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85-534: In 1958, President Eisenhower in an address to the United Nations proposed monitoring radio broadcasts: I believe that this Assembly should ... consider means for monitoring the radio broadcasts directed across national frontiers in the troubled Near East area. It should then examine complaints from these nations which consider their national security jeopardized by external propaganda. In the 1960s, President Kennedy to build an international broadcasting arm of

170-771: A "great many hours" of broadcast time were devoted to the dissemination of life-saving news and information following the disaster. Broadcast topics included "precautions for exposure to radioactive fallout" and reporting on the plight of the Estonians who were tasked with providing the clean-up operations in Ukraine. Communist governments also sent agents to infiltrate RFE's headquarters. Although some remained on staff for extended periods of time, government authorities discouraged their agents from interfering with broadcast activity, fearing that this could arouse suspicions and detract from their original purpose of gathering information on

255-599: A European-based organization. According to Puddington, Polish Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa and Russian reformer Grigory Yavlinsky would later recall secretly listening to the broadcasts despite the heavy jamming. The Soviet government turned its efforts towards blocking reception of Western programs. To limit access to foreign broadcasts, the Central Committee decreed that factories should remove all components allowing short-wave reception from USSR -made radio receivers. However, consumers easily learned that

340-564: A ban on all foreign media in the country, including RFE/RL. Kyrgyzstan suspended broadcasts of Radio Azattyk, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz language service, because it had asked that the government be able to pre-approve its programming. Other states such as Belarus , Iran , Turkmenistan , Tajikistan , and Uzbekistan prohibit re-broadcasting to local stations, making programming difficult for average listeners to access. In 1998, RFE/RL began broadcasting to Iraq . Iraqi president Saddam Hussein ordered Iraqi Intelligence Service , to "violently disrupt

425-459: A base at Platja de Pals , Spain . Radio Liberty expanded its audience by broadcasting programs in languages other than Russian. By March 1954, Radio Liberty was broadcasting six to seven hours daily in eleven languages. By December 1954, Radio Liberty was broadcasting in 17 languages including Ukrainian , Belarusian , Kazakh , Kyrgyz , Tajik , Turkmen , Uzbek , Tatar , Bashkir , Armenian , Azerbaijani , Georgian , and other languages of

510-590: A daily radio program of sports, music, and local and international news. In a January 2015 interview with The New York Times , the then newly appointed CEO of the BBG, Andrew Lack, said "We are facing a number of challenges from entities like Russia Today which is out there pushing a point of view, the Islamic State in the Middle East and groups like Boko Haram . But I firmly believe that this agency has

595-497: A failed attempt by a Czechoslovak Intelligence Service (StB) agent in 1959 to poison the salt shakers in the organization's cafeteria. In late 1960, an upheaval in the Czechoslovak service led to a number of dramatic changes in the organization's structure. RFE's New York headquarters could no longer effectively manage their Munich subsidiary. As a result major management responsibilities were transferred to Munich, making RFE

680-526: A journalist and writer, began the VOA's first radio show by saying "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." Then, in 1950, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) went on the air. The Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) was started in 1985. Radio Free Asia (RFA)

765-508: A network of well-connected émigrés and interviews with travelers and defectors. RFE did not use paid agents inside the Iron Curtain and based its bureaus in regions popular with exiles. RFE also extensively monitored Communist bloc publications and radio services, creating a body of information that would later serve as a resource for organizations across the world. In addition to its regular broadcasts, RFE spread broadcasts through

850-626: A number of central security concerns, including cyberterrorist attacks and general terrorist threats. After the September 11 attacks , American and Czech authorities agreed to move RFE/RL's Prague headquarters away from the city center in order to make it less vulnerable to terrorist attack. On February 19, 2009, RFE/RL began broadcasting from its new headquarters east of the city center. RFE/RL says that it continues to struggle with authoritarian regimes for permission to broadcast freely within their countries. On January 1, 2009, Azerbaijan imposed

