BBG seeks feedback on future of shortwave

Shortwave radio has been a mainstay of U.S. international media since the 1940s.  Over time, however, the number of countries in which shortwave is the medium of choice for audiences overseas has been shrinking.  In many places, people are increasingly turning to other means to get news and information – including but not limited to FM radio, satellite television, web sites, social media, and their mobile phones.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent federal government agency that oversees U.S. civilian international media, has been adjusting to these changes over the years and now delivers news and information programs on a wider variety of platforms in more languages than any other media organization.  To support its commitment of reaching audiences on their preferred media, the Board recently established a Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Radio Broadcasting, which has been conducting a thorough review of the agency’s use of shortwave radio as a distribution platform, the associated costs, and the likely reliance on it by next-generation audiences.

This Committee is now seeking feedback from external experts and stakeholders on their perspectives on the role of shortwave radio broadcasting as a BBG distribution platform. We are particularly interested to hear views that consider the evolving media consumption of target audiences, changing access to shortwave and other platforms, and the need to prioritize in an austere federal budget environment.

The BBG is committed to sustaining shortwave broadcasting to regions where a critical need for the platform remains.

The Shortwave Committee has held two meetings focused on the shortwave audience’s listening experience, the BBG networks’ success in reaching target audiences, the role of shortwave in the networks’ engagement strategies in various markets, the cost of operating shortwave transmitting facilities, and the BBG’s research into how shortwave is being used and its impact on audiences.

Your input will better inform the Committee’s recommendations and could help shape its comprehensive report to the plenary Board.

Please contribute questions, comments or suggestions via e-mail to ShortwaveCommittee@bbg.gov by March 14, 2014.  To facilitate the review process, please limit your submission to 1200 words or fewer.  All comments may be reprinted as part of the Committee’s proceedings and may be made public.

The news and information provided by our networks helps bring the light of truth to some of the darkest corners of the world.  By supporting the free flow of news and information, including combatting Internet censorship and providing news and information tailored for specific audiences, developing local media, and creating access to global media, we purposefully support the freedom to speak, the freedom to listen, and the freedom of expression.

If you are aware of anyone with special interest in this topic, I encourage you to share this request with them.

Thank you for your interest in taking part in this process to help the BBG become more efficient and effective in supporting U.S. national security and foreign policy.

Sincerely,

Matthew C Armstrong
Chairman
BBG Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting
(Kim Elliott/NASWA)

BBG Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2012

The President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012, sent to the Congress today, includes $767 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an increase of 2.5 percent from the FY 2011 full year Continuing Resolution level. The proposed funding reflects the importance of ongoing U.S. international broadcasting to critical audiences as well as technical infrastructure to support modern multimedia operations.

“The BBG is continuing to modernize across a range of communications platforms to be effective in the 21st century media environment,” said Walter Isaacson, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. “As we continue our strategic review of U.S. international broadcasting, we will be seeking to introduce greater innovations and improvements in order to meet the challenges of our mission.”

The FY 2012 budget request continues to fund the operations of the BBG networks of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio and TV Marti, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), which distribute programming via radio, TV, the Internet, and an increasing array of new media to over 100 countries. Through its global transmission network, the BBG delivers news to countries without independent media, engages audiences and promotes dialogue through interactive programs, reaches people in conflict and crisis, and combats Internet censorship.

The FY 2012 budget request supports ongoing programming as well as funding to:
*enhance the Agency’s global satellite transmission infrastructure
*initiate a global news-sharing network
*roll out new media technologies across the Agency
*ensure broadcast disaster recovery capabilities
*expand efforts to move VOA to an all-digital broadcast platform

The FY 2012 budget request proposes a number of reductions. They include: *restructuring broadcasting to China by realigning resources to implement a cost-effective and market-specific strategy
*eliminating VOA broadcasts to Croatia
*optimizing the BBG’s worldwide transmission network
*finding efficiencies within current operations
(VOA)

