BBG rebrands as U.S. Agency for Global Media

Statement from CEO John F. Lansing on agency rebrand
by John F. Lansing August 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 organization, operating far beyond the traditional broadcast mediums of television and radio to include digital and mobile platforms. The term “broadcasting” does not accurately describe what we do. The new name reflects our modernization and forward momentum while honoring our enduring mission to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.

We recognize the overdue need to communicate the evolving, global scope of our work as well as our renewed, urgent focus on the agency’s global priorities, which reflect U.S. national security and public diplomacy interests. USAGM is an independent federal agency that provides accurate, professional, and objective news and information around-the-globe in a time of shifting politics, challenging media landscapes, and weaponized information. Our identity and name will now address these realities.

The decision to change our name was a result of thorough research and extensive consultation with numerous internal and external stakeholders, including the BBG Board of Governors, agency staff and leadership at all levels, the five networks, Congress, the Administration, and interagency colleagues.

As with the BBG, the U.S. Agency for Global Media encompasses five networks: the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Television and Radio Martí), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). These networks collectively reach an unduplicated weekly audience of 278 million people in 59 languages and in more than 100 countries. Insulated by a firewall from political influence, these networks will continue to deliver truth and professional journalism to people living in some of the world’s most closed societies.

Now more than ever, people around the world need access to the truth. USAGM continues to tell the truth, and illuminate the world like no other news organization in the world.
(John Lansing/U.S. Agency for Global Media)

Farewell, Firewall

by Kim Elliott
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 Martí, and the Arabic-language Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa. Together they broadcast in 61 languages.

This BBG’s demise eliminates the “firewall” of a nine-person bipartisan board with fixed and staggered terms, and replaces it with one politically-appointed CEO. This change will have consequences.

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.

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.

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.
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’t. This is how “public service” broadcasting corporations throughout the world, e.g. BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, maintain their independence.

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’s schedule during the Cold War. And, as can be observed by watching Russia’s RT or China’s CCTV News on cable TV, propaganda can also be manifest by emphasizing some topics, while downplaying or ignoring others.

I believe I had a role in the creation of the BBG 21 years ago. As an audience research analyst at VOA and a student of international broadcasting, I was concerned about the impact of politically appointed VOA directors on the VOA news service. I wrote about this in “Too Many Voices of America,” Foreign Policy, Winter 1989-90.

I was pleasantly surprised that the article sparked lively discussion. A House of Representatives hearing on the subject took place in 1990. Then a President’s Task Force on U.S. Government International Broadcasting was formed in 1991 and issued a report. This process culminated in the International Broadcasting Act of 1994, which created the BBG. The BBG began its work in 1995.
So, if I was not the father of the BBG, I was at least its crazy uncle.

For the most part, the BBG functioned well as a firewall. Most importantly, directors of VOA and presidents of RFE/RL were no longer appointed by the president, but by the BBG. When a new president was elected, those directors and presidents and their senior managers stayed on. There was no jarring change of the news agenda that the audiences for international broadcasting would notice.
Only an independent news organization can build the credibility needed to attract an audience. Audiences that seek out international broadcasting are seeking an antidote to the state-controlled media in their own countries. More state-controlled media is not the answer.

Nevertheless, among the employees of U.S. government international broadcasting, few tears will be shed for the passing of the BBG. The BBG had to make unpopular but necessary decisions. Veteran personnel with radio skills had to make room for new television and online talent. Language services of the Cold War era signed off while others, especially those serving Muslim nations, rose in priority.
With the new one-person oversight of U.S. international broadcasting, the pendulum that vexed VOA and the other entities before the 1990s begins to swing again. In the old days, some VOA directors were committed journalists, others were policy hawks. The latter imposed priorities on news output which conformed more to the administration’s agenda than to the tenets of journalism. This will eventually happen again with a presidentially appointed CEO.

The revision of the International Broadcasting Act does stipulate a three-year term for the CEO, so that, in theory, provides something of a buffer. There could be short-lived continuity when a new president is elected. When that term expires, a future president could, hypothetically speaking, have an unusual level of interest in the mass media, and might appoint a CEO with a peculiar notion of news.

The legislation also retains standards of journalism, e.g. the news “will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive.” The CEO, however, can interpret what is meant by that. There is no longer the moderating influence of a bipartisan board.

Why should the U.S. government fund a news organization if it cannot influence its content?

