FreeMediaOnline.orgCommentary by Ted Lipien, September 4, 2008, San Francisco — While the White House mobilized in just a few days to put together a $1 billion aid package for Georgia, and President Bush sent Vice President Dick Cheney on a trip to the region, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all civilian U.S. international broadcasts, is still in the mode of defending the shutting down…
FreeMediaOnline.org, September 3, 2008, San Francisco — The Broadcasting Board of Governors’ decision to stop Voice of America (VOA) radio broadcasts to Russia may seem like “a bit of a small tempest in a small teapot,” as Monroe Price, director of the Center for Global Communication Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication, described it in his article “South Ossetia, Georgia and Information…
What Would Barack Obama Say If He Knew… Commentary by Ted Lipien FreeMediaOnline.org, San Francisco, August 29, 2008 — Why would U.S. taxpayers want to help a nationalist Russian politician spread his racist and anti-immigrant views on a radio station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)? Radio Liberty is based in Moscow and Prague but is managed by the bipartisan broadcasting Board of…
FreeMediaOnline.org, San Francisco, August 27, 2008 — Senator Biden’s record of playing politics with U.S. international broadcasting gives credence to recent news reports that his Senate staff had a key role in stopping the Voice of America (VOA) radio broadcasts to Russia shortly before the Russian attack on Georgia. Despite strong opposition in Congress, the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors, which manages U.S. government-funded broadcasting…
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Health Inspectors Did Not Close Down Radio Liberty Affiliates in Russia, The Secret Police Did
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 25, 2008, San Francisco — Let me preface this post by saying that I’ve heard good things about Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty president Jeffrey Gedmin. According to my sources, he tries to ignore some of the more questionable directives from the Broadcasting Board of Governors and move the emphasis from the BBG-driven marketing focus back to content. But he has been doing this quietly and does not…
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 24, 2008, San Francisco — The Tickle File, ftm’s (www.followthemedia.com) daily column of media news, asks about the absence on the airwaves of BBG Georgian and VOA Russian. FTM reported that “VOA has just dumped its Russian language broadcast service (great timing but it still has a Russian language web site).” The BBC still has the Russian language radio…
International Broadcasting
Senator Biden’s Staff Said to Be Responsible for Weakening U.S. Foreign Broadcasts Prior to Russia’s Attack on Georgia
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 23, 2008, San Francisco — In a move seen as a foreign policy embarrassment for Senator Obama’s vice-presidential running mate, the Senate staff of Senator Joe Biden was said to be involved in stopping the Voice of America (VOA) radio programs to Russia just 12 days before Moscow launched its military attack on Georgia. VOA is an international broadcasting service funded by…
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 22, 2008, San Francisco — A former Voice of America executive suggested that the BBG should be encouraged to repair the damage it had caused U.S. international broadcasting in Eurasia. I agree. The suggestion was that the Board should take positive actions on its own rather than wait for Congress to force them to reverse the program cuts affecting Russia, Georgia,…
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Senator Biden’s Staff Said to Have Worked with Bush-Appointed Board to Kill Voice of America Radio to Russia Just Days Before the Attack on Georgia
FreeMediaOnline.org, San Francisco, August 21, 2008 — In a move seen as a foreign policy and public diplomacy blunder, in which the Senate staff of Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) is said to be involved, the Voice of America (VOA), an international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government, stopped its radio programs to Russia just 12 days before Moscow launched its military attack on Georgia. According to a…
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Broadcasting Board of Governors Says Voice of America Radio to Georgia Will Continue for Now, But Underlying Message to VOA Georgian Broadcasters: Keep Looking for Another Job
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 20, 2008, San Francisco — Listen to the last Voice of America radio broadcast to Russia The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) stopped these VOA broadcasts from Washington on July 26, 2008, 12 days before Russia attacked Georgia. After Russia’s attack on Georgia, it took the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) days to say something about U.S. broadcasting to…
FreeMediaOnline.org, August 19, 2008, San Francisco — In this post you will find links to media outlets which have republished our press release on saving VOA broadcasts to Georgia and Russia. Ted, Thank-you for your press release with 24-7PressRelease.com. Following is your complimentary PRWatch(TM) report from 24-7PressRelease.com. Each time you send a Mass Media Distribution release through our service you…