935-596: A permanent bureau in Moscow. Following the November 17 demonstrations in 1989 and brutal crackdown by Czechoslovak riot police, Drahomíra Dražská  [ cs ] , a porter at a dormitory in Prague, reported that a student, Martin Šmíd , had been killed during the clashes. The Charter 77 activist Petr Uhl believed this account and passed it along to major news organizations, who broadcast it. After Reuters and

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1020-591: A program that focuses on women's issues and rights in the Arab world. To oversee Arabic broadcasts, the Middle East Broadcasting Network , Inc (MBN) was initiated in 2005. Other networks were also expanded under the BBG. Voice of America worked with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to launch Radio Farda , a Persian-language radio program targeting youth. In 2006, VOA initiated TV Ashna, a one-hour televised news broadcast, and Radio Deewa,

1105-562: A role to play in facing those challenges." The board of USAGM has an advisory role. It previously supervised USAGM media networks directly, but was replaced with a single appointed chief executive officer (CEO) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 , passed in December 2016. In 2018, the BBG changed its name to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The name change

1190-481: A second law firm, Caplin & Drysdale, had also been granted a similar no-bid contract in possible violation of federal contracting regulations for a total cost of $ 4 million. On January 20, 2021, journalist Kelu Chao was appointed acting CEO of the USAGM, replacing outgoing CEO Michael Pack . In September 2022, Amanda Bennett , a journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, received bipartisan confirmation by

1275-646: A series of operations that distributed leaflets via meteorological balloons ; one such operation, Prospero, sent messages to Czechoslovakia. From October 1951 to November 1956, the skies of Central Europe were filled with more than 350,000 balloons carrying over 300 million leaflets, posters, books, and other printed matter. The nature of the leaflets varied, and according to Arch Puddington included messages of support and encouragement "to citizens suffering under communist oppression", "satirical criticisms of communist regimes and leaders", information about dissident movements and human rights campaigns, and messages expressing

1360-520: A single CEO. The board, officially renamed as the International Broadcasting Advisory Board, was reduced to five members appointed by the president to serve in an advisory role. Previously appointed board members in excess of five could continue to serve, but would not be replaced when their term expired. Under the 2016 reform legislation, any new agency CEO is to be nominated by the U.S. president and confirmed by

1445-502: A transmitter base at Glória , Portugal in 1951. It also had a base at Oberwiesenfeld Airport on the outskirts of Munich, employing several former Nazi agents who had been involved in the Ostministerium under Gerhard von Mende during World War II. In 1955, Radio Liberty began broadcasting programs to Russia's eastern provinces from shortwave transmitters located on Taiwan . In 1959, Radio Liberty commenced broadcasts from

1530-449: A transmitter base at Lampertheim , West Germany, and on July 4 of the same year RFE completed its first broadcast aimed at Czechoslovakia . In late 1950, RFE began to assemble a full-fledged foreign broadcast staff, becoming more than a "mouthpiece for exiles". Teams of journalists were hired for each language service, and an elaborate system of intelligence gathering provided up-to-date broadcast material. Most of this material came from

1615-636: Is still debated. In 1958, the Central Committee mentioned that the sum spent on jamming was greater than the sum spent on domestic and international broadcasting combined. The Central Committee has admitted that circumventing jamming was both possible and practised in the Soviet Union. Due to limited resources, authorities prioritized jamming based on the location, language, time, and theme of Western transmissions. Highly political programs in Russian, broadcast at prime time to urban centers, were perceived as

1700-594: The Broadcasting Board of Governors ( BBG ), is an independent agency of the United States government that broadcasts news and information. It is considered an arm of U.S. diplomacy . The USAGM supervises Voice of America (VOA) and Office of Cuba Broadcasting as well as state-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , Radio Free Asia , Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Open Technology Fund . The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)

