Free Media Online » BBG http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog Supporting free media worldwide Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:33:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 BBG orders that contractors be paid on time by Thanksgiving http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/bbg-orders-that-contractors-be-paid-on-time-by-thanksgiving/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/bbg-orders-that-contractors-be-paid-on-time-by-thanksgiving/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:33:59 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/bbg-orders-that-contractors-be-paid-on-time-by-thanksgiving/ BBG Watch has learned that at the Governance Committee meeting this week, the Committee adopted unanimously (all four Governors present were: Michael Lynton, Susan McCue, Dennis Mulhaupt and Victor Ashe; Lynton and McCue participated by phone) a motion directing that all contractors be paid on time by Thanksgiving of this year.

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/bbg-orders-that-contractors-be-paid-on-time-by-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 Would Navalny visit Voice of America? Follow up to Washington Times op-ed http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/would-navalny-visit-voice-of-america-follow-up-to-washington-times-op-ed/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/would-navalny-visit-voice-of-america-follow-up-to-washington-times-op-ed/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:43:52 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/would-navalny-visit-voice-of-america-follow-up-to-washington-times-op-ed/ Ted Lipien, former VOA acting associate director who now serves on the board of directors of the nongovernmental Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB), has shared with us an email he sent to Lynne Weil, new Director of Communications and External Affairs of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). Ted Lipien’s email is in response to Ms. Weil’s comment (attached at the end of this post) to Lipien’s op-ed in The Washington Times. Mr. Lipien told us that he sent copies of his email to all BBG members, except Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, the Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, whose email address he did not have, to VOA Director David Ensor and IBB Director Richard Lobo. Dear Lynne, I saw your letter to The Washington Times on John Brown’s [public diplomacy] blog. I will post the attached response. It is lengthy because I quote extensively from the BBG evaluation of the VOA Russian website. I don’t mind criticism, I engage in it myself, but I must say that the various accusations against my journalism, especially in the “VOA Public Relations” comment, are extremely lame, less in your response, although you do accuse me of crimes I never committed. I never said that the BBG completely ignored the VOA anniversary, it’s just that their new website is a mess and they had nothing on it on the home page on Feb. 1. I was very reluctant at first to write the op-ed for the WT because it hurts entire VOA, but decided that it was the only way to get BBG members to do something to reform the Russian Service, to reevaluate BBG’s commercially-minded approach to program placement and staffing,…[stop] ignoring Voice of America’s special role in supporting human rights, public diplomacy and representing America, which is the only thing U.S. taxpayers may be willing to pay for. I don’t believe you can mix VOA with surrogate broadcasters or surrogate broadcasters with VOA. I also strongly support surrogate broadcasters where they are really needed. They need to be truly independent. If you read the “VOA Public Relations” response on the WT site, the VOA, IBB, and BBG management team is still in complete denial. I hope David Ensor isn’t. I thought that his response, although lacking specifics, was quite good. At least he did not engage in character assassination. I know that you had to respond. I wish your response was more objective. But I’m willing to live with it. The “VOA Public Relations” response was something else. Contrary to what you may have heard I have no axes to grind with anyone at the BBG. I left the organization on very good terms at the top of my career. I do, however, object very strongly to those who want to eliminate VOA broadcasting, deny its special role, privatize it, staff it with contract employees and exploit them shamelessly. Claims that you can’t have a great website and radio and satellite TV at the same time…

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Would Navalny visit Voice of America? Follow up to Washington Times op-ed

