Voice off America

Voice off America ( VOA ), or in French the Voice of America , is the service of international diffusion per radio and television of the US government. Contrary to the Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale or BBC World Service, VOA is directly controlled by the State. Its organization of supervision is International Broadcasting Bureau. There are also several affiliated or committed radio stations with VOA which diffuse its programs. Those are also available on Internet. VOA was located initially in a site located at Union Township (today: West Chester Township), in the state of Ohio. Among other sites of VOA those of Dixon (California) are, Hawaii, Okinawa, Liberia, Costa Rica and the Belize. The audience of Voice off America would exceed 116 and televiewer listener million in 2006, against 163 million for BBC World Service and 44 million for RFI.

Objectives

The goals of V.O.A. are defined in a charter established in 1960 and become law the July 12th 1976 (Public Law 94-350). They are three:

To be a reliable source of information, with precision and objectivity.
To present the american company, its ways of thinking and its institutions.
To present the American policy clearly.

History

The second world war

As regards international radiophonic diffusion the the United States showed delay: in years 1930 they are the only large country not to be had public radio emitting towards the foreigner. Only a dozen transmitters short waves of low power and pertaining to the private sector exist then in this country. In 1941 several of them are rented by Coordination for Inter-American Affairs (C.I.A.A.) to diffuse programs towards the Latin America. In the middle of 1941 Roosevelt US president creates Foreign Information Service (F.I.S.) charged to emit towards the foreigner. The entry in war of the United States against Japan and Germany at the end of this same year facilitates the things. As of December 1941 the F.I.S. launches its first emissions bound for Asia. The February 24th 1942, the F.I.S. begins its diffusion towards Europe thanks to the transmitters with short waves from BBC. In June 1942 Voice off America is placed under the authority of the Office off War Information (O.W.I.).

With the end of the war Voice off America closes several of its services in foreign languages. At the end of 1945 a committee indicated by the government States-unien and chaired by Arthur McMahon of the university of Columbia requires of him to pay more attention to V.O.A. Thus the station, just as the C.I.A.A. passes under the control of the State Department the December 31st 1945.

The beginning of the Cold war: 1947 - 1953

The appearance of the Cold war in 1947 off gives a new justification to the existence of Voice America: to make hear the voice of America vis-a-vis that of the Soviet Union. In 1948 is voted Smith-Mundt Act who makes depend the services on diffusion abroad of the Office off International Information off Department off State. In the two years which follow the government hesitates between two options: Will V.O.A. be an information source for the foreigner or a means of supporting the American foreign policy, directed against the communist bloc? It is this last orientation which is selected.

But the Voice of America undergoes an serious attack in 1953. It is starting from the February 16th 1953 that the senator Joseph McCarthy is interested in V.O.A., of which he shows certain employees of ``negligence supporting Communism''. Several employees must resign or are laid off, the budget of the station is decreased, passing from 21 to 16 million dollars, the construction project of transmitters is stopped, and several services in foreign languages are removed.

The continuation of the Cold war: 1953 - 1990

The same year a commission indicated by president Eisenhower concluded as the services of information intended abroad should not be any more controlled by the State Department. Also United States Information Agency (U.S.I.A.) is created on August 1st 1953, on which Voice America depends off. Moreover the station moves of New York with Washington.

In 1960 the director of the U.S.I.A. off adopts the charter of Voice America which establishes the principles guiding the radio station. In 1969 it knows its best audience: 800 million people follows her retransmission of the first steps of the human being on the the Moon. The July 12th 1976 the charter of V.O.A. becomes federal law (Public Law 94-350). In 1977 the station becomes the first international diffuser to permanently use the satellite to transmit emissions.

During years 1980, VOA launches its television programs. In 1983 it initiates a programme of rebuilding and modernization of its technical equipment, become obsolete.

The years 1990

In 1997 the Albanian government off cuts the diffusion of the programs of Voice America by local stations. The same year the American diffusers towards the international one reach the satellite AsiaSat 2. A material change takes place with Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 which, the October 21st 1998, place public diffusers not-soldiers of intended programs abroad under the supervision of Broadcasting Board off Directors, composed of nine members.

Voice off America after September 11th, 2001

As of the months following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 V.O.A. undergoes important pressures on behalf of the US government not to diffuse interviews of people related to terrorism.

The will of the US government to reinforce its media abroad results in an increase of 30,96% of the appropriations allocated with the Voice of America between 2001 and 2002, like by the maintenance in 2002 of an important manpower. Since the number of employees fell but the budget of the radio station and television does not cease increasing (166 million dollars in 2006). The disorder agitating Somalia in 2006 and 2007 encourage the Voice of America has to start again its programs in Somali. The new budget for 2008, pas still approved by the Congress, will involve the 14 hours abandonment daily of VOA NewsNow English and the abandonment of the radiophonic diffusion in Cantonese, Uzbek, Croatian, Greek, Hindi and Russian. The intended programs with the North Korea, Cuba and the Venezuela should know an increase in their volume.

