BBG 2017 Budget Request Prioritizes Key Audiences and New Technologies

WASHINGTON - The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) today released its Fiscal Year 2017 budget request, seeking $777.8 million to accelerate its market-driven shift to digital media, concentrate broadcasting to foreign policy priority audiences, better measure impact, and expand global distribution capabilities.

"This budget makes clear our priorities for meeting key audiences where they are and increasing our impact in target regions around the world," said BBG CEO John Lansing. "I'm especially proud that this budget reflects an unprecedented collaboration between the five BBG networks to support our unified mission."

The budget request prioritizes expanding digital and video production to engage young audiences who are impacted by Russian aggression and disinformation, or by media campaigns of violent extremist groups such as ISIL. A proposed investment of $15 million will expand video and new media in Russian-language, launch digital teams for Central Asia and other areas where Russia supports frozen conflicts, and increase digital content for regional audiences impacted by ISIL extremism, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The budget request also grows BBG's digital engagement efforts that have successfully informed and encouraged dialogue among Iraqi audiences on issues that have allowed ISIL to attract young fighters. The $2.5 million enhancement request will allow the Agency to expand these efforts to Egypt, Central Asia and the Balkans.

In order to optimize BBG's coordinated coverage of global news and information - including emerging international crises - and to maximize the use of shared support services, the FY 2017 Budget Request proposes that the BBG Board may delegate any of its authorities or duties to a Chief Executive Office appointed by the Board.

The Agency will also fund research to measure and increase its impact on the hundreds of millions who consume BBG media each week, as well as create an Internet Freedom Office to oversee the selection and evaluation of Internet Freedom projects.

Proposed budget reductions include trimming administrative and overhead costs and realigning transmitting station sites and transmissions across its global network.

The executive summary and highlights from the FY 2017 Budget Request can be found here :

http://www.bbg.gov/about-the-agency/research-reports/budget-submissions/

(BBG)

VOA Seeks to Boost Services to Asia, Africa in 2015

The Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. government entity that oversees the Voice of America, has released details of a 2015 budget request that will cut Balkan language services but add spending aimed at Asia and Africa.


More at :

http://www.voanews.com/content/voa-seeks-to-boost-services-to-africa-and-asia-in-2015/1879187.html

BBG reverses planned reductions in VOA & RFA broadcasts to Tibet and China

Facing overwhelming bipartisan criticism in Congress and from numerous human rights and media freedom groups, BBG members reversed their previous plan and decided to retain Voice of America (VOA) radio broadcasts in Tibetan, the VOA Cantonese Service (radio, TV and Internet), as well as Radio Free Asia services at present levels.

More at :

http://www.usgbroadcasts.com/bbgwatch/2012/04/20/bbg-reverses-planned-reductions-in-voice-of-america-and-radio-free-asia-broadcasts-to-tibet-and-china/

Annette Lantos Defends Voice of America Broadcasts to China

Annette Lantos, wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, has written a letter to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) defending Voice of America China broadcasts in Tibetan and Cantonese. The BBG put these broadcasts on the chopping block in its budget proposal earlier this year.

More at :

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2428019443.html

BBG Shortwave: Sorting the Fact From the Fiction

Interesting post from the BBG Stratergy website....tries to respond to most of the criticism...

Read the post here : http://tinyurl.com/cllaeok

FY 2011 Budget Request for the Broadcasting Board of Governors

Washington, DC, 02/01/2010

The President's budget request for Fiscal Year 2011, sent to the Congress today, includes $768.8 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), 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 U.S. foreign policy goals.

The FY 2011 budget supports key new initiatives:

- Upgrading the BBG's global satellite distribution capacity, infrastructure, and network control center;
- 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 program 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; and a 30-minute, five-day-a-week VOA Spanish television program 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 program adjustments, including the closure of selected language services and programs, operational efficiencies in broadcast services, and realignment of transmission networks.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors looks forward to working with the Congress toward enactment of the proposed funding levels and program proposals. Further detail on the requested BBG budget is available at http://www.bbg.gov/reports/budget.html.

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 171 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).

(BBG Press Release)