International Broadcasting Advisory Board Welcomes new VOA Director Michael Abramowitz

International Broadcasting Advisory Board Welcomes VOA Director Michael Abramowitz

WASHINGTON – The International Broadcasting Advisory Board (IBAB) is eager to begin working with Michael Abramowitz as the new director of the Voice of America, following the U.S. Agency for Global Media's ceremonial swearing in of Abramowitz at its Wilbur J. Cohen Building headquarters on Tuesday, September 17, in Washington, D.C.

"The IBAB is thrilled to welcome Michael Abramowitz as the new director of Voice of America," said IBAB Chair Kenneth Jarin. "Michael brings a wealth of world knowledge, compassion and journalistic expertise to the USAGM family. This is especially important at a time when oppressed people living under authoritarian regimes around the world do not have access to independent reporting of the issues that affect their daily lives and future. Hundreds of millions of people around the world depend on Voice of America for its credibility, and with Michael at the helm, we are going to keep carrying the torch of press freedom and delivering objective news and information in the years to come. IBAB and USAGM are happy to have him on board!"

USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett swore in Director Abramowitz on a U.S. Constitution, and the ceremony was followed by a fireside chat during which CEO Bennett and Director Abramowitz discussed the urgency of VOA's charter, as well as the challenges facing journalists and emerging threats to press freedom around the world.

Abramowitz joined VOA in June 2024 from Freedom House, where he served as President to the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization which provides research, analysis, advocacy, and direct support to journalists and defenders of human rights. A skilled and respected journalist, Abramowitz previously directed the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Levine Institute for Holocaust Education, where he led the museum's genocide prevention efforts. For nearly 25 years prior, Abramowitz worked at The Washington Post, rising to national editor and then White House correspondent. A graduate of Harvard College, Abramowitz is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the George W. Bush Institute Advisory Council. He was formerly a Marshall Memorial fellow at the German Marshall Fund and Berlin Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin.

(Press Release)

USAGM CEO Bennett condemns media restrictions in Afghanistan

December 1, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to orders from Taliban officials to stop broadcasting all USAGM-funded programming on FM and AM transmitters operated by Radio Television Afghanistan, CEO Amanda Bennett issued the following statement:

"This action by the Taliban will be seen for what it truly is — an effort to restrict Afghan citizens' access to uncensored information," said Bennett. "The people of Afghanistan have the right to know all of the facts, including the information the Taliban is hoping to censor in this flagrant attack on press freedom."

USAGM research in 2022 indicates that Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty content is reaching 66% of Afghan adults with access to a mobile phone on a weekly basis.  

"Afghan citizens are seeking out independent, fact-based journalism from Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and this action by the Taliban is a reminder of the importance of press freedom," Bennett added. "Repressive governments around the world like this one clearly understand the power of independent media — that is why they spend so much time and effort fighting it. We are already exploring alternate transmissions, and we will not let this action deter us."

For more information, contact USAGM Office of Public Affairs at (202) 920-2000.

The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is an independent federal agency, overseeing public service media networks that provide unbiased news and information in countries where the press is restricted. USAGM entities include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti), Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa) and Open Technology Fund. USAGM programming has a measured audience of 410 million in more than 100 countries and in 63 languages.

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(‌Press Release)

VOA Statement on Taliban Halting All VOA Radio Broadcasts in Afghanistan

VOA Statement on Taliban Halting All VOA Radio Broadcasts in Afghanistan

The takeover of VOA's FM and medium wave (AM) transmitters by the Taliban, breaking a multiyear contract, is a blow to the large audience that turns to Radio Ashna for uncensored news and information. VOA broadcasts provided the people of Afghanistan uncensored perspectives and hope. They gave ordinary Afghans a voice through call-in programs and discussion shows about subjects censored by domestic media. On VOA programs, topics ranged from the increasing isolation of Afghanistan's current government and the second-class status of women and girls as a result of the Taliban's policies to the persistent economic failures that have diminished the quality of life in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. "Many programs were anchored by women," said Acting VOA Director Yolanda López. "Removing VOA from the domestic airwaves will not silence us. It will only increase the importance of serving the captive audience inside Afghanistan."