1785-557: The CIA until 1972, the two merged in 1976. RFE/RL was headquartered in Munich from 1949 to 1995, with additional broadcasts from Portugal's Glória do Ribatejo until 1996. Soviet authorities jammed their signals, and communist regimes often infiltrated their operations. Today, RFE/RL is a private 501(c)(3) corporation supervised by the U.S. Agency for Global Media , which oversees all government-supported international broadcasting. Since

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1870-783: The Caucasus , and the Middle East . Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL operates 21 local bureaus with over 500 core staff, 1,300 freelancers, and 680 employees at its corporate offices in Washington, D.C. Nicola Careem serves as the editor-in-chief. Founded during the Cold War , RFE began in 1949 targeting Soviet satellite states , while RL, established in 1951, focused on the Soviet Union . Initially funded covertly by

1955-591: The Czech Republic proceeded for three more years under the agreement with Czech Radio. In 2004 RFE/RL stopped broadcasting to Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania , Slovakia , Croatia , Montenegro , Bulgaria , and Romania . RFE/RL Chief Jeffrey Gedmin said in 2008 that the agency's mission is to serve as a surrogate free press in countries where such press is banned by the government or not fully established. It maintains 20 local bureaus. Governments that are subjected to critical reporting often attempt to obstruct

2040-485: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations . All six members shall not be regular, full-time employees of the U.S. government, and be appointed on the basis of being distinguished in the fields of public diplomacy, mass communications, print, broadcast or digital media, or foreign affairs. These six are appointed to a single term of four years, but they may continue to serve on

2125-628: The Hungarian revolution that year. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 , RFE broadcasts encouraged rebels to fight and suggested that Western support was imminent. These RFE broadcasts violated Eisenhower 's policy, which had determined that the United States would not provide military support for the Revolution. According to Arch Puddington, a former bureau manager for RFL/RL, a number of changes were implemented at RFE in

2210-679: The Inspector General of the US Department of State . The letter said that Pack had hired the McGuireWoods law firm to investigate USAGM employees and the OTF at a cost of over $ 2 million in the last quarter of 2020, bypassing US government investigators including USAGM's own Office of Human Resources, and called for further investigation of what it termed a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Washington Post later reported that

2295-697: The Revolutions of 1989 and the Soviet Union's dissolution , the organization's European presence has been reduced. Radio Free Europe was created and grew in its early years through the efforts of the National Committee for a Free Europe (NCFE), an anti-communist CIA front organization that was formed by Allen Dulles in New York City in 1949. RFE/RL received funds covertly from the CIA until 1972. During RFE's earliest years of existence,

2380-507: The U.S. Secretary of State . The end to jamming came abruptly on 21 November 1988 when Soviet and Eastern European jamming of virtually all foreign broadcasts, including RFE/RL services, ceased at 21:00 CET . During the Cold War, RFE was often criticized in the United States as not being sufficiently anti-communist. Although its non-governmental status spared it from full scale McCarthyist investigations, several RFE journalists, including

2465-577: The Voice of America (VOA) launched a new Russian-language TV news program, Current Time , "to provide audiences in countries bordering Russia with a balanced alternative to the disinformation produced by Russian media outlets that is driving instability in the region ". Over the next two years, Current Time – led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA – expanded to become a 24/7 digital and TV stream for Russian-speaking audiences worldwide. Around 2017, Voice of America and RFE/RL launched Polygraph.info , and

2550-538: The Voice of America (VOA) reported the story, RFE/RL decided to run it too. However, the report later turned out to be false. The story is credited by many sources with inspiring Czechoslovak citizens to join the subsequent (larger) demonstrations which eventually brought down the communist government. In 1995, RFE/RL moved its headquarters from Munich to Prague, to the building of the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly . It had been vacant since

2635-456: The 1960s, direct funding responsibility shifted to Congress. RFE/RL received funds from the CIA until 1972. The CIA's relationship with the radio stations began to break down in 1967, when Ramparts magazine published an exposé claiming that the CIA was channeling funds to civilian organizations. Further investigation into the CIA's funding activities revealed its connection to both RFE and RL, sparking significant media outrage. In 1971,