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/11/would-navalny-visit-voice-of-america-follow-up-to-washington-times-op-ed/feed/ 0 VOA Public Relations does a number on Lipien, 1Amendment responds http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voa-public-relations-does-a-number-on-lipien-1amendment-responds/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voa-public-relations-does-a-number-on-lipien-1amendment-responds/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:04:38 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voa-public-relations-does-a-number-on-lipien-1amendment-responds/ The Voice of America Office of Public Relations responded to Ted Lipien’s op-ed in The Washington Times. We post Lipien’s opening paragraph with the link to the article. The VOA Public Relations Office response is posted below as well as a reply to it from 1Amendment. LIPIEN: VOA harms Putin opposition in Russia Faked interviews, lax Web security are signs a shakeup is needed By Ted Lipien -The Washington Times Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Illustration by John Camejo for The Washington Times The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the agency in charge of critical U.S. information programs to countries such as Iran, China and Russia, can only be described as a failed enterprise in need of emergency surgery. Just as the new Voice of America (VOA) director, David Ensor, was praising the VOA Russian Service as a model of innovation during a speech to mark the broadcast’s 70th anniversary, the Russian Service was posting an apology to Alexei Navalny, a famous Russian anti-corruption lawyer, opposition leader and blogger, for publishing an online interview with him, which he described as “100 percent fake.” Mr. Navalny said he never granted this interview (he hasn’t been giving any interviews recently), accused Voice of America of “going nuts,” and suggested that all VOA Russian staff should be let go. The alleged interview, apparently obtained through an exchange of emails, included uncharacteristic attacks on other Russian opposition leaders who are Mr. Navalny’s allies against the Kremlin. No one bothered to confirm whether the answers received by email came from Mr. Navalny. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) also had a similar incident in which someone impersonated another opposition figure in Russia. READ more of LIPIEN: VOA harms Putin opposition in Russia VOA Public Relations Mr. Lipien is wrong about VOA’s Russian Service, and he badly misstates the facts on almost every point. VOA’s Russian website did publish comments it believed to be from Russian blogger and opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The article was taken down promptly when Mr. Navalny tweeted that he did not give the interview. VOA has apologized, saying in part “As a result of this incident we will strengthen our editorial standards and enact additional safeguards.” Mr. Lipien, a former VOA journalist, should also know he is wrong when he says “In 2008, the BBG (VOA’s parent organization) ended VOA radio and TV broadcasts to Russia.” In fact, after the end of the Cold War, VOA radio and television programs were carried on a number of affiliate stations throughout Russia, but under Russian government pressure almost all those broadcasts were stopped. Since then, VOA’s Russian Service has built a reliable online audience with a vibrant website that provides fair and balanced coverage. Mr. Lipien also unfairly implies the journalists who are recent arrivals from Russia and VOA stringers in Russia are somehow a liability. These dedicated reporters go through U.S. national security clearances and are the driving force behind the Russian Service’s expansion in a rapidly evolving digital environment. No one should be…

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VOA Public Relations does a number on Lipien, 1Amendment responds

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voa-public-relations-does-a-number-on-lipien-1amendment-responds/feed/ 0 Voice of America Director Ensor’s ‘Getting It Right in Russia’ explanation misses the main point http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voice-of-america-director-ensor%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98getting-it-right-in-russia%e2%80%99-explanation-misses-the-main-point/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voice-of-america-director-ensor%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98getting-it-right-in-russia%e2%80%99-explanation-misses-the-main-point/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:41:12 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voice-of-america-director-ensor%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98getting-it-right-in-russia%e2%80%99-explanation-misses-the-main-point/ BBG Watch Commentary Commenting on the Voice of America director David Ensor’s response to the posting of a fake interview on the VOA Russian website, one veteran VOA journalist observed that for a good reporter like Ensor, it is very short on specifics. It would force CNN viewers to switch channels. It misses the main point of what led to the posting of a fake interview on the VOA Russian Service website. This devastating mistake is part of a big systemic problem at the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the Voice of America. David Ensor’s response is very inadequate in both explanations and solutions. It implies that it is merely a problem of editorial procedures when in fact it is a management and leadership crisis. The people who should go are senior BBG, IBB and VOA executives and advisors. They are the ones responsible for the problem of outsourcing, POV staffing, exploiting of contractors, not paying them on time but at the same time expecting that they will be totally loyal. The VOA Russian Service needs to be rebuilt from scratch, otherwise it will never have any credibility with the pro-democracy opposition in Russia. Director Ensor needs to make drastic changes and announce them. He should go to Russia and meet with Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader embarrassed and harmed by VOA. We do respect Director Ensor’s considerable achievements as a foreign correspondent, but we hope now that he will also do the right thing as VOA director. As today’s Washington Times op-ed suggested, what needs to be done is an emergency surgery. BBG Watch is posting a few questions which will hopefully help Director Ensor and BBG members get ready to perform it as soon as possible, the sonner the better. 1. At what level do you plan to stop outsourcing critical editorial and journalistic functions to poorly paid, poorly trained, poorly vetted and poorly supervised contractors from Russia? 2. Why were experienced VOA Russian Service editors forced to retire, were pushed out, or quit being disgusted with the “pro-Putin” bias imposed by BBG program advisors? 3. Why was a study done by a highly respected journalist fighting Putin’s censorship in Russia, who concluded that the VOA Russian website had a “pro-Putin bias” and downplayed human rights reporting, ignored by VOA and BBG management? 4. Why did you not call Alexei Navalny immediately and apologize personally. He is, after all, not just a pro-democracy blogger but a leading opponent of Prime Minister Putin, anti-corruption lawyer, and opposition leader. 5. Why did it take you so long to respond in any way to the incident? 6. Are you concerned that some members of your VOA Russian team were privately accusing a courageous Russian human rights campaigner of giving the interview and then lying about it and that higher level managers who are supposed to supervise these contractors and to advise you were also telling many people within VOA and IBB/BBG that Navalny may be a liar? 7. What does that…

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Voice of America Director Ensor’s ‘Getting It Right in Russia’ explanation misses the main point

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/10/voice-of-america-director-ensor%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98getting-it-right-in-russia%e2%80%99-explanation-misses-the-main-point/feed/ 0 Washington Times Op-Ed warns about pro-Putin bias in Voice of America Russian programs http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/08/washington-times-op-ed-warns-about-pro-putin-bias-in-voice-of-america-russian-programs/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/08/washington-times-op-ed-warns-about-pro-putin-bias-in-voice-of-america-russian-programs/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:18:02 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/09/washington-times-op-ed-warns-about-pro-putin-bias-in-voice-of-america-russian-programs/ Republished from BBG Watch.