VOA broadcasts currently reach 7.3 million adults per week in Afghanistan, about one-third of all Afghan adults. Nearly half of that audience is through radio, so these recent actions by the Taliban make our job more difficult. Fortunately, VOA has other means of serving its large audience in Afghanistan, including a 24/7 TV satellite channel (Yahsat channel 469), short wave radio, a medium wave radio station in Tajikistan at 972 khz, and our websites (darivoa.com and pashtovoa.com) and social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. We are actively exploring additional ways to provide our content and fulfill our mission of serving our audience in Afghanistan.

(Press Release)

Radio Azadi FM Broadcasts Banned in 13 cities of Afghanistan

KABUL (BNA) The Ministry of Information and Culture has banned the broadcasting of Radio Azadi FM in 13 major cities of the country with effect from 1st Dec '22.

More at :

https://bakhtarnews.af/en/broadcasts-radio-azadi-fm-banned-in-13-cities-of-afghanistan/

Related :

Taliban Bans VOA, RFE/RL Radio in Afghanistan

https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-bans-voa-rfe-rl-radio-in-afghanistan/6856697.html

VOA Launches Programming in Sindhi

VOA Launches Programming in Sindhi

voasindhi.com

Voice of America today launched a new webpage in the Sindhi language (voasindhi.com), under VOA's Urdu broadcasting service. Sindhi is spoken mostly in the southeastern region of Pakistan and by more than 35 million speakers throughout South Asia.  

The new language webpage will include content on world news, current affairs, science, technology, women's issues, education, as well as bilateral relations between the U.S. and the South Asian region and its population.

"This new service will provide Sindhi speakers the critical news and information they need, as well as contribute to telling America's story in that region," explained Acting VOA Director Yolanda López. "I look forward to seeing more people being served by VOA and our programming through this new language."

Broadcasting to Pakistan since 1952, VOA's Urdu service reaches more than 6 million people weekly. The addition of the Sindhi language to VOA's global offerings will broaden VOA's audience in Pakistan over time.

With the addition of Sindhi, Voice of America now broadcasts in 48 languages, nine of which are languages spoken in South and Central Asia.

(Voice of America Press Release)

Voice of America Names First Eastern Europe Chief

Voice of America Names First Eastern Europe Chief

The Voice of America has named Myroslava Gongadze as the network's first ever Eastern Europe Chief. Gongadze moves into the new position after serving as the Chief of the VOA Ukrainian language service in Washington, D.C. She will move to Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2022. In this new role, she will lead expanded coverage of a region threatened by hybrid war and disinformation. As a Russian troop buildup intensifies along the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied Crimea, Gongadze will be covering for a global audience the Kremlin's aggressive posture in Eastern Europe as well as the impact of Russia's and China's influence throughout the region.

A veteran award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Gongadze joined VOA in 2004. Recognized for her reporting on the eve of Ukraine's Orange Revolution, she also covered developments during the Euromaidan revolution and ensuing crisis period. She moderated Ukraine's first nationally televised post-Maidan general election debates in 2014. Acknowledged by numerous media outlets for her expertise on U.S.-Ukraine relations, Gongadze appeared multiple times in Focus Magazine's list of the 100 most influential women in Ukraine. She recently completed a yearlong Nieman Foundation for Journalism Fellowship at Harvard University where she focused on strategies for covering Russia's information warfare.  

 

"I am thrilled that Myroslava will be taking on this pivotal role at such a crucial time in the country and in the region she knows – and has covered - so well for so many years," said Acting VOA Director, Yolanda Lόpez. "This appointment of such a seasoned reporter into Ukraine's capital city directly aligns with VOA's audience-first approach, as we continue to move our journalists swiftly into places where they can provide firsthand coverage of critical regions and produce stories that our audience needs most," López added.

"I am honored to build on my seventeen-year career at Voice of America in my new role as Eastern Europe Chief," said Gongadze. "VOA already plays a crucial role in Ukraine as a trusted news source and example of impartial fact-based journalism. I am looking forward to bringing coverage of Ukraine, a key battlefield in the global fight for democracy, and the wider region to global audiences," Gongadze remarked.