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2720-772: The 1992 dissolution of Czechoslovakia . The Clinton Administration reduced funding significantly and placed the service under the United States Information Agency 's oversight. RFE/RL ended broadcasts to Hungary in 1993 and stopped broadcasts to Poland in 1997. On January 31, 1994, RFE/RL launched broadcasts to the former Yugoslavia in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian languages. In the late 1990s RFE/RL launched broadcast to Kosovo in Albanian and to North Macedonia in Macedonian. Broadcast to

2805-629: The Agency says will enable them to continue their "vital mission to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy." This is an increase of $ 29.6 million from the 2022 requested level. In February 2010, BBG Executive Director Jeff Trimble collaborated with the National Security Council to publish a VOA statement about Iran's jamming of international satellites. In an email to Foreign Policy magazine, BBG's Public Affairs Director responded to

2890-585: The American Sector (RIAS) a U.S. government-sponsored radio service initially intended for Germans living in the American sector of Berlin. According to Arch Puddington, a former bureau manager for RFE/RL, it was also widely listened to by East Germans. Staffed almost entirely by Germans with minimal U.S. supervision, the station provided free media to German listeners. In January 1950, the NCFE obtained

2975-437: The CIA and U.S. Department of State issued broad policy directives, and a system evolved where broadcast policy was determined through negotiation between them and RFE staff. Radio Free Europe received widespread public support from Eisenhower's " Crusade for Freedom " campaign. In 1950, over 16 million Americans signed Eisenhower's "Freedom Scrolls" on a publicity trip to more than 20 U.S. cities and contributed $ 1,317,000 to

3060-493: The CIA officer in charge of overseeing broadcast services from 1954 to 1971, the CIA took a position of minimal government interference in radio affairs and programming. In 1974, they came under the control of an organization called the Board for International Broadcasting (BIB). The BIB was designed to receive appropriations from Congress, give them to radio managements, and oversee the appropriation of funds. On 1 October 1976,

3145-563: The Caucasus ), focused on local and international news and current affairs, organized in coordination with RFE/RL's Georgian Service. On January 15, 2010, RFE/RL began broadcasting to the Pashtun tribal areas of Pakistan in Pashto . The service, known as Radio Mashaal ("Torch"), was created in an attempt to counter the growing number of local Islamic extremist radio stations broadcasting in

3230-698: The Caucasus and Central Asia. According to certain European politicians such as Petr Nečas , RFE played a significant role in the collapse of communism and the development of democracy in Eastern Europe. Unlike government-censored programs, RFE publicized anti-Soviet protests and nationalist movements. Its audience increased substantially following the failed Berlin riots of 1953 and the highly publicized defection of Józef Światło . Arch Puddington argues that its Hungarian service's coverage of Poland 's Poznań riots in 1956 served as an inspiration for

3315-611: The International Broadcasting Act was born. This Act (Public Law 103-236) consolidated all non-military, U.S. Government international broadcast services under a Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and also created the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). The BBG is an independent government agency created to replace the Board for International Broadcasting and consolidate Voice of America broadcasting. In this law,

3400-678: The Internet." The BBG received $ 10 million from Congress for the purpose of fighting Internet censorship in China and other countries. The agency has $ 2 million earmarked to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests through the Open Technology Fund . This funding was frozen in June 2020 as China was preparing to introduce a new national security law for Hong Kong . President Biden's budget request for 2023 includes $ 840 million for USAGM, which

3485-463: The Iraqi broadcasting of Radio Free Europe". IIS planned to attack the headquarters with an RPG-7 from a window across the street. Czech Security Information Service (BIS) foiled the plot. In 2008, Afghan president Hamid Karzai urged his government to provide assistance to a rape victim after listening to her story on Radio Azadi , RFE/RL's Afghan service. According to REF/RL in 2009, Radio Azadi