Middle East Broadcast Playing a Crucial Role

Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman Walter Isaacson released the following statement concerning coverage of recent events in the Middle East:

“As Chairman of the BBG, I have been regularly updated on developments across the Middle East by our Arabic-language broadcasters Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa. I am impressed by the results, and the commitment from the reporters, editors and managers at MBN to consistently uphold the highest journalistic standards, to compete with other outlets to get the story first, to get it accurately, and to provide the rich content the public deserves. They are playing a crucial role in reporting the developing story by providing live coverage from Cairo and other key cities, pre-empting regularly scheduled programming to cover breaking news, and incorporating video clips, photos and online comments from protesters as well as commentary from U.S. policymakers and analysts. Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa are important media players in the Middle East during these tumultuous days, contributing to international broadcasting in significant ways, utilizing all means of communications available, and with dedicated commitment to the mission.”

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency, supervising all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, whose mission is to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding through multimedia communication of accurate, objective, and balanced news, information, and other programming about America and the world to audiences overseas. BBG broadcasts reach an audience of 165 million in 100 countries. BBG broadcasting organizations include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti).
(Leticia King)

BBG continues strategic review

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the Agency that oversees US government-financed international broadcasting, continues its strategic review with the first in a series of regional assessments. This month’s regional review will focus on Africa and will engage internal and external experts in discussions to be held in Washington, DC on 11-13 January.

“First, we need to get our own strategy right by understanding what we need to know, what we must learn, and where gaps in our knowledge exist,” said BBG Governor S Enders Wimbush, who co-chairs the Board’s Strategy and Budget Committee. “Second, we need to decide how the BBG can allocate resources most effectively to empower our customers by putting the right programming on the right targets with the right technologies.”

The Board will also participate in the launch of the Agency’s model government ethics program.

At its December meeting, the Board continued its exploration of social media initiatives and heard a number of reports, including from the Strategy and Budget Committee about further details on the BBG strategic review, from Governor Ashe about his recent trip to the Middle East, and a detailed analysis from the Chairman of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Coordinating Committee of the current distribution platforms for BBG programming.
(Source: Broadcasting Board of Governors/Radio Netherlands Media Network)

Radio and TV Marti broadcasting Globovision's Alo Ciudadano

Globovision’s citizen call-in program about life in Venezuela, Alo Ciudadano (Hello Citizen), will now reach a Cuban audience via Radio and TV Martí. As part of expanded coverage of relevant international news, TV Martí began broadcasting Alo Ciudadano on27 December, and Radio Martí will soon air the programme.

“This interactive programme format showcases the compelling approach we are taking toward a 360-degree strategy in news and information,” said Carlos García-Pérez, director of Radio and TV Martí. “We believe our viewers and listeners will find this audience driven programming from Venezuela very relevant to their own experience.”

In a country where many newspapers and broadcast companies are closing down or scaling back, Alo Ciudadano remains one of the few broadcast forums for independent voices. In Alo Ciudadano citizens express their opinions and/or complaints live on the phone or via text messages, which appear on the news ticker.

The programme will be broadcast to Cuba via Radio and TV Martí, on Channel 13 (VHF), Channel 20 (UHF), AM and shortwave radio and will be available online at www.Martinoticias.com.
(Source: Broadcasting Board of Governors/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Proposals for BBG Fiscal Year 2011

Budget request for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), includes an increase of 1.5 percent from the FY 2010 funding level. The request reflects the continued critical role of BBG broadcasts in support of US foreign policy goals.