(Press Release)

After 63 years, VOA Bangla service to end radio broadcasts

Voice of America Bangla language service FM, MW and shortwave radio transmissions officially end on July 17, 2021, after 63 years of serving Bangladesh and the Bangla-speaking Indian states of West Bengal, Tripure and Assam. Simultaneously, the service's television and social media content will expand considerably, as these are platforms more heavily used by VOA Bangla's 16 million weekly audience members.

"When VOA Bangla launched in January 1958, Bangladesh was known as 'East Pakistan' and it was a territory under martial law with no television or private radio," said John Lippman, Acting VOA Programming Director. "VOA's shortwave radio transmissions from outside the borders were a lifeline to the Bangla-speaking population for independent news and information."

While the service's shortwave radio audience is now less than one percent, VOA Bangla social media audiences have grown significantly in recent years. Engagement actions on the Twitter account have risen 54% over the previous year, while video views on Instagram are up 274% in the same period.

"Dozens of domestic television and radio stations compete for Bangla-speaking audiences, as well as an increasing number of digital sources," Lippman noted. "As the demand for TV and online access to news in Bangladesh expands, VOA's Bangla service program offerings need to be on the platforms its audience already is most active."

"VOA Bangla radio broadcasts brought world events to its audiences since the days when radio was the primary news medium," Acting VOA Bangla Service Chief Satarupa Barua told staff this month. "It was a staple in our upbringing, a household name. We will build on that reputation, increasing our presence on media that is now far more heavily used than short wave and medium wave radio."

During the final days of its radio broadcasts, the service will broadcast retrospective programming, looking back at the changes in the country since 1958. "Because of our service's history in Bangladesh, working at VOA has been the 'dream job' for many of us. With the coming changes, it will continue to be," Barua added.

This change in radio programming will not affect broadcasts of "Lifeline", a 30-minute daily radio program in the Rohingya language, spoken by Muslim refugees in Bangladesh who fled ethnic violence in Myanmar. Produced by the Bangla service, the program launched in July 2019.

(Press Release)

Frequency change of VOA Radio Ashna via Woofferton

Frequency change of VOA Radio Ashna via Woofferton:

1430-1500 UTC NF  9835 WOF 300 kW / 075 deg to WeAs Pashto, ex 13860
1500-1630 UTC NF  9835 WOF 300 kW / 075 deg to WeAs Dari, ex 13860
// frequency 12075 KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to WeAs Pashto/Dari
// frequency 12140 KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to WeAs Pashto/Dari

(Via Ivo Ivanov)

Voice of America Marks 79th Anniversary

Voice of America is 79 years old today. Its 1942 debut was unpretentious -- a live, 15-minute shortwave radio broadcast transmitted into Germany from a small studio in New York City.

Now, the U.S.-funded but independent VOA reaches more than 280 million people across the globe each week in more than 40 languages.

Its stories, covering the range of the human existence in the Unites States and countries throughout the world, appear on digital, television and radio platforms and can be accessed on mobile phones and social media. VOA stories are carried on a network of more than 2,500 affiliate stations.

More at : 

https://www.voanews.com/usa/voice-america-marks-79th-anniversary

VOA Begins Broadcasting in Lingala Language

Voice of America's Africa division launched newscasts in Lingala on November 12, 2018, bringing to 46 the total number of languages in which the agency broadcasts around the world. Lingala is spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as parts of Central Africa Republic and Angola.

For 64 million people who speak Lingala, VOA will be the first international broadcaster to reach them in their own language. Lingala is understood by 80 percent of the DRC population, twice the number of people who understand French.

The new broadcasts will be added to the French to Africa language service offerings and will include 15 minutes of radio content (Monday through Friday) focusing on news from Africa division reporting and from Lingala reporters on the ground, as well as on public health-related issues like Ebola and HIV/AIDS.

The launch of the Lingala broadcasts is designed to boost efforts to promote democracy, transparency, and the rule of law ahead of December presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

About Voice of America
VOA reaches a weekly global audience of 237 million people in more than 40 languages in nearly 100 countries. VOA programs are delivered on multiple platforms, including radio, television, web and mobile via a network of more than 2,200 media outlets worldwide. VOA's seasoned journalists are experts on topics trending in the United States and around the world. The Voice of America is funded by the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent federal agency.