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3570-565: The Jackal"), and paid for by Nicolae Ceaușescu , president of Romania. But, according to the former head of the KGB Counterintelligence Department K, general Oleg Kalugin , the bombing operation was planned over two years by Department K, with the active involvement of a KGB mole inside the radio station, Oleg Tumanov. This revelation directly implicates KGB colonel Oleg Nechiporenko , who recruited Tumanov in

3655-576: The Russian-language factograph.info , as fact-checking sites. On July 19, 2018, RFE/RL announced it will be returning its news services to Bulgaria and Romania by the end of 2018 amid growing concern about a reversal in democratic gains and attacks on the rule of law and the judiciary in the two countries. The Romanian news service re-launched on January 14, 2019, and the Bulgarian service re-launched on January 21, 2019. On 8 September 2020

3740-401: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report about USAGM's organization. As a federal agency, USAGM's budget request is part of the president's budget request to Congress. During the federal funding dispute for the fiscal year 2011, President Barack Obama sided with the BBG agreeing to language that the organization would "expand unrestricted access to information on

3825-516: The U.S. Senate to become CEO. Bennett was sworn in as CEO on December 6, 2022. USAGM is led by a single chief executive officer appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate . Until 2016, it was headed by a bi-partisan board with nine members; eight were appointed by the president with Senate confirmation, and the ninth member ex officio was the Secretary of State . By law, no more than four members could be from

3910-666: The U.S. Senate with authority to select key agency personnel. Former USAGM CEO John F. Lansing , who had been selected and approved in 2015 by the BBG Board holding a Democratic majority during the Obama administration, was not nominated by President Obama nor confirmed by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, as this was not required under previous legislation. In June 2018, President Trump announced his intention to nominate documentary film producer Michael Pack to head

3995-528: The United States Congress and that a new organization, the Board for International Broadcasting (BIB) would simultaneously link the stations and the federal government, and serve as an editorial buffer between them. According to Arch Puddington, a former bureau manager for RFE/RL, though both radio stations initially received most of their funding from the CIA, RFE maintained a strong sense of autonomy; Puddington says that under Cord Meyer ,

4080-594: The United States to as a way to promote foreign policy and overthrow communism. In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the Voice of America charter that established it as the leading branch of US international broadcasting. In 1993, the Clinton Administration proposed cutting the budget for Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty in order to reduce budget expenditures. However, after working with the Congress,

4165-523: The agency. He was confirmed by the Senate two years later, and served from June 5, 2020 until January 20, 2021, when he was asked to resign at the request of newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden . President Biden then appointed Kelu Chao as acting USAGM CEO. President Biden then nominated Amanda Bennett for CEO. She received bipartisan confirmation from the U.S. Senate in September 2022 and was sworn into

4250-492: The board until a successor is confirmed. Only three of these may be affiliated with the same political party. The President designates one member to serve as chairperson, with the advice and consent of the Senate. A majority of the members of the board constitutes a quorum, when excluding the Secretary of State. The current board members as of September 27, 2024: Past members of the board have included: In October 2021,

4335-459: The border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Radio Mashaal says that it broadcasts local and international news with in-depth reports on terrorism, politics, women's issues, and health care (with an emphasis on preventive medicine ). The station broadcasts roundtable discussions and interviews with tribal leaders and local policymakers, in addition to regular call-in programs. On October 14, 2014, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and

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4420-487: The controversial circumstances surrounding the deaths of three directors of RFE/RL's Romanian Service. On February 21, 1981, RFE/RL's headquarters in Munich was struck by a massive bomb, causing $ 2 million in damage. Several employees were injured, but there were no fatalities. Stasi files opened after 1989 indicated that the bombing was carried out by a group under the direction of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (known as "Carlos

