BBG Examines RFE/RL and Shortwave

Ben Rhodes Outlines Role of International Media, Board Examines RFE/RL and Shortwave

WASHINGTON - The Broadcasting Board of Governors met yesterday in Washington, DC, to examine the activities and accomplishments of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and to explore the agency's impact and reach in an increasingly competitive media environment.
In remarks to the Board, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting Ben Rhodes reiterated the President's commitment to U.S. international media.   He commended the historical legacy of the networks while observing that this is a critical juncture for U.S. international media in an increasingly competitive international marketplace.

Rhodes praised the Board for its strategic vision and emphasized the value of international media, saying the BBG and its networks can "significantly strengthen American foreign policy, increase interest in and understanding of priority issues and open access to information where it may be denied or misrepresented."

"We have the right team in place," he added, referring to the Board, "to make a lasting contribution."

Separately, RFE/RL leadership outlined the network's activities and initiatives in reaching audiences in 28 languages. Nenad Pejic and John Giambalvo, Interim Managers of RFE/RL, led the "deep dive" presentation, which emphasized the network's forward thinking approach to providing unbiased news and information on multiple distribution platforms to regions affected by war, conflict and authoritarian regimes.

RFE/RL executives, editors and journalists participating via video from Prague, highlighted the network's achievements in digital and social media, programming, technology, and impact throughout its broadcast regions.

Discussion covered the network's response to the crisis in Ukraine, including the creation of additional programming, increasing reach through new partnerships, and on-the-scene coverage despite the increasingly dangerous reporting environments.

"I want to commend your efforts to expand the Russian language newscasts," said Rick Stengel, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. "Given the information battlefields we are seeing in Russia and Ukraine, this represents a true realization of your mission."

In addition to the in-depth look at RFE/RL, the Board held a business meeting, which began with an update on recent threats to BBG journalists. The list, BBG Chairman Jeff Shell lamented, is unfortunately growing and includes death threats, injuries and detainment of BBG journalists in Iraq, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Crimea, Ukraine, Vietnam and South Sudan. Shell also noted the upcoming second anniversary of the  disappearance of Alhurra reporter Bashar Fahmi.

Chairman Shell recognized the decades of hard work and dedication of Voice of America's Greek Service, which ended broadcasts on August 11 as well as the 60th anniversary of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service.

During the business meeting, Director of the Office of Strategy and Development, Bruce Sherman presented an overview of the agency's 2014 strategic review process which evaluated outcomes and impacts on a country and regional level.

Governor Matt Armstrong, chairman of the Board's Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Radio Broadcasting, summarized the recently released report, "To Be Where The Audience Is." The report is the result of a comprehensive review of the efficacy of shortwave radio as a distribution platform for U.S. international media.

A recording of the meeting and related documents are available here.

(BBG)

BBG Meets to Consider the Future of Shortwave

BBG  Meeting 2013 (article.wn.com)

This morning, August 13, 2014, the Broadcasting Board of Governors met at the BBG headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Board's agenda included a discussion on FY 2015 regional strategies and establishment of new Board special committees, and an exceptional video report overview from the leadership of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The video provided the Board with an overview of the network’s operations throughout the trouble spots across the globe. The Board also received a report by its Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting.
(G Van Horn)

Exceprts from the BBG report on shortwave include;

In October 2013, the Board established the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting to undertake a comprehensive review of the efficacy of shortwave radio as a distribution platform for U.S. international media. Taking an audience-first approach, the Committee found that shortwave use is heavily concentrated in a limited number of countries; that other means of delivery are used and preferred by many of the BBG’s target demographics across most markets; that audiences tend to migrate to other media as they become available; that audiences do not return to shortwave in a crisis; and, use of the medium trends downward as audiences eagerly adopt other platforms as they become available.
The BBG, with our limited resources, must choose from a wide variety of media used by our current and future audiences to fulfill our mission to the maximum extent possible. Radio now comes in many formats beyond shortwave: medium wave (AM), FM, satellite and cable delivery, and Internet streams. These modes often overcome many of the traditional shortcomings of shortwave, such as fading, variability in sound quality, and difficulty of tuning. We must also embrace television, as many of our audiences now turn to TV first for news and information and, of course, entertainment. The explosion of social media provides us with exciting new opportunities to complement information delivery with rich interaction and greater audience
interaction, including content contribution by the audience. For many around the world, the next electronic media they acquire will be a cell phone or similar mobile device. The BBG must choose to have a commanding presence the media where our audiences are today and in the future.
The BBG is committed to maintaining its shortwave broadcasting to regions where a critical need for the platform continues while also being diligent to ensure the BBG networks are reaching audiences on the appropriate media. The BBG gratefully acknowledges the strong historical foundation created by shortwave radio broadcasting as we invest in the necessary capabilities for the evolving media environment. The result of this inquiry, arguably the most indepth and comprehensive to-date, is that the Committee recommends substantial “right-sizing” of the BBG’s shortwave broadcasting to be more focused and effective.
(BBG)

An in-depth 44 page report is available at:
http://www.bbg.gov/wp-content/media/2014/08/SW-Committee-Final-Report.pdf

Voice of Russia closes Washington bureau

Facing legal problems, the Russian government-funded radio network - the Voice of Russia - has fired its Washington bureau staff and closed the office.

The shutdown happened July 14, amid allegations of tax fraud and claims of racial discrimination at the network.

Aleksey Iazlovskiy, the head of the VOR's US operations, pleaded guilty last year to tax fraud and will be sentenced later this year.

VOR's employment practices also have attracted attention from the IRS and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The IRS is investigating whether VOR used contractors alongside full-time, salaried employees to skirt payroll taxes. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took an interest in VOR after several former
staffers claimed they were fired because of their race.

The employees have filed a lawsuit against International TV Services, VOR's contract manager in the United States.

Some suspect Voice of Russia will quickly return to the US through a different management company without the legal troubles.

Earlier this year, the Russians stopped Voice of America broadcasting in Moscow on AM radio.
(VOA News.com)