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The Voices of America
| Article
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11039 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
11 / 1993 |
1,751 Words |
| Author
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Walter R. Roberts
Walter R. Roberts is diplomat-in-residence at the Elliott
School of International Affairs at George Washington
University. He has held positions with the Voice of America,
the Board for International Broadcasting, and the U.S.
Information Agency. |
With the Cold War over, the question inevitably arose as to why the United States should continue to support two international radio services, the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Driven primarily by fiscal considerations, the Clinton administration reviewed the U.S. investment in international broadcasting, and on June 15 the president announced a plan to consolidate U.S. broadcast entities.
In broad outline, the plan would continue but downsize the operations of both the VOA and RFE/RL and create a "new and independent Board of Governors" within the United States Information Agency to oversee all U.S. international broadcasting services including Radio and TV Marti broadcasts to Cuba and a new Asian Democracy Radio.
The president's plan holds considerable promise. It recognizes the necessity for continuing international broadcasting as an essential means of advancing U.S. interests abroad and the need for savings. While any reorganization proves the adage that "the devil is in the details," the president's proposal is not only a practical demonstration of "reinventing government," it is also a cost-effective way of eliminating waste and duplication to the taxpayer.
Freedom broadcasting
The VOA went on the air in the winter of 1942--10 weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor--with shortwave radio broadcasts to America's World War II adversaries and allies. The objective was to break the enemy's will to fight and to shore up the Allies' determination to resist. During the next 50 years, the VOA grew to become the U.S. government's global news and information service, now broadcasting in 49 languages to millions of listeners worldwide.
When in Winston Churchill's words an "Iron Curtain" descended upon Europe, the United States established Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty as covertly funded government stations separate from the VOA to focus on developments within Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The objective was to serve as "surrogate" national radios for listeners denied free media in their own countries. Overtly funded since 1971, RFE/RL now broadcasts in 23 languages.
These U.S. radio stations played vital roles in helping to bring about the collapse of communism: VOA as a source of news, information about American thought and institutions, and explanation of U.S. policies; RFE/RL as surrogate "home
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