4505-594: The controversy over its alleged role in the Hungarian Revolution. During the Mikhail Gorbachev era in the Soviet Union under Glasnost , RFE/RL benefited significantly from the Soviet Union's new openness. Gorbachev stopped the practice of jamming the broadcasts. In addition, dissident politicians and officials could be freely interviewed by RFE/RL for the first time without fearing persecution or imprisonment. By 1990, Radio Liberty had become

4590-410: The controversy, stating "the BBG 'firewall' served to protect the integrity and credibility of our journalistic products. An official policy statement by a senior management official of the agency is not a journalistic product." Later that year, Senator Tom Coburn held up the Obama administration's appointments of Michael P. Meehan and Dana Perino to the board, with the aim of drawing attention to

4675-419: The developing world. RFE was developed out of a belief that the Cold War would eventually be fought by political rather than military means. American policymakers such as George Kennan and John Foster Dulles acknowledged that the Cold War was essentially a war of ideas . The implementation of surrogate radio stations was a key part of the greater psychological war effort. RFE was modeled after Radio in

4760-454: The director of the Czech service, Ferdinand Peroutka , were accused of being soft on Communism. Fulton Lewis , a U.S. radio commentator and fervent anti-communist, was one of RFE's sharpest critics throughout the 1950s. His critical broadcasts inspired other journalists to investigate the inner workings of the organization, including its connection to the CIA. When its CIA ties were exposed in

4845-585: The early 1960s and was his Moscow curator. Nechiporenko has never denied his involvement. In an interview with Radio Liberty in 2003, he justified the bombing on the grounds that RFE/RL was an American propaganda tool against the Soviet Union. Tumanov was exfiltrated back to the USSR in 1986. Nechiporenko contacts with Carlos in the 1970s were confirmed by Nechiporenko himself in an article published by Segodnya in 2000 and by an article in Izvestia in 2001. For

4930-489: The expansion of RFE. Writer Sig Mickelson said that the NCFE's mission was to support refugees and provide them with a useful outlet for their opinions and creativity while increasing exposure to the modern world. The NCFE divided its program into three parts: exile relations, radio , and American contacts. The United States funded a long list of projects to counter the "Communist appeal" among intellectuals in Europe and

5015-586: The first two days following the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986, the official Eastern Bloc media did not report any news about the disaster, nor any full account for another four months. According to the Hoover Institute , the people of the Soviet Union "became frustrated with inconsistent and contradictory reports", and 36% of them turned to Western radio to provide accurate and pertinent information. Listenership at RFE/RL "shot up dramatically" as

5100-470: The label "causes unwarranted and unjustified concern about the accuracy and objectivity of [its] news coverage". 38°53′14.4″N 77°1′2.0″W  /  38.887333°N 77.017222°W  / 38.887333; -77.017222 Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ( RFE/RL ) is an American government -funded media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe , Central Asia ,

5185-469: The late 1960s. Technically, he was not a journalist. As a historian by training, he worked in the RFE's media analysis service in Munich. After more than five years, Czechowicz returned to Poland in 1971 and participated in programs aimed at embarrassing Radio Free Europe and the United States government." According to Richard Cummings, former Security Chief of Radio Free Europe, other espionage incidents included

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5270-573: The most dangerous. Seen as less politically threatening, Western music such as jazz was often transmitted unjammed. During and after the Cuban Missile Crisis in late 1962, jamming was intensified. The Cuban Missile Crisis, however, was followed by a five-year period when the jamming of most foreign broadcasters ceased, only to intensify again with the Prague Spring in 1968. It ceased again in 1973, when Henry Kissinger became

5355-426: The most listened-to Western radio station broadcasting to the Soviet Union. Its coverage of the 1991 August coup enriched sparse domestic coverage of the event and drew in a wide audience. The broadcasts allowed Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin to stay in touch with the Russian people during this turbulent period. Boris Yeltsin later expressed his gratitude through a presidential decree allowing Radio Liberty to open