(Press Release)

Burundi to suspend operations of VOA, BBC ahead of May 17 referendum

Burundi on Friday announced broadcast bans on two international networks. The measure which takes off on Monday May 7 affects the Voice of America (VOA) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The ban according to a government statement is to last for a period of six months. The reason for the suspension is for "falling short of laws governing the press" and "breaching professional ethics".

More at :

http://www.africanews.com/2018/05/04/burundi-suspends-operations-of-voa-bbc-ahead-of-may-17-referendum//

VOA statement on Government of Burundi's Suspension of VOA Operations

Washington, D.C.—The Voice of America condemns the recent action of the government of Burundi to suspend its broadcast operations for six months, effective May 7.

"We are dismayed by the actions taken today by the Burundi National Communications Council to ban VOA from broadcasting its news and information programs," said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. "Our audience members count on VOA to provide factual, unbiased and objective coverage of current events, so this ban deprives the citizens of Burundi of a trusted news source during a critical time in that country. This is even more distressing coming only one day after World Press Freedom Day – a day calling for governments to remove, not impose, restrictions on the media."

VOA content will continue to be available in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda via shortwave channels, on the Internet and on FM transmitters located in neighboring countries.

New VOA English language transmission to Bangladesh

A new Voice Of America broadcast will be added effective 29 April 2018 to Bangladesh. It will be broadcast in English langauge and can be heard at 1130-1200 UTC on 1575 kHz (MW-Thailand), 12020 (Thailand), 15715 and 17790 kHz (from Philippines)

(Alok Dasgupta)

Impact is at the core of Voice of America's past, present and future

by Jeff Trimble, IBB Deputy Director

Voice of America Director Amanda Bennett stole the show mid-way through the March 16 meeting of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD) on Capitol Hill. Bennett, who was on a panel to discuss "The Past, Present, and Future of Voice of America" .

More at :

https://www.bbg.gov/2017/03/23/impact-core-voas-past-present-future/

Voice of America Celebrates 75 Years

WASHINGTON D.C., February 1, 2017 -- Today the Voice of America (VOA) celebrates 75 years on the air.  From its first 15-minute radio broadcast in German in 1942, VOA has grown into a multimedia international broadcast service providing programming and content in 47 languages on multiple platforms, including radio, television, and mobile.

On that first broadcast, announcer William Harlan Hale set the standard for all future VOA programs when he told his audience: "We bring you Voices from America. Today, and daily from now on, we shall speak to you about America and the war. The news may be good for us. The news may be bad. But we shall tell you the truth."

Today those words carry the weight of the VOA Charter that requires VOA, by law, to "serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news." What's more, VOA news must "be accurate, objective, and comprehensive."

"It's been 75 years since we first began broadcasting objective news and information around the world," said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. "And now, I think what we do here is more important than ever."

Over the years, VOA correspondents and freelance reporters in many parts of the world have been on the scene to cover major world events. In 1989, VOA East European correspondent Jolyon Naegele reported on demonstrations in Czechoslovakia and the fall of the communist government. That same year on the other side of the world, VOA increased programming and added staff to its Beijing bureau, to cover the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. VOA Beijing Bureau Chief Al Pessin was expelled from China for his reporting.

Today VOA broadcasters use television and radio studios at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. to broadcast news and other programming through 2,500 television and radio affiliate stations around the world. At the same time, they provide content for mobile devices and interact with their audiences through social media. In 2016, the Voice of America's weekly audience across all platforms averaged more than 236 million people worldwide. Click here for more information on Voice of America's 75 years of history and here for a short video on its history.

VOA reaches a global weekly audience of more than 236 million people in over 40 languages. VOA programs are delivered on satellite, cable, shortwave, FM, medium wave, streaming audio and video on more than 2,500 media outlets worldwide. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

(Press Release)

VOA celebrates 75 years next week

Voice of America celebrates 75 years on air next week, share your memories/photos of VOA at #VOA75 voa75@voanews.com

Sri Lanka state broadcaster, military to get some VOA transmitting assets

Jan 19, 2017 09:43 AM 

ECONOMYNEXT - Sri Lanka's state-run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), and the military will get some equipment from a closed Voice of America relay station, which is being dismantled.