1) Only an independent news organization can build the credibility needed to attract an audience. Audiences that seek out international broadcasting are seeking an antidote to the state-controlled media in their own countries. More state-controlled media is not the answer.
2)  Independence enables the balance that builds trust in a news organization. VOA began broadcasting in 1942 with the famous words, “The news may be good or bad, we shall tell you the truth.” To radio listeners in Europe, VOA and BBC reported the many Allied losses early in the war. They were therefore believed when reporting Allied victories later in the war.
3) Well and fully informed audiences are bolstered against disinformation, information, and what we now call the fake news of dictators and terrorists and other international miscreants. These audiences are better equipped to form their own opinions about current events.
4) An unfettered news service supports U.S. interests in the long term. If U.S. policies are wise and virtuous, fully informed audiences, will, in the long term, understand the reasoning behind U.S. international conduct.
5) It speaks well of the United States that it is providing the news service that many people around the world rely on. It will alienate publics abroad if the United States provides a news-like product that is actually propaganda.

With the resumption of the swinging pendulum, it is only a matter of time until a future CEO of U.S. international broadcasting cleans house in its newsrooms. The change of tone will be apparent to audiences abroad. Credibility can be lost in a matter of weeks. It will take decades to restore.
(courtesy of Kim Elliott)

Voice of America winter schedule update

Schedule should be effective to 25 March when the summer schedules begin.

Voice of America

All times UTC

Afaan Oromoo
1730-1800 on 9320 9485 9860 11905 13625 Mon-Fri

Albanian
0600-0630 on 5945
1700-1730 on 7235
1930-2000 on 7235

Amharic
1530-1600 on 1431 Mon-Fri
1800-1900 on 9320 9485 9860 11905 13625

Arabic to North Africa "Radio Sawa"
0400-1645 on 990 1170 1548
1645-0400 on 990 1170 1431 1548

Arabic to Sudan "Afia Darfur"
0300-0330 on 5885 7275 9845
1800-1830 on 9805 11615 11975
1900-1930 on 9780 9815 11975

Azeri
1830-1900 on 6040 7315 9440

Bangla
1600-1700 on 1575 7405 9915

Burmese
0000-0030 on 1575 7430 9325 12120
0130-0300 on 12120 15115 17780
1130-1230 on 11965 15555 17850
1430-1500 on 1575 9325 11965 12120
1500-1530 on 9325 11965 12120
1500-1530 on 1575 Sat/Sun
1530-1600 on 1575 9355 11560
1600-1630 on 9355 11560
2300-0000 on 7430 9325 12120

Cantonese
1300-1500 on 1170 7390 9705

Chinese
0000-0100 on 7495 9545 11925 15125 15385 17645
0900-1000 on 9845 11720 11855 12120 13650 13765 15670 21590
1000-1100 on 9530 9845 11720 12120 13650 13765 15670 21590
1100-1200 on 9530 9825 11720 12045 13650 15670
1200-1300 on 6045 9530 9825 11635 12045 15110
1300-1400 on 6045 7295 7525 9530 9825 11635 12045
1400-1500 on 6105 7295 7525 9390 9785 9825
2200-2300 on 6045 7440 9545 9755 9875 11925

Dari "Radio Ashna"
0130-0230 on 1296 7560 9335
1530-1630 on 1296 9770 9975 12140
1730-1830 on 1296 5780 7560 9440
1930-2030 on 1296 5780 7560

English to Europe, Middle East, and North Africa
0100-0130 on 1593
0130-0200 on 1593 Tue-Sat
1500-1600 on 11840 13570
2000-2100 on 7470 9480 Mon-Fri

English to Africa
0300-0400 on 909 1530 4930 6080 9885 15580
0400-0430 on 909 1530 4930 4960 6080 9885 15580
0430-0500 on 909 4930 4960 6080 9885 15580
0500-0600 on 909 4930 6080 9885 15580
0600-0700 on 909 1530 6080 9885 15580
1400-1500 on 4930 6080 15580 17650 17715
1500-1600 on 4930 6080 15580 17715 17895
1600-1700 on 909 1530 4930 6080 15580 17895
1700-1800 on 6080 13635 15580 17895
1800-1830 on 6080 13635 15580
1800-1830 on 909 4930 Sat/Sun
1830-1900 on 909 4930 6080 13635 15580
1900-2000 on 909 4930 4940 6080 15580
2000-2030 on 909 1530 4930 4940 6080 15580
2030-2100 on 909 1530 4930 6080 15580
2030-2100 on 4940 Sat/Sun
2100-2200 on 1530 6080 15580