In a Washington Times Op-Ed, a Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting member Ted Lipien warned about a pro-Putin bias in the Voice of America Russian programs. Lipien reported that a highly respected independent journalist in Russia hired by the Broadcasting Board of Governors to evaluate the VOA Russian website concluded last year that it has a pro-Kremlin bias and downplays human rights reporting. BBG executives apparently failed to share the results of this study with BBG members.

On January 31, the Voice of America posted on its Russian website an alleged interview with a prominent Russian anti-corruption lawyer, anti-Putin opposition leader and blogger Alexei Navalny but had to remove it and apologize after Navalny said that the interview was “100 percent fake.” Navalny, who is viewed as an enemy by the Kremlin and has been a target of disinformation campaigns by Prime Minister Putin’s supporters, accused the Voice of America of “going nuts” and suggested that all those working for the VOA Russian Service should be let go.

BBG Watch website reported that despite issuing an apology, some staffers who were responsible for posting the fake interview have been telling VOA and BBG management that Navalny did give them an interview through an exchange of emails and then lied about it. BBG Watch reported that these staffers are recent arrivals from Russia who were hired as poorly paid contractors to replace experienced journalists who had been retired or pushed out because they were critical of Putin and may have lacked new media skills.

Asked by BBG Watch for a comment, Lipien said that in his long career with the Voice of America he did not recall a single incident where VOA would air a fake interview with a major anti-communist figure like Andrei Sakharov, Lech Walesa, or Vaclav Havel. “Had we done so due to some kind of secret police provocation, of which there were many, we would certainly not accuse these brave men of lying,” Lipien said.

The fact that this incident happened and that some VOA Russian Service staffers are still engaged in a whispering campaign of accusing Andrei Navalny of lying, as reported by BBG Watch, is extremely disturbing, Lipien said. Voice of America director should have called Alexei Navalny and issued a personal apology, which should have been posted on VOA websites in Russian and English, Lipien suggested. The fact that the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on the fake interview incident in both Russian and English, but the VOA English news website completely ignored the story, points to serious problems with Voice of America journalism under the guidance of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. In many ways, it is now much worse than it was when VOA was still part of the United States Information Agency but VOA journalists knew how to use the VOA Charter to demand that controversial stories be covered, Lipien said. BBG Watch has been reporting that BBG

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Washington Times Op-Ed warns about pro-Putin bias in Voice of America Russian programs

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/02/08/washington-times-op-ed-warns-about-pro-putin-bias-in-voice-of-america-russian-programs/feed/ 0 Victor Ashe says treatment of contract employees by BBG executives amounts to abuse of the system http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/victor-ashe-says-treatment-of-contract-employees-by-bbg-executives-amounts-to-abuse-of-the-system/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/victor-ashe-says-treatment-of-contract-employees-by-bbg-executives-amounts-to-abuse-of-the-system/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:59:40 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=14011 In an open challenge to Broadcasting Board of Governors executives who can’t stand him, BBG member Victor Ashe told the Knoxville News Sentinel newspaper (“Victor Ashe advocates for contract workers“) that some contract employees at the Voice of America (VOA) have been working there 18 to 25 years. “To me, it’s an abuse of the system. They are not represented by unions or an association,” Ashe said.

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Victor Ashe says treatment of contract employees by BBG executives amounts to abuse of the system

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/victor-ashe-says-treatment-of-contract-employees-by-bbg-executives-amounts-to-abuse-of-the-system/feed/ 0 Will fundraising for Obama get Dick Lobo chairmanship of Broadcasting Board of Governors? http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/will-fundraising-for-obama-get-dick-lobo-chairmanship-of-broadcasting-board-of-governors/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/will-fundraising-for-obama-get-dick-lobo-chairmanship-of-broadcasting-board-of-governors/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:58:55 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13991 BBG Watch Commentary There have been rumors that Richard Lobo, the current director of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), is being considered by the White House for the position of the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). IBB and Voice of America (VOA) are some of the elements of the BBG, which manages all U.S. government-funded civilian international broadcasting and Internet news operations.

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Will fundraising for Obama get Dick Lobo chairmanship of Broadcasting Board of Governors?

