Voice of America Journalists Protest Ending of VOA Radio to China, Part Four

All Americans, including members of Congress, who support free press and human rights, should watch to watch this disturbing but highly informative video about the Obama administration's plan to end Voice of America (VOA) radio broadcasts to China on Oct. 1, 2011, which happens to be the national holiday of the Communist regime in Beijing.

The video shows a group of remarkable journalists from the Voice of America Mandarin and Cantonese radio, TV, and Internet services directing pointed questions to VOA Director Dan Austin and making persuasive arguments against the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) decision to end all on-the-air radio news broadcasting in their languages to China.

It's now up to the U.S. Congress to save VOA from the BBG's effort to destroy the Voice of America as a broadcasting organization. VOA radio broadcasts to Russia had already been terminated by the BBG in 2008, resulting in an over 80% drop in audience reach.

The BBG and Voice of America Director Austin makes a claim that Internet-only program delivery strategy prepares VOA for the future by targeting new media and a younger audience when in fact BBG's own research shows that it has been a failure in Russia and is not likely to reach a vast new audience.

VOA Chinese Service journalists point out that the BBG with the support of VOA Director Austin are terminating VOA radio broadcasts that have a larger audience in China and higher name recognition than Radio Free Asia (RFA) and BBC. The BBG plans to give VOA shortwave frequencies to RFA. One cannot be but impressed with professionalism and expert knowledge of these journalists when they point out to Director Austin that 750 million of Chinese have no Internet access and that the regime in Beijing can block and censor Internet access for those who have it. Director Austin keeps repeating that the strategy will bring a new audience when in fact — as the members of his Chinese services point out — they already have extensive Internet presence. They also pointed out to him and it was obvious from his answers that neither he nor the BBG has a plan to deal with any future blocking of the Internet in China.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• China
• Voice of America
• VOA
• BBG
• shortwave
• censorship
• Internet
• radio

[Bsfmig]

@Barrackobama1000 China can physically cut off all Internet connection to America or even to outside the Mainland China at any time, which renders all methods bypassing the Great Firewall invalid. Such method had been conducted in Xingjiang during Jul 09 to Jun 10.

[Barrackobama1000]

VOA is a propagando radio similar to Nazi propaganda radio. 1947 US began VOA Russian.1953 VOC Chinese after Korean War....people are more informs today through internet..what the use to keep contempt others and praise youself ? eventually people get fed up and lose interest. furthermore, Americans don't wish to hear others contempt USA.too. US should use the money at home to create job and mind your own business.take this 2 journalists to Wisconsin to fight for their pension.