English to Sudan " South Sudan in Focus"
1630-1700 on 9790 11905 13635 Mon-Fri

English to Zimbabwe "Studio 7"
1730-1800 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Mon-Thu
1810-1820 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri
1720-1740 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri-Sun
1840-1850 on 909 12080 15775 Fri

English to Afghanistan
2030-0030 on 1296 7560

English to Far East Asia, South Asia and Oceania
0030-0100 on 1575 6170 9325 9490 9715 11695 11730 15185 15205 15290
0100-0200 on 7325 9435 11705
1100-1200 on 1575 Sat/Sun
1200-1300 on 1170 7575 9640 11700 11750 12150
1300-1400 on 7575 9640 9760 11700 12150 Sat/Sun
1400-1500 on 7575 9760 12150 Mon-Fri
1500-1600 on 7575 9930 12150
2200-2300 on 5840 7365 7425 7570 11860 Sun-Thu
2230-2400 on 1575 Fri/Sat
2300-2400 on 5840 5895 7365 7460 7480 7570 9490 11840 11860

English-Special
0000-0030 on 1593
0030-0100 on 1575 1593 6170 9325 9490 9715 11695 11730 12005 15185
15205 15290
0130-0200 on 1593 5960 7465 Tue-Sat
1500-1600 on 6140 7465 7520 9760 9945
1600-1700 on 9395 13600 15470
1600-1700 on 1170 Mon-Fri
1900-2000 on 7480 9590
2230-2300 on 5810 7545 9570

French to Africa
0530-0600 on 1530 4960 6020 9480 12060 Mon-Fri
0600-0630 on 4960 6020 9480 12060 Mon-Fri
1100-1130 on 11915 13735 15620 17850 Sat
1830-1900 on 1530 15225 15620
1900-2000 on 1530 12080 15225
2000-2030 on 9780 9815 12080 15225 15620
2030-2100 on 9775 9815 12080 15225 Sat/Sun
2100-2130 on 9435 9680 9780 9815 Mon-Fri

Georgian
1600-1700 on 7390 11840
1700-1800 on 9760 11840

Hausa
0500-0530 on 1530 4960 6020 6035
0700-0730 on 4960 12070 13780 17680
1500-1530 on 9780 11860 17650
2030-2100 on 4940 6035 9690 11860 11885 Mon-Fri

Khmer
1330-1430 on 1575 9325 11965
2200-2230 on 1575 6060 7260 9435

Kinyarwanda/Kirundi
0330-0430 on 7340 9400 9540
1600-1630 on 11750 13740 15730 Sat

Korean
1200-1500 on 1188 5890 7235 9555
1900-2100 on 648 5835 6060 7420

Kurdish
0500-0600 on 7390 9690 9760
1400-1500 on 1593 11840 11880 13580
1700-1800 on 7480 9655 11820
2000-2100 on 1593

Laotian
1230-1300 on 1575 9810 11965

Ndebele to Zimbabwe "Studio 7"
1800-1830 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Mon-Thu
1820-1830 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri
1850-1900 on 909 12080 15775 Fri
1740-1800 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri-Sun

Pashto "Radio Ashna"
0030-0130 on 1296 5925 7560
1430-1530 on 1296 9335 12140 13835
1630-1730 on 1296 9770 9975 12140
1830-1930 on 1296 5780 7560

Pashto "Deewa Radio"
0100-0400 on 621 9370 9380 11895
1300-1500 on 621 7455 7495 9370 9565
1500-1900 on 621 5835 7455 7495 9370

Persian
0230-0330 on 7265 9440 9495

Portuguese to Africa
1000-1030 on 11915 17850 Sat/Sun
1630-1700 on 9880 15670 17655 Fri
1700-1800 on 1530 9880 15670 17655
1800-1830 on 1530 9880 15670 17655 Mon-Fri

Shona to Zimbabwe "Studio 7"
1700-1730 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Mon-Thu
1800-1810 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri
1830-1840 on 909 12080 15775 Fri
1700-1720 on 909 4930 12080 15775 Fri-Sun

Somali
0330-0400 on 11780 13745 15620
1300-1400 on 13580 15620
1600-1630 on 1431 13580 15620 Sat/Sun
1630-1800 on 13580 15620