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/will-fundraising-for-obama-get-dick-lobo-chairmanship-of-broadcasting-board-of-governors/feed/ 0 CUSIB Statement on the Resignation of BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/cusib-statement-on-the-resignation-of-bbg-chairman-walter-isaacson/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/cusib-statement-on-the-resignation-of-bbg-chairman-walter-isaacson/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:57:54 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13972 The independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB), which supports media freedom abroad and was opposed to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) plans to end Voice of America (VOA) radio and television broadcasts to China, has issued a statement on the announced resignation of the BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson.

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CUSIB Statement on the Resignation of BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/cusib-statement-on-the-resignation-of-bbg-chairman-walter-isaacson/feed/ 0 Breaking news: Walter Isaacson stepping down as Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/breaking-news-walter-isaacson-stepping-down-as-broadcasting-board-of-governors-chairman/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/breaking-news-walter-isaacson-stepping-down-as-broadcasting-board-of-governors-chairman/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:56:56 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13969 BBG Watch, the independent BBG employee website, is reporting that the Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Walter Isaacson is stepping down from his BBG position. According to Isaacson’s email to his senior staff, he informed the White House about his decision and said that he is involved in a new writing project.

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Breaking news: Walter Isaacson stepping down as Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/breaking-news-walter-isaacson-stepping-down-as-broadcasting-board-of-governors-chairman/feed/ 0 Broadcasting Board of Governors member lashes out against domestic critics, calling them ‘cowards’ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/broadcasting-board-of-governors-member-lashes-out-against-domestic-critics-calling-them-%e2%80%98cowards%e2%80%99/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/broadcasting-board-of-governors-member-lashes-out-against-domestic-critics-calling-them-%e2%80%98cowards%e2%80%99/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:52:47 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13973 BBG Watch Commentary We have just heard that the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors Walter Isaacson is stepping down from his post at the BBG. He is not responsible for any calls for censorship against BBG Watch and is regarded as a supporter of transparency.

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Broadcasting Board of Governors member lashes out against domestic critics, calling them ‘cowards’

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/broadcasting-board-of-governors-member-lashes-out-against-domestic-critics-calling-them-%e2%80%98cowards%e2%80%99/feed/ 0 Voice of America hushed up mistakes by former CNN employees http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/voice-of-america-hushed-up-mistakes-by-former-cnn-employees/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/voice-of-america-hushed-up-mistakes-by-former-cnn-employees/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:50:42 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13970 BBG Watch Commentary We have reported earlier that former CNN employees, who lack experience in international broadcasting, speak no foreign languages and have poor management skills, have been making embarrassing decisions and undermining employee morale at the media entities managed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). We are not referring here to BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson, a talented writer, or Voice of America Director David Ensor, an accomplished reporter with extensive experience in covering international affairs. Both were formerly with CNN.

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Voice of America hushed up mistakes by former CNN employees

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/31/voice-of-america-hushed-up-mistakes-by-former-cnn-employees/feed/ 0 Old perestroika journalists need not apply – RFE/RL President Steven Korn defends his record http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/old-perestroika-journalists-need-not-apply-%e2%80%93-rferl-president-steven-korn-defends-his-record/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/old-perestroika-journalists-need-not-apply-%e2%80%93-rferl-president-steven-korn-defends-his-record/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:18:49 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13909 Old perestroika journalists need not apply – Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty President Steven Korn defends his record A BBG Watch Commentary We welcome the first posts from Jan (a pen name), a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist working in Prague, and from Leon (also a pen name), a former RFE/RL editor.

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Old perestroika journalists need not apply – RFE/RL President Steven Korn defends his record

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/old-perestroika-journalists-need-not-apply-%e2%80%93-rferl-president-steven-korn-defends-his-record/feed/ 0 Have a backup plan: VOA Director David Ensor on satellite TV signal jamming http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/have-a-backup-plan-voa-director-david-ensor-on-satellite-tv-signal-jamming/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/have-a-backup-plan-voa-director-david-ensor-on-satellite-tv-signal-jamming/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:17:51 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13951 Voice of America (VOA) Director David Ensor has commented on the Iranian jamming of VOA satellite television signals. His is a significant post since it exposes the ability of any country or even a group of people to render satellite television programs useless. That leaves the Internet and shortwave radio.

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Have a backup plan: VOA Director David Ensor on satellite TV signal jamming

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/27/have-a-backup-plan-voa-director-david-ensor-on-satellite-tv-signal-jamming/feed/ 0 Media freedom activist Ted Lipien warns against diminished public stake in U.S. international broadcasting http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/19/media-freedom-activist-ted-lipien-warns-against-diminished-public-stake-in-u-s-international-broadcasting/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/19/media-freedom-activist-ted-lipien-warns-against-diminished-public-stake-in-u-s-international-broadcasting/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:47:26 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13789 Republished from the Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB) website: In an article published in American Diplomacy, a quarterly electronic journal of commentary, analysis, and research on American foreign policy and its practice, the Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB) director Ted Lipien warns against diminished public stake in U.S.