5440-459: The necessary spare parts were available on the black market, and electronics engineers opposing the idea would gladly convert radios back to being able to receive short-wave transmissions. The most extensive form of reception obstruction was radio jamming . This was controlled by the KGB , which in turn reported to the Central Committee. Jamming was an expensive and arduous procedure, and its efficacy

5525-403: The operation of Radio Free Asia. In 2002, the Act was amended to include the Radio Free Afghanistan. In May 1994, the president announce the continuation of Radio Free Asia after 2009 was dependent on its increased international broadcasting and ability to reach its audience. Broadcasting Board of Governors The United States Agency for Global Media ( USAGM ), known until 2018 as

5610-406: The organization's perceived ineffectiveness, stating in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine: "The BBG is the most worthless organization in the federal government. It's full of people who know nothing about media or foreign policy." Senator Jim DeMint also attempted to use the nominations to force a hearing on the BBG after frustrations with a perceived lack of congressional oversight over

5695-406: The organization. Coburn had written an open letter to then–Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in August 2010 citing "longstanding concerns regarding transparency and effectiveness of our taxpayer funded international broadcasting agencies under the purview of the Broadcasting Board of Governors." Though a report on BBG was eventually given to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations , Coburn

5780-418: The position in December 2022. The board advises the CEO of the agency, as appropriate. It is composed of seven members, six appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate , and the U.S. Secretary of State . Of the six appointed members, one each should be appointed from among four lists of at least three individuals submitted by the chairs and ranking members of

5865-405: The president appoints one member of the board as the chairman of the board. The Secretary of State also serves on the board. Besides combining current radio service, this act also created the Radio Free Asia – a network aimed at Burma, China, Cambodia, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. In September 2009, the 111th Congress amended the International Broadcasting Act to allow a one-year extension of

5950-418: The radio station's activities. From 1965 to 1971, an agent of the SB ( Służba Bezpieczeństwa , Communist Poland's security service) successfully infiltrated the station with an operative, Captain Andrzej Czechowicz. According to former Voice of America Polish service director Ted Lipien: "Czechowicz is perhaps the most well known communist-era Polish spy who was still an active agent while working at RFE in

6035-501: The radio stations came under public spotlight once more when U.S. Senator Clifford Case introduced Senate Bill 18, which would have removed funding for RFE and RL from the CIA's budget, appropriated $ 30 million to pay for fiscal year 1972 activities, and required the State Department to temporarily oversee the radio stations. In May 1972, President Richard Nixon appointed a special commission to deliberate RFE/RL's future. The commission proposed that funding come directly from

6120-486: The same category? No, we wouldn't. However, there are concerns...that Russia's own independent media space is shrinking and the Kremlin continues to apply pressure on the few remaining outlets." On January 19, 2021, the nonprofit Government Accountability Project , representing fired USAGM employees and whistleblowers, sent a letter to the congressional foreign affairs committees, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel , and

6205-403: The same political party, in an effort to limit partisanship. The president designated one member (other than the Secretary of State) to serve as Chairman. The Board served as a "firewall" against political interference in the journalistic product. Upon the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 on December 23, 2016 the agency was placed under the direction of

6290-662: The solidarity of the American people with the residents of Eastern European nations. Puddington stated that "the project served as a publicity tool to solidify RFE's reputation as an unbiased broadcaster". Whereas Radio Free Europe broadcast to Soviet satellite countries, Radio Liberty broadcast to the Soviet Union . Radio Liberty was formed by American Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (Amcomlib) in 1951. Originally named Radio Liberation from Bolshevism,

6375-489: The station was renamed in 1956 to Radio Liberation in 1956, and received its present name, Radio Liberty after a policy statement emphasizing "liberalization" rather than "liberation". Radio Liberty began broadcasting from Lampertheim on March 1, 1953, gaining a substantial audience when it covered the death of Joseph Stalin four days later. In order to better serve a greater geographic area, RFE supplemented its shortwave transmissions from Lampertheim with broadcasts from