Spanish
0030-0200 on 5890 9885 12000 Tue-Sat
1300-1400 on 9885 13750 15590

Spanish "Radio Marti"
0000-0300 on 1080 6030 7365 9825
0300-0400 on 1080 6030 7365 7405
0400-0500 on 1080 6030 7365 7405 Tue-Sun
0500-0700 on 1080
0700-1000 on 1080 5980 6030 Tue-Sun
1000-1100 on 1080 5980 6030
1100-1200 on 1080 5745 5980 6030
1200-1300 on 1080 5745 5980 7405
1300-1400 on 1080 5745 7405 11930
1400-2000 on 1080 11930 13820 15330
2000-2200 on 1080 9565 11930 13820
2200-2400 on 1080 6030 7405 9565

Swahili
1630-1730 on 13740 15265 15730

Tibetan
0000-0100 on 5980 7255 9645
0300-0600 on 15560 17860 21570
1400-1500 on 7255 7280 9315 9670
1600-1700 on 7530 7560 11920

Tigrigna
1900-1930 on 9320 9485 9860 11905 13625 Mon-Fri

Urdu "Radio Aap ki Dunyaa"
0100-0200 on 972 1539 9520 12020
1400-1500 on 972 1539 7480 11675
1500-0100 on 972 1539

Uzbek
1500-1530 on 801 5930 6105 9575 11640

Vietnamese
1300-1330 on 1575
1500-1600 on 1170
(Ivo Ivanov)
(DX Re Mix # 720 via Alokesh Gupta, India)

BBG set to drop Tibetan and Cantonese services from VOA

BBG Ready to Drop the Axe on Cantonese and Tibetan Services

By Ann Noonan
March 5, 2012 6:00 A.M.
In December 2011, the Broadcasting Board of Governors issued a proclamation in observance of Voice of America’s 70th anniversary of Mandarin and Cantonese Services, boasting: “Mandarin and Cantonese language services have been key components of U.S. international broadcasting for all these 70 years and have brought news to China where the free flow of information is restricted.” A copy of their proclamation is available on the BBG website.

On December 6, with bipartisan support from senators and congressmen who signed a resolution to keep VOA China alive, the VOA China Branch celebrated its 70th anniversary at a festive reception in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill. Attendees also celebrated the exemplary work of both the VOA Mandarin and Cantonese Services in bringing news and information to the people of China over the past decades.

Additional story at National Review:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/292542/bbg-ready-drop-ax-cantonese-and-tibetan-services-ann-noonan

Voice of America revamps programs to Haiti

Washington, D.C. — October 3, 2011 —

Voice of America’s Creole Service updates its lineup of programs to Haiti this week, with new segments focused on engaging its increasingly youthful audience and examining critical issues including the economy, health, public safety and education.

Each weekday, three one-hour radio programs will bring the latest news and information to the Caribbean nation and discuss key issues with experts. Two of the programs are call-in shows that will provide listeners with a forum to question studio guests and politicians every Wednesday and Friday at noon. On weekends, listeners can tune in to two new half-hour programs each day.

Monday, the Creole Service spoke with Dr. Wiener Bastien, a Miami-based physician who discussed ways to treat blindness and offered advice to mothers on how they can protect their children from developing eye problems. Coming programs will focus on the rebuilding of key Haitian institutions, including the education and judicial systems, which are still struggling following the deadly earthquake in January of 2010.

VOA Creole Service Chief Ronald Cesar says the new programs “are aimed at giving voice to Haitians as they rebuild the country and will address critical issues facing young people, who now make up about half the country’s population.” In addition, Cesar says the service will take advantage of social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, to will allow the audience to share ideas and contribute to the programs. Segments on personal safety and food safety are also planned.

The one-hour weekday programs air at 7:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 5:00 PM. The weekend shows air at 12:30 and 5:00 PM. Voice of America programs are carried by AM and FM affiliate stations in Haiti and are streamed on the Internet.
(VOA)

Voice of America's Chinese radio service to go silent

Radio Silence in China: VOA Abandons the Airwaves

On October 1, 2011, Voice of America’s (VOA) Chinese radio service will go silent, as U.S. international broadcasting abandons the airwaves and moves to the Internet. In the burgeoning age of new media, many, including the management at Voice of America, seem to be questioning the continued relevance of shortwave radio. Yet, while the Internet offers great potential, U.S. public diplomacy cannot rest exclusively on the use of a single platform. This is particularly true where the prevalence of Internet censorship is high. Just this past May, China announced the creation of its State Internet Information Office, intended to expand and enhance China’s information dissemination policy, and leading many to question whether abandoning the airwaves is truly the best way to reach America’s audiences throughout the world. On May 25, 2011, three expert panelists—the senior editor at VOA’s China branch, the CEO of Continental Electronics Corporation, and VOA’s former director—discussed the current U.S. strategy for its international broadcasting.