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Media freedom activist Ted Lipien warns against diminished public stake in U.S. international broadcasting

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/19/media-freedom-activist-ted-lipien-warns-against-diminished-public-stake-in-u-s-international-broadcasting/feed/ 0 VOA Reporter Killed In Pakistan, BBG Watch urges BBG to do more to take care of contract and overseas-based employees http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/voa-reporter-killed-in-pakistan-bbg-watch-urges-bbg-to-do-more-to-take-care-of-contract-and-overseas-based-employees/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/voa-reporter-killed-in-pakistan-bbg-watch-urges-bbg-to-do-more-to-take-care-of-contract-and-overseas-based-employees/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:27:30 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13770 BBG Watch reporters and contributors, many of us former and current Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) employees, are shocked and saddened by the killing in Pakistan of Mukarram Khan Aatif, a reporter for Voice of America’s Deewa Radio. This tragedy shows what great sacrifices Voice of America overseas-based contract employees make everyday. Mukarram Khan Aatif was a hero

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VOA Reporter Killed In Pakistan, BBG Watch urges BBG to do more to take care of contract and overseas-based employees

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/voa-reporter-killed-in-pakistan-bbg-watch-urges-bbg-to-do-more-to-take-care-of-contract-and-overseas-based-employees/feed/ 0 BBG Plans Hit Major Rocks and Realities in VOA Central News – The Federalist http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/bbg-plans-hit-major-rocks-and-realities-in-voa-central-news-%e2%80%93-the-federalist/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/bbg-plans-hit-major-rocks-and-realities-in-voa-central-news-%e2%80%93-the-federalist/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:27:02 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13771 The entities – all the entities – function better as self-contained units, serving their respective missions and intended audiences. — The Federalist We could not agree more with this statement from The Federalist, one of our regular and popular contributors

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BBG Plans Hit Major Rocks and Realities in VOA Central News – The Federalist

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/bbg-plans-hit-major-rocks-and-realities-in-voa-central-news-%e2%80%93-the-federalist/feed/ 0 CUSIB’s open letter to BBG urges greater public scrutiny of U.S. international broadcasting http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/cusib%e2%80%99s-open-letter-to-bbg-urges-greater-public-scrutiny-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/cusib%e2%80%99s-open-letter-to-bbg-urges-greater-public-scrutiny-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:26:37 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13772 The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB) has sent an open letter to members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) warning against a threat of diminished public control over U.S. overseas broadcasts under the BBG’s proposed reorganization plan.

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CUSIB’s open letter to BBG urges greater public scrutiny of U.S. international broadcasting

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/17/cusib%e2%80%99s-open-letter-to-bbg-urges-greater-public-scrutiny-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/feed/ 0 ‘Old white guys’ meet ‘cute young intern’ and First Amendment at the Broadcasting Board of Governors http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/%e2%80%98old-white-guys%e2%80%99-meet-%e2%80%98cute-young-intern%e2%80%99-and-first-amendment-at-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/%e2%80%98old-white-guys%e2%80%99-meet-%e2%80%98cute-young-intern%e2%80%99-and-first-amendment-at-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:43:49 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13724 A commentary by BBG Watch Cute High School Intern Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) officials have gotten so used to running their small federal agency like their own private country club that they still frequently forget that at least some of their meetings can now be viewed online. While the video from the last BBG meeting was streamed live, the on demand link to the video has not worked since then

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‘Old white guys’ meet ‘cute young intern’ and First Amendment at the Broadcasting Board of Governors

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/%e2%80%98old-white-guys%e2%80%99-meet-%e2%80%98cute-young-intern%e2%80%99-and-first-amendment-at-the-broadcasting-board-of-governors/feed/ 0 Isaacson compromises in battle over public control of U.S. international broadcasting http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/isaacson-compromises-in-battle-over-public-control-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/isaacson-compromises-in-battle-over-public-control-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:38:53 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13723 The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) chairman Walter Isaacson has modified some of his positions on the reorganization of U.S. international broadcasting in response to criticism and pressure from individuals and groups opposed to limiting public ownership and control of U.S. Government’s journalistic communications with foreign audiences.

