Friday, April 20, 2012

BBG considers new strategy and reversal of planned broadcasting cuts to China and Tibet

In response to overwhelming criticism from human rights groups, journalists and one of its members, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) will consider a new China strategy and reversal of its planned cuts to Voice of America (VOA) Tibetan and Chinese broadcasts and online news content.

The BBG Strategy and Budget Committee has requested and received a new China strategy document from a working group composed of BBG and International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) officials and the heads of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia (RFA). One of the recommendations in the new strategy document is the restoration of all funding for China broadcasts, a major reversal of the executive staff’s earlier position. This includes VOA Tibetan radio and its online radio news content and all of VOA Cantonese radio, television and Internet news.

Echoing the warnings of their critics often expressed on the unofficial BBG Watch website, the BBG and IBB executive staff has now concluded that “As America’s focus on China’s role in the world sharpens, the BBG must develop a more global vision for China.” “Failure to reach out to China’s 1.3 billion people cannot be an option for the United States at this point in history,” the new BBG China strategy document states.

The new China strategy document also states that “VOA and RFA will maintain a robust radio presence, delivering programming via SW [shortwave] as well as via two separate satellite paths.” The content and the tone of the new document represent a drastic departure from previous strategy papers produced by the BBG and IBB executive staff.


(Source : BBG Watch)

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