HUCHEN ZHANG, Senior Editor, Voice of America China Branch: My name is Huchen Zhang; I’ve been working at Voice of America’s (VOA) China branch for 20 years. I’m speaking to you today as a professional journalist and private citizen. What I’m going to say are my personal observations and opinions. They do not represent the official policy of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), or VOA.

Additional story in detail at: The Heritage Foundation
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Lecture/2011/09/Radio-Silence-in-China-VOA-Abandons-the-Airwaves

Iranian Cyber Army Claims Credit for Cyber Attack

Iranian Cyber Army Claims Credit for Cyber Attack on VOA and Interference of U.S. International Broadcasting Increases

The Iranian Cyber Army has taken credit for a cyber attack on the Voice of America, according to reports by Iranian state media outlets Press TV and Fars News Service. VOA suffered a web Domain Name System (DNS) attack, while VOA’s Persian News Network (PNN) and RFE Radio Farda programs have faced increased satellite signal interference, and RFE faced a “denial of service attack” on its telephone systems in an effort to keep Iranians from contacting Radio Farda.

As popular protests unfold across the Middle East and audiences for U.S. international broadcasting surge, efforts to interfere with the networks have increased.

“Our broadcasters are at the forefront of reporting the most tumultuous events we have seen unfold since 1989,” said Walter Isaacson, chair of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) which oversees all U.S. international broadcasting including the Alhurra TV, VOA and RFE. “It is a testament to their vital role that they are subject to the work of hackers and signal interference.”

On Monday, February 21, an unknown party hacked the Voice of America’s primary domain name (VOANews.com), and other related domains, redirecting visitors to a website claiming to be run by a group called the “Iranian Cyber Army.” Yesterday, Iran’s Press TV reported a statement by Ali Saeedi Shahroodi, an official with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming, “The hacking of a VOA homepage by the Iranian Cyber Army … shows the power and capability of the Corps (IRGC) in the cyber arena.” Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency also credited the Iranian Cyber Army, in a February 22 report, explaining that the attack was in response to VOA’s reporting on events in Iran.

The attack did not affect internal systems or servers, nor was any data lost or compromised. The BBG is working with appropriate authorities to investigate further.

“There's a saying that a hit dog hollers - that can be applied to whoever tried to cut off access to VOA News by attacking the domain provider on Monday. The fact that the sites were redirected to the Iranian Cyber Army certainly raises an eyebrow or two,” said Dana Perino, a member of the BBG. “Technology is chipping away at the stranglehold on free and fair information inside Iran. VOA and RFE are strongly committed to providing the news at it happens in a variety of ways so that every Iranian that can get access to the free media can benefit from our journalists' reporting.”

Last week RFE’s Radio Farda faced a variation of a “denial of service” attack on its phone lines with a flood of automated calls aiming to clog its answering machines. Calls played just over one minute of a looped recording of speeches and sermons in Persian before hanging up.

Since February 13, there has been intermittent but frequent interference of VOA PNN and Radio Farda satellite signals with programming in Persian for audiences in Iran.

As of the morning of February 21, there has been a continuous service interruption on one satellite channel carrying VOA’s PNN. PNN is carried on three other satellite paths as well as online, including its popular TV satire, “Parazit.” Millions of the show’s fans use proxy servers to access the program through social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. Similarly, Radio Farda's website has seen an approximate 50 percent increase in web traffic over the past two weeks.
(Leticia King/BBG)

Radio Free Afghanistan B10 schedule

This is an updated version from an earlier edition I had published in Monitoring Times, MT ExPress.
Gayle VH

Radio Free Afghanistan is funded by BBG, and broadcast for listeners in Afghanistan. Launched in January 2001, it is produced in the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty studio in Prague, Czech Republic.

All times UTC
all broadcast targeted to Asia

Dari
0330-0400 9335as
0400-0430 9335as 12140as 15335as
0530-0600 12140as 17530as 19010as
0600-0630 12140as 17530as 19010as
0730-0800 12140as 17530as 19010as
0800-0830 12140as 17530as 19010as
0930-1000 12140as 17530as 19010as
1000-1030 12140as 17530as 19010as
1130-1200 9335as 9990as 12140as
1200-1230 9335as 9990as 12140as
1330-1400 9335as 12140as
1400-1430 9335as 12140as