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Isaacson compromises in battle over public control of U.S. international broadcasting

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/16/isaacson-compromises-in-battle-over-public-control-of-u-s-international-broadcasting/feed/ 0 Architects of BBG’s failed China plan rewarded with new positions http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/architects-of-bbg%e2%80%99s-failed-china-plan-rewarded-with-new-positions/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/architects-of-bbg%e2%80%99s-failed-china-plan-rewarded-with-new-positions/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:57:22 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13634 Two Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) officials described by BBG Watch sources as chief architects of the failed BBG plan to end Voice of America (VOA) radio and TV broadcasts to China have been rewarded with new positions. The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Director Richard Lobo named Bruce Sherman as director of a newly-formed Office of Strategy and Development. Lobo also named Jeff Trimble as IBB deputy director.

[Update: A comment posted by someone claiming close knowledge of the BBG staff charges that BBG Watch sources are wrong and that neither Mr. Trimble, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Lobo nor even the current members of the BBG had anything to do with the plan to end VOA broadcasts to China, which the current Board did submit to Congress and vigorously defended. (BBG Watch has received a copy of a lengthy memo sent to Congress by one of the current BBG members who strongly defends the decision to end VOA broadcasts to China and cites research and analysis from the BBG staff.) The author of the comment to this story, however, puts the entire blame on former VOA Director Dan Austin and one other VOA manager and claims that the BBG staff, presumably that includes Mr. Trimble and Mr. Sherman, had opposed this plan. BBG Watch sources tell a different story and point out that the same two individuals were also responsible for arguing in favor of ending VOA radio and TV broadcasts to Russia in 2008 and for supporting eliminations or reductions in other broadcasting services to countries without free media. BBG Watch sources do concede, however, that former VOA Director Austin did support the China plan.]

[Correction from IBB Director Lobo: BBG Watch has learned that IBB Director Richard Lobo has corrected a mistake in his memo. Paul Kollmer-Dorsey does not have the tile of General Counsel. He is Deputy General Counsel. The General Counsel position has been vacant for some time.]

Jeff Trimble

Sources describe Sherman and Trimble as being primarily responsible for formulating the plan to end VOA broadcasts to China. The plan had generated strong bipartisan opposition in Congress, which forced the BBG to give up its intention to end VOA radio and TV broadcasts in Mandarin and Cantonese and to fire 45 VOA Chinese Branch journalists, most of whom specialize in human rights reporting.

According to BBG Watch sources, Trimble and Sherman are protected by the BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson who wants to de-federalize VOA and Radio and TV Marti and to limit the independence of the BBG-managed surrogate broadcasters: the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Lobo had been appointed to his position by President Obama.

BBG Watch sources describe Trimble and Sherman as the chief authors of the BBG strategic plan which calls for these changes. One source told BBG Watch that not all BBG members supported Sherman’s promotion. BBG Governor Victor Ashe, who has become an outspoken critic of the BBG/IBB management team, was — according to BBG Watch sources — opposed to rewarding Sherman and Trimble with these new positions.

Steven Korn

BBG Watch has also received reliable information that the heads of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) and of Radio Free Asia (RFA), Brian Conniff and Libby Liu, have raised serious reservations about the Sherman-Trimble plan to merge MBN and RFA together with RFE/RL into a large corporate bureaucracy. Critics of the BBG strategic plan point out that the main feature that makes these surrogate broadcasters successful is their administrative and editorial independence, while the BBG strategic plan calls for administrative and editorial centralization and creating a BBG global news network.

The head of RFE/RL Steven Korn, an old friend of Walter Isaacson (they both worked at CNN), is described as the only one supporting the merger without any objections. Sources tell us that Korn has been making controversial personnel changes at RFE/RL designed to protect careers of his favorite subordinates after the proposed merger.

###

From an official IBB announcement:

From: IBB Notices Administration [notices@bbg.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 5:58 PM
To: IBB Staff
Subject: Message from the IBB Director

Colleagues:

The merger of the IBB and BBG staffs will become effective on January 15, 2012.
This action reflects the Board’s commitment to streamline and increase the efficiency of agency operations, as called for in the newly adopted 2012-2016 Strategic Plan. The merger will facilitate the development of BBG-wide strategies and objectives, strengthen oversight of program and organizational performance, and enhance collaboration among our Federal and non-Federal entities.

An organizational chart showing the restructured, merged IBB/BBG operation is attached. Here are the key changes:

A new Office of Strategy and Development will lead development and implementation of strategy through coordinated planning, agency-level audience research and impact assessment, program placement, development, and international media training. The Office will work with the broadcast services to align strategy at the Agency and language service levels as well as across entities to enhance performance and meet the goals set by the Strategic Plan. It will incorporate the former BBG Office of Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement, the IBB Office of Marketing and Program Placement, and VOA Business Development. Bruce Sherman will serve as director.

The Office of Performance Review takes on enhanced responsibilities under the continued leadership of Kelu Chao. The Office will continue to conduct VOA and OCB language service research and programming reviews. It will now also be responsible for conducting management analyses of the operational effectiveness of all BBG elements and for coordinating inspections and reviews by the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office. The Office, together with the performance review elements of the non-Federal entities, will also provide feedback to help shape strategy.