The Voice of America made its last broadcast from the relay station in Iranawila, Chilaw on June 10, 2016, amid budget cuts and declining viewership for shortwave radio listening.

The VOA station had two 500 kiloWatt Marconi transmitters and six 250 kW transmitters when it began operations over 16 years ago, according to publicly available data.

Full story at :

http://economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_state_broadcaster,_military_to_get_some_VOA_transmitting_assets-3-7120.html

Related :

US to close Voice of America station in Sri Lanka and hand over land to government

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Jan19_1484806793CH.php

Sri Lanka VOA shortwave station has 4.2MW of thermal power: US embassy

http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_VOA_shortwave_station_has_4.2MW_of_thermal_power__US_embassy-3-7121.html

VOA 2017 Calendar

You can find @VOANews' 2017 #calendar here ! The theme - celebrating diaspora communities in the U.S. 

#VOA75

https://docs.voanews.eu/en-US-INSIDE/2017/01/03/561d9621-e45c-4ef5-93c2-b49f658c826c.pdf

Farewell BBG

FAREWELL, FIREWALL

With the elimination of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the pendulum swings again.

By Kim Andrew Elliott

http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/farewell-firewall

New Law Would Reorganize VOA

Control over U.S. government international broadcasting will be consolidated under a powerful chief executive, under legislation expected to soon be signed by President Barack Obama.

The changes were included as part of an annual defense funding bill, the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed last week by both houses of Congress.

Full story at :

http://www.voanews.com/a/new-law-would-reorganize-voa-other-us-government/3635977.html

A Record for Voice of America's Global Audience Growth

WASHINGTON D.C., November 16, 2016 -- Voice of America's global weekly audience hit a record in 2016, surpassing every projection and growing by nearly 50 million - the largest jump ever in a single year. Now 236.6 million people around the world consume VOA's programs, compared to 187.7 million in 2015, according to new figures released November 15 by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal entity that oversees all U.S. civilian international media, including the Voice of America.

The audience increase was recorded across all VOA platforms - TV, radio and mobile. Latest research collected by Gallup and other research firms shows that every week 154 million people are watching VOA television programs, 108 million people are listening to VOA on the radio and 34.5 million are reached through digital platforms. A quarter of this audience consumes VOA programs on all three platforms.

"I am really proud of the exponential audience growth since last year. This is a clear indication of VOA's impact around the world every single day," said Voice of America Director, Amanda Bennett. "Providing objective, insightful news and information is invaluable to our audiences worldwide and we are here doing just that."

The largest audience increases were recorded in Indonesia (16.4 million), Mexico (6.2 million), Argentina (4.3 million), Colombia (4.2 million) and Peru (4.2 million). Major audience gains were also recorded in Tanzania (3.8 million), Burundi (2.9 million), South Africa (2.6 million) and Nigeria (2.6 million). In most cases, these increases were the result of VOA's successful partnerships with important local broadcast outlets, which are some of the largest and most respected stations in many markets that carry Voice of America's programs.

Thanks to the large increase in audiences throughout Latin America, VOA now reaches more people in Spanish than in any other language - 59.4 million. Indonesian comes second with 47.5 million and English third with 39.2 million.

VOA also increased its social media outreach around the world, especially in Southeast Asia with huge gains in video viewing and engagement on Facebook and YouTube. For example, VOA Khmer's Facebook page is the second most popular in Cambodia, with 4.6 million fans, second only to the page of the Cambodian Prime Minister.

In addition to weekly audience size, VOA measures its impact using quantitative and qualitative data on a wide range of factors including program quality and credibility. Overall 86% of the weekly audience finds VOA's programming "trustworthy". The same percentage also reports that VOA's broadcasts have increased their understanding of current events.

BBG's performance measures, the 2016 Performance and Accountability Report, along with the BBG's 2016 audience overview and explanation of research methodology are available here :

https://www.bbg.gov/strategy-and-performance/performance-accountability/

VOA reaches a global weekly audience of more than 236 million people in over 45 languages. VOA programs are delivered on satellite, cable, shortwave, FM, medium wave, streaming audio and video and more than 2,350 media outlets worldwide. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

(Press Release)