Pashto
0230-0300 9335as 12140as 15335as
0300-0330 9335as 12140as 15335as
0430-0500 12140as 15335as 17530as
0500-0530 12140as 15335as 17530as
0630-0700 12140as 17530as 19010as
0700-0730 12140as 17530as 19010as
0830-0900 12140as 17530as 19010as
0900-0930 12140as 17530as 19010as
1030-1100 9990as 12140as 19010as
1100-1130 9990as 12140as 19010as
1230-1300 9335as 9990as 12140as
1300-1330 9335as 9990as 12140as
(WRTH 2011)

Radio Farda schedule update

Schedule update - Radio Farda
www.radiofarda.com

Effective to: 27 March 2011
Programming for listeners in Iran, launched in December 20002. Does not broadcast in English


All times UTC / as (Asia)

Farsi
000-0100 5860as 6115as
0100-0200 5860as 6115as
0200-0230 9430as
0200-0300 5860as 6115as
0230-0300 9430as 9550as 15690as
0300-0400 5860as 9430as 9550as 15690as
0400-0500 5860as 9430as 9550as 13615as 15690as
0430-0500 12015as
0500-0600 5860as 9520as 12015as 13615as 15690as
0600-0700 5860as 9520as 13615as 15535as 15690as 17840as
0700-0800 5860as 9520as 9760as 13615as 15535as 15690as 17840as 21715as
0800-0900 5860as 9520as 9760as 13615as 15535as 15690as 17840as 21715as
0900-0930 15535as 21715as
0900-1000 5860as 9520as 13615as 15690as 17815as 17840as
0930-1000 11690as 21715as
1000-1030 17840as
1000-1100 5860as 9520as 11690as 13615as 15690as 17815as 21715as
1030-1100 17840as
1100-1200 5860as 9520as 11690as 13615as 15410as 15690as 17840as 21715as
1200-1230 17840as 21715as
1200-1300 5860as 13615as 15410as 15690as
1230-1300 13680as
1300-1400 5860as 11750as 13615as 13680as 15410as 15690as
1400-1500 11750as 13615as 13680as 15410as
1500-1600 13615as 13680as 15410as
1600-1700 7520as 7580as 13615as
1700-1730 13615as
1700-1800 7520as 7580as 9785as
1800-1900 7520as 7580as 9850as
1900-2000 7520as 7580as 9340as 9850as
1930-2000 5850as
2000-2100 5850as 7520as 7580as 9430as
2100-2130 9340as
2100-2200 5850as 7520as 7580as
2200-2230 5850as
2200-2300 7520as 7580as
2230-0000 5810as
2300-0000 7520as
(WRTH 2011)

Frequency changes from IBB

The following frequency changes have been released from IBB. Transmitters are from Botswana, Germany, Kuwait, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

IBB is under the supervision of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). The IBB (International Broadcasting Bureau) provides engineering and administrative support for U.S. government funded non-military international broadcast service.

All times UTC NF new frequency

Radio Liberty
0230-0330 NF 15680 KWT 250 kW 070 deg, ex 12140 KWT Pashto-Radio Free AFG
0330-0400 NF 11635 BIB 100 kW 088 deg, addit. freq. Persian-Radio Farda
1400-1500 NF 15530 LAM 100 kW 077 deg, ex 12055 LAM Tajik, re-ex 11895
1500-1600 NF 15555 WER 250 kW 075 deg, ex 7260 WER Turkmen
1600-1700 NF 15555 WER 250 kW 075 deg, ex 11975 LAM Turkmen
1600-1700 NF 11975 LAM 100 kW 075 deg, ex 6060 WER Uzbek
1700-1800 NF 5990 BIB 100 kW 083 deg, ex 7260 LAM Russian
1700-1800 NF 15490 BIB 100 kW 085 deg, ex 5905 BIB Russian-Caucasus Echo
1800-1830 NF 9760 LAM 100 kW 104 deg, addit. freq. Persian-Radio Farda