The Office of Communications and External Relations is responsible for communications and outreach activities for the Board and will serve as the Board’s chief advisor for Congressional and external relations. The Office also coordinates communications operations of the BBG’s media networks — VOA, RFE, RFA, MBN, and OCB. The Graphics Unit, under the continued supervision of Tuleda Johnson, will move from the Marketing and Program Placement office to the Communications office. The position of Director of the Office of Communications and External Relations was recently advertised, and I hope shortly to be able to announce the selection of the Director of this office.

The Office of New Media has been renamed the Office of Digital and Design Innovation to better reflect its role in the development and implementation of innovative projects, programs, and services across U.S. international media. The Office will continue to play a key role in expanding the use of the best core technology platforms, as well as assisting entities in executing global digital and brand strategies, but also build out the next generation of digital products that present our content in an increasingly complex media landscape. Rob Bole continues as the Director of this Office.

A Board Operations Staff will be formalized under the direction of the Board Secretary and General Counsel, Paul Kollmer-Dorsey, and will continue to support the Board in its meetings and other operations.

The Secretariat staff and the Analysis and Administration Division will be combined as the Administrative and Secretariat Operations Unit. The Unit will coordinate the development, approval and codification of Agency administrative policies in the form of the Broadcasting Administrative Manual and provide Secretariat services to the BBG, along with the Division’s current functions. Doris Garay-Nellius will head this Unit.

I have designated Jeff Trimble as IBB Deputy Director. Jeff will assist me in overseeing IBB operations, and will carry out special projects at my direction, including the ongoing work to create a BBG global news network, a core element of the new Strategic Plan.

While this merger is a significant step, it is only a part of an ongoing, longer-term restructuring process. In coming months we will continue to study and evaluate this new organization, with an eye toward making further changes to achieve greater efficiencies and otherwise improve our performance. I look forward to your continued cooperation and assistance as we move forward.

Regards,

Dick Lobo
IBB Director

New BBG Organizational Chart

Link:
Architects of BBG’s failed China plan rewarded with new positions

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/architects-of-bbg%e2%80%99s-failed-china-plan-rewarded-with-new-positions/feed/ 0 Recognition of Voice of America broadcasts by BBG attributed to pressure from negative publicity http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/recognition-of-voice-of-america-broadcasts-by-bbg-attributed-to-pressure-from-negative-publicity/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/recognition-of-voice-of-america-broadcasts-by-bbg-attributed-to-pressure-from-negative-publicity/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13635 The announcement by the Broadcasting Board of Governors that at the open meeting scheduled for January 13 the Board will honor the 70th anniversary of the Voice of America and recognize the anniversaries of particular BBG language services is seen by BBG Watch sources as an indication of a possible change of policy due to negative publicity.

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Recognition of Voice of America broadcasts by BBG attributed to pressure from negative publicity

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/recognition-of-voice-of-america-broadcasts-by-bbg-attributed-to-pressure-from-negative-publicity/feed/ 0 New Voice of America logo is old but its return may be a good sign, perhaps http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/new-voice-of-america-logo-is-old-but-its-return-may-be-a-good-sign-perhaps/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/new-voice-of-america-logo-is-old-but-its-return-may-be-a-good-sign-perhaps/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:53:42 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13596 There is little new about the new Voice of America logo.

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New Voice of America logo is old but its return may be a good sign, perhaps

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/new-voice-of-america-logo-is-old-but-its-return-may-be-a-good-sign-perhaps/feed/ 0 BBG seeks centralization of news output http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeks-centralization-of-news-output/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeks-centralization-of-news-output/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:50:50 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13598 The BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson and his executives love centralization and central planning. (They developed a Five-Year Strategic Plan — five-year plans, does that sound familiar?) Never mind that the surrogate broadcasters like Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were established in West Germany in the 1950s as a counterbalance to the overly-centralized Voice of America (VOA) with its headquarters in New York and later in Washington, DC. BBG executives now want to undermine the independence and specialization of the surrogate broadcasters by merging them into a new large bureaucracy and creating a global news network.

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BBG seeks centralization of news output

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeks-centralization-of-news-output/feed/ 0 BBG seeking social media newsroom contractor – consultant, possibly for friend of current manager http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeking-social-media-newsroom-contractor-%e2%80%93-consultant-possibly-for-friend-of-current-manager/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeking-social-media-newsroom-contractor-%e2%80%93-consultant-possibly-for-friend-of-current-manager/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:49:49 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13599 This particular announcement for a an experienced social media newsroom consultant at the Broadcasting Board of Governors strikes us as being written for a particular person who may be a friend or former associate of a BBG manager or a top-level contractor already employed by some of the former CNN executives who are taking over the management of the agency under the nepotism rule of the BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson, who himself is a former CNN executive.