6460-403: The station's activities through a range of tactics, including extensive jamming, shutting down local re-broadcasting affiliates, or finding legal excuses to close down offices. RFE/RL says that its journalists and freelancers often risk their lives to broadcast information, and their safety has always been a major issue. Reporters have frequently been threatened and persecuted. RFE/RL also faces

6545-477: The two radio stations merged to form Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and added the three Baltic language services to their repertoire. Funding for RFE/RL increased during the Reagan administration . President Ronald Reagan , a fervent anticommunist, urged the stations to be more critical of the communist regimes. This presented a challenge to RFE/RL's broadcast strategy, which had been very cautious since

6630-645: The wake of this scandal, including the establishment of the Broadcast Analysis Division to ensure that broadcasts were accurate and professional while maintaining the journalists' autonomy. RFE was seen as a serious threat by Romanian president Nicolae Ceaușescu . From the mid-1970s to his overthrow and execution in December 1989, Ceaușescu waged a vengeful war against the RFE/RL under the program "Ether". Ether operations included physical attacks on Romanian journalists working for RFE/RL, including

6715-666: Was considered a part of the U.S. Information Agency . The first voting members of the BBG, confirmed on August 11, 1995, were David W. Burke, Ted Kaufman , Tom C. Korologos , Bette Bao Lord , Alberto J. Mora , Cheryl Halpern , Marc Nathanson , and Carl Spielvogel . On October 1, 1999, the BBG was established as an independent agency by the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998. The Agency has five broadcasting entities that were established from 1942 - 2004. The Voice of America (VOA) has been in operation since World War II . William Harlan Hale ,

6800-502: Was formed in 1994 with the passing of the International Broadcasting Act . The act established a bipartisan board that consisted of nine voting members, eight of whom were to be appointed by the president for a three–year term. The ninth was the secretary of state , also a political appointee, who would serve as an ex officio board member for the duration of their term as secretary. At this point, BBG

6885-580: Was founded in 1996. In 2002, BBG launched Radio Sawa , a 24/7 Arabic language radio network that broadcasts news and a mix of Western and Arabic music in the Middle East. In 2004, Alhurra TV was created as a televised sister network to Radio Sawa and began broadcasting throughout the Middle East. Since its founding, it has established programs such as Al Youm ( Today in English), a daily three-hour news program broadcast from five countries on three different continents; and Musawat ( Equality in English),

6970-436: Was initiated to help constituents better understand what USAGM does. The Open Technology Fund (OTF), launched in 2019, works to advance internet freedom, so USAGM journalists and audiences can have uncensored internet access. Over 2 billion people worldwide use OTF daily. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified Lack's statement in her January 23 press briefing, saying "would the U.S. Government put those three in

7055-604: Was the most popular radio station in Afghanistan, and Afghan listeners mailed hundreds of hand-written letters to the station each month. In September 2009, RFE/RL announced that it would begin new Pashto-language broadcasting to the Afghanistan–Pakistan border region. The following month RFE/RL introduced a daily, one-hour Russian-language broadcast, broadcasting to the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia . The program, called Ekho Kavkaza ( Echo of

7140-467: Was the reason Shell was denied entry to Russia. In 2018, The New York Times reported that the Agency had targeted Americans with Facebook ads for one of its outlets, which would violate the Smith–Mundt Act , a law "to protect Americans from domestic propaganda". In 2023, after Twitter decided to label the Voice of America's account as government-funded media, a VOA spokesperson told NPR that

7225-476: Was ultimately unsuccessful in trying to block the appointments to the board. In July 2016, the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, Jeff Shell , was denied entry into Russia. Matt Novak, writing for the tech website Gizmodo , referred to the BBG as the "propaganda arm" of the U.S. government and speculated that its alleged role in spreading propaganda on behalf of the U.S. government

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