Voice of America
0130-0230 NF 11565 KWT 250 kW 070 deg, ex 12140 KWT Dari-Radio Ashna
1400-1500 on 15530 BIB 100 kW 085 deg, cancelled >> English, see below
1400-1500 on 17740 BOT 100 kW 010 deg, cancelled >> English, see below
1400-1500 on 15200 BIB 100 kW 075 deg, cancelled >> Tibetan - Tu/Th/Sa/Su
1400-1500 on 15425 BIB 100 kW 075 deg, cancelled >> Tibetan - Mon/Wed/Fri
1500-1530 NF 9415 PHL 250 kW 315 deg, ex 9670# UDO Uzbek, # to avoid VOR
1630-1700 on 9675 NAU 250 kW 150 deg, Mon-Fri, new English "Sudan in Focus"
1630-1700 on 12015*WER 250 kW 150 deg, Mon-Fri, new English "Sudan in Focus"
1630-1700 on 13825 WER 250 kW 150 deg, Mon-Fri, new English "Sudan in Focus"
1730-1830 NF 11565 IRA 250 kW 340 deg, ex 7595 IRA Dari-Radio Ashna
1830-1930 NF 9335 UDO 250 kW 304 deg, ex 7595 UDO Pashto-Radio Ashna
1930-2030 NF 9335 UDO 250 kW 304 deg, ex 7595 UDO Dari-Radio Ashna
2000-2100 on 5970 LAM 100 kW 108 deg, Mon-Fri, new English, ex 1400-1500
2000-2100 on 9480 UDO 250 kW 300 deg, Mon-Fri, new English, ex 1400-1500
* Interference from Voice of Korea in German on 12014.6v kHz.
(R BULGARIA DX MIX News, Ivo Ivanov, via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Oct 13)
(DX Mix News # 646, wb, Germany & Ivo Ivanov)

Politicans and press react to proposed VOA Greenville closure

The plan by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to close its last remaining shortwave transmitting station in the mainland US, Greenville B, has already caused concern amongst local press and politicians. The local newspaper covering Pitt County, in which the station is located, is The Daily Reflector. It quotes BBG spokesperson Letitia King as saying “Closing the location should save the agency $3.1 million. Obviously in this budget environment we are faced with difficult choices in balancing competing policy priorities with available budget resources. The broadcasting bureau has other resources available that can deliver the programming transmitted from Pitt County.”

Twenty-three people work at the site. Ms King said she did not know when the proposed closure would occur because the budget has not been approved. According to US Representative Walter Jones Jr’s office, it won’t be approved until the appropriations committee reviews it, and that still is some time away. Mr Jones, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Pitt County, says “The justification that we have received for the closing of the Greenville Voice of America site is very thin. We need to get to the bottom of this before any further action is taken.”

US Represenative G K Butterfield, D-N.C, whose 1st Congressional District also includes Pitt County, said “Before considering cuts at the site in Greenville, it is important to be sure the services and past investment are being protected.”

Ms King said: “Shortwave broadcasts from Greenville have decreased over the past five to six years as shortwave demand has decreased. While collecting data from Cuba is difficult, the agency knows only one percent of Haiti’s population listens to shortwave radio”. She added that AM radio signals also are more reliable for reaching Cuba.
(Source: The Daily Reflector/R Netherlands Media Network)

Voice of America cuts in Obama's proposed 2011 savings
The 2011 Budget proposal would eliminate VOA Croatian and Greek language broadcasts. As proposed in 2010 and accepted by the Congress, VOA Hindi will cease broadcasting in 2010; these savings are also reflected in the funding summary. While the overall funding level for VOA is increasing from 2010, funding related to these language services within VOA will be eliminated. These reductions help to offset the total funds needed in 2011 to support ongoing programming and new priority needs. … Each year, BBG undertakes an assessment of each language in which the BBG entities broadcast, fulfilling a congressional mandate to ‘review, evaluate, and determine, at least annually, after consultation with the Secretary of State, the addition or deletion of language services.’” Terminations, Reductions, and Savings document of President Obama’s FY 2011 budget,
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

BBG statement on interference of broadcast to Iran

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) says it condemns the latest efforts of the Iranian Government and its associates to interfere and censor the free flow of objective news and information to the Iranian people. By monitoring satellite signals, BBG’s technical experts have determined that on 27 December, the Government of Iran engaged in the intentional jamming of satellite transmissions of the Voice of America’s (VOA) Persian News Network and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Radio Farda.

The BBG says “these efforts continue a pattern by the Iranian Government to block the broadcasting of objective and balanced news and information to the Iranian people, efforts which the Government of Iran has amplified since the June 12 Iranian elections. As Iranian citizens once again demonstrate against the current government, Iran has stepped up its measures to ensure that the Iranian people are deprived of the international reaction, as well as of accurate news about the protests taking place in various cities in Iran.”

The BBG says that these latest actions of the Iranian government in jamming commercial satellites appear calculated to intimidate the commercial satellite providers that are targets of the jamming into complicity with the actions of the Government of Iran and deprive the Iranian people access to free press and information.

