{"id":23008,"date":"2016-12-23T20:41:26","date_gmt":"2016-12-24T00:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=23008"},"modified":"2016-12-23T20:41:55","modified_gmt":"2016-12-24T00:41:55","slug":"farewell-firewall-kim-elliotts-take-on-what-the-ndaa-means-for-us-international-broadcasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/farewell-firewall-kim-elliotts-take-on-what-the-ndaa-means-for-us-international-broadcasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell, Firewall: Kim Elliott’s take on what the NDAA means for US international broadcasting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (Photo BBG)<\/p><\/div>\n

(Source: USC Center on Public Diplomacy<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n

Farewell, Firewall<\/h2>\n

Deep in the massive FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act is a provision to eliminate, in its present form, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors. The NDAA has been passed by the House and the Senate and is expected to be signed by President Obama. The BBG is the topmost authority of the elements of U.S. government-funded international broadcasting: Voice of America, Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio and TV Mart\u00ed, and the Arabic-language Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa. Together they broadcast in 61 languages.<\/p>\n

This BBG\u2019s demise eliminates the \u201cfirewall\u201d of a nine-person bipartisan board with fixed and staggered terms, and replaces it with one politically-appointed CEO. This change will have consequences.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, people around the world huddled around a shortwave radio to get news from abroad. Increasingly, they watch an international news channel via cable or satellite television, or access a foreign website or social media outlet. Whatever the medium used, the need for a credible alternative to domestic state-controlled media is the main reason international broadcasting has had an audience since the 1930s.<\/p>\n

Credibility is the essence of successful international broadcasting. The shortwave frequencies, satellite channels, and online media are full of propaganda, but serious news consumers seek out the news organizations that they trust.<\/p>\n

International broadcasting in languages such as Burmese or Hausa has little commercial potential. National governments must step in to provide the funding. The foremost challenge is to ensure that the journalism is independent from the governments that hold the purse strings.<\/p>\n

To achieve this, there is no substitute for a multipartisan governing board. Its main function is to appoint the senior managers of the broadcasting organization, so that politicians don\u2019t. This is how \u201cpublic service\u201d broadcasting corporations throughout the world, e.g. BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, maintain their independence.<\/p>\n

When a government is directly involved in the production of news, the results are generally deleterious. The outcome can be as extreme as the lies and distortions of German broadcasts before and during World War II. Or the output can be something like the stultifying commentaries that filled much of Radio Moscow\u2019s schedule during the Cold War. And, as can be observed by watching Russia\u2019s RT or China\u2019s CCTV News on cable TV, propaganda can also be manifest by emphasizing some topics, while downplaying or ignoring others<\/strong>.[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read Elliott’s full article on the USC Center on Public Diplomacy website…<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: USC Center on Public Diplomacy) Farewell, Firewall Deep in the massive FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act is a provision to eliminate, in its present form, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors. The NDAA has been passed by the House and the Senate and is expected to be signed by President Obama. The BBG is […]<\/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":true,"_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":[56,960,3,43],"tags":[5662,406,4111,989,1664,10,182],"class_list":["post-23008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-2017-national-defense-authorization-act-ndaa","tag-bbg","tag-international-broadcasting","tag-kim-andrew-elliott","tag-kim-elliott","tag-voa","tag-voice-of-america"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-5Z6","jetpack-related-posts":[{"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":23008,"position":0},"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":[]},{"id":23021,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/broadcasting-board-of-governors-reduced-to-advisory-status\/","url_meta":{"origin":23008,"position":1},"title":"Broadcasting Board of Governors reduced to advisory status","author":"Thomas","date":"December 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG Watch via Dan Robinson) President Barack Obama has signed into law S. 2943, the \u201cNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017,\u201d which includes a provision to reduce the Broadcasting Board of Governors\u2019 (BBG) governing board to an advisory status while making the BBG CEO position subject to\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\/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":19212,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/proposed-amendment-to-national-defense-authorization-act-calls-for-privatization-of-voa\/","url_meta":{"origin":23008,"position":2},"title":"Proposed amendment to National Defense Authorization Act calls for privatization of VOA","author":"Thomas","date":"May 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBG Watch via Andrea Borgnino) BBG Watch has learned that a proposed privatization of the U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA) is widely opposed by Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) federal employees, their union, the independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB \u2013 cusib.org), and numerous foreign policy and\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":5352,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/smith-mundt-act-eliminated-voa-free-to-broadcast-domestically\/","url_meta":{"origin":23008,"position":3},"title":"Smith-Mundt Act eliminated, VOA free to broadcast domestically","author":"Thomas","date":"January 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: VOA News) WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2014 Voice of America will soon be able to make its programs available to the U.S. public following passage of new legislation signed by President Obama Wednesday. The legislation, which is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, eliminates the longstanding ban on domestic distribution of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"voa logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/a999voalogo_2050081722-26491.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"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":23008,"position":4},"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":22769,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/washington-post-a-big-change-to-u-s-broadcasting-is-coming\/","url_meta":{"origin":23008,"position":5},"title":"Washington Post: “A big change to U.S. broadcasting is coming”","author":"Thomas","date":"December 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23008","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=23008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23008\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}