Dan Robinson--former White House, Congressional and foreign correspondent for the Voice of America--who alerts us to a major development at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). Note that the BBG supervises the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, Radio y Television Marti, Radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Photo BBG)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/BBG-Broadcasting-Board-of-Governors.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22769","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=22769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22769\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}