{"id":9192,"date":"2014-04-05T08:11:55","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T12:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=9192"},"modified":"2014-04-05T08:23:39","modified_gmt":"2014-04-05T12:23:39","slug":"russian-clamps-down-on-us-media-us-to-increase-funding-for-rfevoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/04\/russian-clamps-down-on-us-media-us-to-increase-funding-for-rfevoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian “clamps down” on US media, US to increase funding for RFE\/VOA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Photo of Kremlin: (Julmin) (retouched by Surendil) via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

This morning, I noticed the following\u00a0press release<\/a> from the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG):<\/p>\n

Russia Clamps Down Further On U.S. International Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Broadcasting Board of Governors has condemned a recent decision by Russian authorities to cut off all remaining radio transmissions by U.S. international media in Russia.<\/p>\n

In a one-sentence letter dated March 21, Dmitry Kiselev, the director of the information agency Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today), stated that \u201cwe are not going to cooperate\u201d with the BBG\u2019s request to continue a long-standing contract for broadcasting on Russian soil. Effective at the end of March, this decision removes the last vestige of Voice of America programming \u2013 including news in Russian and English-language lessons \u2013 from a local frequency in Moscow (810 AM).<\/p>\n

\u201cMoscow has chosen to do the wrong thing and restrict free speech,\u201d said BBG Chairman Jeff Shell. \u201cThis is a fundamental value shared by many countries around the world. The BBG will continue to reach audiences in Russia through digital platforms and via satellite transmissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Distribution of VOA and RFE\/RL programming in Russia reached a high point in 2005, when VOA Russian programming was distributed on a nationwide television network and both VOA and RFE\/RL had extensive partnerships with domestic Russian radio stations. But starting in that year, the Russian government turned greater attention to these stations and asked them all to re-apply for their licenses. And beginning in 2006, by denying the licenses of the stations that re-applied and intimidating the others, Russian authorities systematically eliminated domestic radio distribution of BBG-supported programs and almost all television distribution. In 2012, Russian authorities forced RFE\/RL off its last remaining domestic radio outlet, an AM frequency in Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urge Mr. Kiselev and other Russian authorities to open Russian airwaves to more of our programs and those of other international broadcasters,\u201d Shell added. \u201cWe\u2019re asking for an even playing field: As Moscow\u2019s media crackdown deepens, Russian media \u2013 including Russia Today television, which is under Mr. Kiselev\u2019s authority \u2013 enjoy open access to the airwaves in the United States and around the world. The Russian people deserve the same freedom to access information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kiselev, known for his strident anti-Western and homophobic views on Russian state television, was appointed in December 2013 to lead Russia Today. At the same time the Voice of Russia and the RIA Novosti news agency were merged into Russia Today.<\/p>\n

The move also comes amid a fast-moving campaign to target opposition and independent media. Lists of \u201ctraitors\u201d have been circulating in Moscow, and pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov recently added RFE\/RL\u2019s Russian Service, Radio Liberty to his \u201clist of traitors\u201d on Facebook. In the same vein, politonline.ru, a part of the Pravda.ru media holding, has created Russia\u2019s first top-20 list of the most \u201canti-Russian\u201d news outlets. This list, which places Radio Liberty sixth, is being shared by influential Russian political advisors such as Alexander Dugin, who wrote on his Facebook page that \u201cthis is the order in which Russia\u2019s most contemptible media outlets will be closed or blocked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russians are increasingly turning to the Internet and social media for their news. VOA\u2019s digital strategy incorporates content across platforms. In addition to live interactives with domestic television channels, such as Russian Business Channel, VOA\u2019s web-TV show, Podelis, allows users to connect and engage with the content in real time using social media. Podelis, which means \u201cshare\u201d in Russian, provides a unique opportunity to engage in discussions about current events, Russian politics and U.S.-Russia relations. VOA\u2019s social media following in Russia has grown significantly and visits to VOA\u2019s website have doubled every year since 2008.<\/p>\n

Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty\u2019s Russian Service provides 24 hours of radio programming via the Internet and satellite, a website that was visited more than 6.5 million times in March, and a strong presence on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. RFE\/RL has started a multi-hour, daily video stream for Russia consisting of coverage of the most important events with reactions from Russian citizens as well as opinions from the West. The stream also includes live roundtable ?discussions and expert interviews on Russia.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On Wednesday,\u00a0BBG Watch<\/a><\/em>\u00a0posted an article with details about new legislation that would increase funding for Russian, Ukrainian and Tartar language services to “counter the propaganda that is supported by Russia.”<\/p>\n

Here’s a quote from a press release in their article<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“S. 2183 is international broadcasting legislation originally authored by Chairman [Ed] Royce (and included as Section 103 of the Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 4278) that the House passed last week). The legislation authorizes increased funding for Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America to enable them to expand their broadcasting in Russian, Ukrainian, and Tatar. This legislation requires the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to counter the propaganda that is supported by Russia and increase the number of reporters in eastern Ukraine. In addition, this legislation recognizes the threat to free media that neighboring states are under and bolsters the Balkan and Moldovan language services.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Is it me, or is this starting to feel like the Cold War again?<\/p>\n

I think the BBG would be wise to take a close look at the VOA Radiogram<\/a>. In this case, the target audience is highly computer literate and could easily decode VOA transmissions with a simple shortwave radio and free, open-source software.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning, I noticed the following\u00a0press release from the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG): Russia Clamps Down Further On U.S. International Media The Broadcasting Board of Governors has condemned a recent decision by Russian authorities to cut off all remaining radio transmissions by U.S. international media in Russia. In a one-sentence letter dated March […]<\/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":[56,960,3],"tags":[406,1090,936,2721,1528,1094,2093,682,2615,10,1718,84],"class_list":["post-9192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","tag-bbg","tag-bbg-watch","tag-broadcasting-board-of-governors","tag-crimea","tag-radio-liberty","tag-rfe","tag-russia","tag-russia-today","tag-ukraine","tag-voa","tag-voa-radiogram","tag-why-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-2og","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6991,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/victor-ashe-joins-cusib-after-leaving-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors\/","url_meta":{"origin":9192,"position":0},"title":"Victor Ashe joins CUSIB after leaving the Broadcasting Board of Governors","author":"Thomas","date":"August 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Without a doubt, Victor Ashe has championed US international broadcasting on the Broadcasting Board of Governors and has voiced his support for continued funding of the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station. He will now join The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting Advisory Board: (Source: CUSIB Press Release) The Committee for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Victor Ashe","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/BBG-member-Victor-Ashe.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2891,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/voa-self-censors-in-russian-elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":9192,"position":1},"title":"VOA self-censors in Russian elections","author":"Thomas","date":"March 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This interesting Op Ed piece\u00a0points out that VOA could be in violation of US Public Law 94-350 by adhering to Russian media law with VOA FM broadcasts in Moscow. Of course, shortwave broadcasts continue to report VOA un-censored news: (Source: Digital Journal) Voice of America and Radio Liberty, funded by\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\/2009\/11\/a999voalogo_2050081722-26491.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3377,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/bbg-watch-ashe-seeks-comments-on-u-s-international-broadcasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":9192,"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 "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\/2011\/06\/BBG-Logo-300x207.png?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":9192,"position":3},"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":7705,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/bbg-changes-us-shortwave-broadcasts-under-microscope\/","url_meta":{"origin":9192,"position":4},"title":"BBG changes: US shortwave broadcasts under microscope","author":"Thomas","date":"October 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It appears the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)--the bi-partisan board who oversees all international broadcasts generated by the US government--is making some changes to its structure. One of those changes will be the formation of a special committee to examine \"the efficacy of shortwave radio transmissions.\" See full press release\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"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":10412,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/bbg-publishes-report-on-the-efficacy-and-future-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":9192,"position":5},"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 "Broadcasters"","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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9192","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=9192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9192\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}