Ixnay on the "oreignfay olicypay upportsay."

"Today, the President is forwarding the budget request for Fiscal Year 2010 to the Congress including a request for $745.5 million dollars for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an increase of 3.9% from FY 2009 levels. The request reflects the continued critical role of BBG broadcasts in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. The FY 2010 budget supports expanded local and regional coverage on the Voice of America's (VOA) Radio Deewa programs to Afghanistan and Pakistan and the establishment of a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Russian language Internet Web site for Central Asia. The request also supports the continued expansion of digital audio and video capability and programming for VOA, RFE/RL, and Radio Free Asia (RFA), and establishment of a television and radio equipment replacement program for the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN)." BBG press release, 11 May 2009, with link to detailed document.
     Successful International broadcasting has an audience because it provides an alternative to the state controlled media in the audiences' countries. Successful international broadcasters are therefore obsessed with credibility. They demonstrate their credibility by making assurances of their independence, even from the governments which may happen to fund them.
     To that end, I would change this sentence in the BBG press release: "The request reflects the continued critical role of BBG broadcasts in support of U.S. foreign policy goals." Substitute: "The request reflects the continued critical role of BBG broadcasts in providing accurate news and information to areas of foreign policy concern to the United States and to countries where domestic media are tightly controlled."
     The priorities of US international broadcasting should not necessarily coincide with the priorities of US foreign policy. Burma and Zimbabwe, for example, are not in the same US foreign policy tier as China and Iran, but, given the moribund state of Burmese and Zimbabwean domestic media, the two countries are prime targets for international radio. Laos would be a higher priority for US international broadcasting than US foreign policy, because of the highly controlled media in that country, VOA's nearby medium wave relay, and the absence of a BBC Lao Service. Posted: 17 May 2009 Permalink Print