“Private industry is an essential partner in freedom of the press. We urge our satellite partners to stand united in the face of these authoritarian acts or risk even greater human rights losses,” BBG Governor D Jeffrey Hirschberg said. “This type of intentional, harmful interference is not only a violation of the rules of the International Telecommunications Union to which the Government of Iran has subscribed, but is also a flagrant violation of the internationally recognized right of the people of Iran to receive news and information without government censorship.”

The BBGs calls to the Iranian Mission to the UN for comment have not been returned.
(Source: Broadcasting Board of Governors/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Antenna boost for BBG

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has awarded Thomson for the supply of a rotatable shortwave antenna system for their Kuwait station. The new system will enhance the coverage and flexibility and provide for reduction in maintenance and operating costs.

Scope of supply includes design, delivery and installation of the rotatable shortwave antenna type HP-RCA 2/2 (High Performance Rotatable Curtain Array), including high band and low band antenna, rigid dipole, balun, foundation design and service works.

The design of the new rotatable shortwave antenna is based on the Thomson rotatable curtain array 4/4. The 2/2 system is optimized for near distant coverage up to 4000 km in analog AM or digital DRM modes and features highest flexibility (rotatable system), high antenna gain, cost-efficient operation and low life cycle costs due to easy maintainability.

BBG is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S. government. BBG has a good customer relationship with Thomson, based on a long history of past performance in strategic broadcast projects.

(Radio News via Rachel Baughn)

RFE/RL begins broadcast from new Prague headquarters

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) began a new chapter in its long and distinguished history yesterday when Radio Free Iraq broadcast its first program from RFE/RL’s recently completed Prague headquarters. The broadcast was the first step in relocating all of RFE/RL’s more than 500 Prague-based employees to the facility in Hagibor, ten minutes from the city centre.
The five-story, 236,000 sq/ft broadcast centre features multimedia recording studios, interlinking offices, and a modern newsroom. It is also energy-efficient and one of the most secure buildings in Europe.
“Our new home is tailor-made to meet the needs of a 21st century media organization,” said RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin. “It allows us to stay ahead of the technological curve as we broadcast news and information to many places where authorities are hostile to free and independent media.”
Steve Simmons of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all US international broadcasting including RFE/RL, credited a number of partners for the successful completion of the project. “We could not have done this without the crucial support of the Czech government, the US Congress, and the US embassy in Prague,” he said. “The BBG is delighted that RFE/RL employees, who broadcast in 28 languages to 20 countries via radio, TV, and the Internet, will now have a state-of-the-art headquarters to meet their needs.”
The building was constructed by Paris-based Orco Property Group and designed by the architectural firm Cigler Marani. RFE/RL is leaving its home of 15 years, the former Czechoslovak communist parliament building, which is being turned over to the National Museum.
(Source: RFE/RL/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

BBG expands VOA's Georgian broadcast

The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has implemented ’surge broadcasting’ in Georgian in response to the continuing crisis in the breakaway province of South Ossetia. News and information from the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reaches audiences in Georgia via shortwave radio, in-country FM broadcasts, television, and the Internet.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) added an additional hour of radio programming in Georgian for a total of four hours each day beginning August 11, 2008. Programs are now broadcast both via local FM and shortwave. RFE/RL continues to provide first-hand accounts of events from journalists on the ground including continuous live blog updates from the city of Gori tracking Russia’s actions following its pledge to withdraw military forces. RFE/RL also provides a one-hour weekly television program via Georgian Public Broadcasting.
On 9 August, 2008, the Voice of America’s (VOA) Georgian broadcasts increased to one hour from a half-hour daily in the wake of fighting between Georgia and Russia. Broadcasts, including reports from inside the country, are carried on an FM network as well as on shortwave radio. As of yesterday, the programme are repeated on shortwave at 1700-1800 UTC [no frequencies listed on VOA website at time of this posting]. News in Georgian is also available on the Internet at www.VOANews.com/Georgian.
The Administration’s FY 2008 budget, as approved by Congress, provided that all BBG broadcasting to Georgia was to be done by RFE/RL after September 30, 2008. However, given the critical nature of events in Georgia, this week the BBG approved continuation of VOA Georgian surge broadcasts for the foreseeable future.
(Source: Broadcasting Board of Governors/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

BBG seeking contractor for Kuwait shortwave expansion project

The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), has a requirement for a contractor to design and construct a new building addition and associated facilities for Government-furnished shortwave transmitters and related equipment at an IBB transmitting site in Kuwait. The solicitation is expected to be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website on or about 14 August, 2008.
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Additional details at www.fbodaily.com/archive/2008/07-July/31-Jul-2008/FBO-01625392.htm