Languages

Currently

The Voice of America currently emits in 45 languages for its radio broadcasts and of 24 for television (marked with an asterisk):

History

The number of diffused languages decreased in 2004. From 52 languages in 1998, VOA passes to 55 in 2003 then goes down to 44 the following year.

Many hours of diffusion

In 2005 Voice off America diffused 1176 hours of programs, against 881 in 1998.

Goes down for hearing

For 2006 it would rise to more 115 televiewer and listener million. It is thus in progression because in 1999 it was of 91 million people.

Organization

Laws governing VOA and the IBB

Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 interdict in Voice off America to emit directly for the American citizens. The original goal of this law is to prevent that the US government has an direct impact on its population, contrary to many countries of Europe. In certain cases the approval of the Congress was requested to diffuse programs with the the United States, as for the television program Let Poland Be Poland . V.O.A. is audible in short waves and on Internet, this last means making it possible American to listen to this station.

Supervision

The organization of supervision of V.O.A. is International Broadcasting Bureau (I.B.B.) itself depend on Broadcasting Board off Governors (B.B.G.). The director of the I.B.B is named by the president of the United States. Although the I.B.B had the appearance of a wall protecting V.O.A. and the other diffusers with world vocation from any political interference, of criticisms rose these last years to call in question the degree of independence of the programmes of information of V.O.A. compared to the government policy. Thus in 2001 Voice off America underwent the direct pressures of the US government: in September 2001 the American State Department request with the Voice of America of not retransmettre the interview that one of its journalists had made of mollah Omar, but it is all the same diffused the September 25th 2001. Two months later the director of the radio request has his draftings to respect an American law forcing not to diffuse interviews of people or controlling related to terrorism.

The Broadcasting Board off Governors (B.B.G.) is an organization made up of nine people. Eights are indicated by the president of the United States of America, their nomination being confirmed or being cancelled by the Senate. The Secretary of State is member of office of this organization. These members belong to the two most important parties with the the United States, the democratic party and the Republican party. It is the organization which directs the American diffusers of State emitting for the foreigner. In addition to V.O.A., it has under its responsibility Radio Martí and TV Martí, intended for Cuba. Other state enterprises depend on the B.B.G., like Radio Sawa intended for young Arabic, Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.

In 2005 the budget of the IBB and B.B.G rose to 248 million dollars, against 233 million in 2004.

Internal organization

The director manages the various departments and services composing the Voice of America. Here the list of the directors:

Voice off America counted in 2005 1149 employees, a figure comparable with that of 1998, which amounted to 1143. However it is possible to distinguish three periods in the evolution from the number of paid: of 1998 with 2000 manpower is stable, and decreases even by 1999 with 2000, spending 1152 to 1118 people. In 2001 manpower increases to pass to 1353. Consequence of the attacks of September 11th, the working number of people with VOA remains stable the following year (1353). Then it decreases spending 1353 in 2002 at 1212 in 2003 and 1149 in 2005.

Budget

Voice off America functions thanks to the appropriations allocated by the Congrès of the United States. In 2006 the budget rises to 166 million dollars, that is to say 124,7 million Euro or 195,2 million Canadian dollars. The budget of VOA increases 1998 constantly with 2006. From 1998 with 2001, it passes from 102,478 to 112,7 million dollars. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 encourage the government to reinforce the power of action of V.O.A. which sees its budget increasing by 30,96% between 2001 and 2002. Between 2002 and 2006 it increased by 12,48%, passing from 147,588 to 166 million dollars.

Controversies

National sovereignty

It was sometimes suggested that the US government violated the national sovereignty of the foreign countries by diffusing emissions there. In March 2006 five Ethiopian journalists working for Voice off America were stopped by the Ethiopian government for treason

Payment for appearances

VOA paid journalists to appear in its emissions. According to El Nuevo Herald and Miami Herald, that would imply David Lightman, the chief of the office of Washington de Hartford Courant, Tom DeFrank, directing office of Washington of the New York Daily News, Helle Dale former director of the Opinions heading of Washington Times, Georgia Ann Meyer, Pablo Alfonso, to defer of El Nuevo Herald, and Wilfredo Cancio. In answer a spokesperson of the Broadcasting Board off Governors declared in El Nuevo Herald that this kind of payments did not pose a conflict of interest: During decades, lasting much, much from years, some of the most respected journalists received payments to take part in programs of Voice off America''.

See too

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