The FY 2011 budget supports key new initiatives:

Upgrading the BBG’s global satellite distribution capacity, infrastructure, and network control centre
Expanding FM, digital, and new media opportunities
Improving digital workflows and expanding distribution to mobile devices
Adding 24/7 FM transmitters in Afghanistan to carry Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA) Pashto and Dari programming
Creating Radio Free Asia (RFA) video programming in Burmese,Tibetan, Mandarin, and Vietnamese
Diversifying distribution of VOA content in Africa
Addressing critical personnel and capital needs in RFE/RL bureaus
The proposed budget also continues funding for ongoing programming to critical audiences, including:

24-hour streams for VOA Persian News Network television and RFE/RL Radio Farda to Iran
Alhurra, including Al Youm, the daily three-hour Alhurra Television programme broadcast live from the Middle East
Radio Sawa to the Middle East
Afia Darfur to Sudan and Eastern Chad
VOA and RFE/RL Pashto programming to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border region
RFE/RL and VOA Dari and Pashto programming to Afghanistan
VOA Urdu radio and television broadcasts to Pakistan
VOA Somali to Somalia
a 10-hour coordinated RFA and VOA stream to North Korea
a 30-minute, five-day-a-week VOA Spanish television programme for Venezuela
The FY 2011 budget request balances competing policy priorities with available budget resources. The request proposes to reduce contracting costs and other Agency support expenses through efficiencies. The request also includes several programme adjustments, including the closure of selected language services and programmes, operational efficiencies in broadcast services, and realignment of transmission networks.
(Source: BBG Press Release/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

BBG still attracting large radio audiences

US international broadcasting attracted wide audiences worldwide in 2009, particularly in key countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, despite declines in press freedom and the targeting of journalists in some countries, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) announced today.

More than 171 million people worldwide turn to US international broadcasts across media platforms every week for reliable news and information, according to the BBG’s independent research. This figure is statistically unchanged from the BBG’s global audience estimate of 175 million reported in June 2008 and represents an increase of more than 70 percent over the 100 million listeners and viewers in 2002.

Countries with the highest percentage of audience reach include Iraq (72 percent), Rwanda (72 percent), Kosovo (64 percent), Afghanistan (56 percent) and Haiti (50 percent). Audiences increased to a record 43 percent in Armenia and to 16 percent in Zimbabwe.

The largest audiences for US international broadcasting include Nigeria (22 million), Indonesia (16 million), Iran (14.5 million), and Iraq (11.7 million). The BBG’s first-ever survey of Niger found an audience of nearly 3 million in that country, while the first nationwide survey of Haiti found 1.4 million listeners. The audience also increased by 1.4 million in Egypt.

In order to reach key audiences on preferred media, the BBG has taken a number of strategic steps including continuing to increase TV offerings, expanding local FM presence where possible, and maximizing online content. Audience engagement through call-in shows and social networking is another priority effort.

Harassment and threats to journalists in Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Cambodia along with persistent censorship in many countries including China, Iran and Cuba are ongoing challenges. Government crackdowns, most notably in Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, prevented local radio and TV affiliates from carrying programming and caused declines in audience estimates. In addition, some radio audience declines were observed due to increased local competition, crowded FM markets and increased popularity of satellite TV.

At the same time, the BBG is delivering a significant amount of news on the Internet, via SMS text messaging and other new media platforms. The largest BBG Internet audiences are in Iraq, Oman, Kosovo, Morocco, and the UAE.

The BBG’s audience and market research is done independently via local market research firms around the world through a contract with the InterMedia Survey Institute. The standard measure of audience reach for the BBG and other international broadcasters is the number of adults (age 15 and above) who “listened or viewed last week.” The audience estimate includes research conducted over a three year period in 70 countries, including 39 in Fiscal Year 2009.

Audience reach is one criterion the BBG uses to assess effectiveness. Broadcasting impact on the target audience, audience perception of the broadcasters’ credibility and improved understanding of the United States and current events are also key indicators of effectiveness.

In many countries, audience samples are extremely limited and require audience members to acknowledge illegal listening and/or viewing, activities that result in severe penalties. Numbers for these hard to reach countries and regions such as Somalia, North Korea, Tibet, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are not included in the overall estimate. Such restrictive environments may make survey participants reluctant to reveal media habits that include banned international broadcasts.

The BBG is announcing its global audience estimate in conjunction with the release of the Fiscal Year 2009 Performance and Accountability Report.
(Source: BBG/Radio Netherlands Media network Weblog)