The rest is here:
BBG seeking social media newsroom contractor – consultant, possibly for friend of current manager

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/bbg-seeking-social-media-newsroom-contractor-%e2%80%93-consultant-possibly-for-friend-of-current-manager/feed/ 0 Radio Free Europe – Radio Liberty places article about its employees’ samizdat on internal website http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/radio-free-europe-%e2%80%93-radio-liberty-places-article-about-its-employees%e2%80%99-samizdat-on-internal-website/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/radio-free-europe-%e2%80%93-radio-liberty-places-article-about-its-employees%e2%80%99-samizdat-on-internal-website/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:49:04 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13600 From a BBG Watch source in Prague: Incidentally, Alsou Taheri’s article, “Samizdat at Radio Free Europe – Radio Liberty describes discrimination against foreigners, women and ‘old white guys’,” was very alarming to RFE/RL management. In order to fight “samizdat”, they placed the article on the Radio’s intranet system! Nothing like that has ever happened before.

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Radio Free Europe – Radio Liberty places article about its employees’ samizdat on internal website

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/radio-free-europe-%e2%80%93-radio-liberty-places-article-about-its-employees%e2%80%99-samizdat-on-internal-website/feed/ 0 NewsChief.com on Senator Coburn, Broadcasting Board of Governors and government waste http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/newschief-com-on-senator-coburn-broadcasting-board-of-governors-and-government-waste/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/newschief-com-on-senator-coburn-broadcasting-board-of-governors-and-government-waste/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:48:19 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13601 As reported by NewsChief.com, federal agencies owned or leased more than 662,000 cars, vans, sport-utility vehicles, buses and ambulances, which consume about 1 million gallons of fuel per day and cost $4.6 billion per year to maintain. The NewsChief.com article, published January 8, 2012, quotes from a report by Sen. Coburn…

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NewsChief.com on Senator Coburn, Broadcasting Board of Governors and government waste

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/newschief-com-on-senator-coburn-broadcasting-board-of-governors-and-government-waste/feed/ 0 Some Voice of America contract employees not paid since November http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/some-voice-of-america-contract-employees-not-paid-since-november/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/some-voice-of-america-contract-employees-not-paid-since-november/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:47:18 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13583 Forget about Christmas shopping and paying your mortgage.

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Some Voice of America contract employees not paid since November

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/11/some-voice-of-america-contract-employees-not-paid-since-november/feed/ 0 FedSmith.com links to Lobo-bonuses story, offers salary search http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/fedsmith-com-links-to-lobo-bonuses-story-offers-salary-search/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/fedsmith-com-links-to-lobo-bonuses-story-offers-salary-search/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:52:36 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13455 FedSmith.com, an information portal for sources of information impacting the federal community, has posted a summary of the BBG Watch report, “Leader of federal agency with lowest leadership ratings justifies cash awards for executives,” giving the article about the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Director Richard Lobo’s faulty logic hundreds of views on BBGWatch.com.

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FedSmith.com links to Lobo-bonuses story, offers salary search

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/fedsmith-com-links-to-lobo-bonuses-story-offers-salary-search/feed/ 0 Leader of federal agency with lowest leadership ratings justifies cash awards for executives http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/leader-of-federal-agency-with-lowest-leadership-ratings-justifies-cash-awards-for-executives/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/leader-of-federal-agency-with-lowest-leadership-ratings-justifies-cash-awards-for-executives/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:51:57 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13432 The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) employees are both annoyed and amused by the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Director Richard Lobo’s memo in which he justifies bonuses paid to BBG executives as being in line with awards received by executives employed by other federal agencies. As some employees point out, there is a problem with the logic of Lobo’s line of reasoning.

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Leader of federal agency with lowest leadership ratings justifies cash awards for executives

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/leader-of-federal-agency-with-lowest-leadership-ratings-justifies-cash-awards-for-executives/feed/ 0 BBG Watch most popular posts focus on mismanagement at Broadcasting Board of Governors http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/bbg-watch-most-popular-posts-focus-on-mismanagement-at-broadcasting-board-of-governors/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/bbg-watch-most-popular-posts-focus-on-mismanagement-at-broadcasting-board-of-governors/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:50:47 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13458 Almost all of the most popular posts on the BBGWatch.com website in the four months since its launch in September 2011 dealt with some aspect of mismanagement and waste at the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The site has had over 100,000 hits. BBG Watch is an independent website run by former and current BBG employees.

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BBG Watch most popular posts focus on mismanagement at Broadcasting Board of Governors

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/bbg-watch-most-popular-posts-focus-on-mismanagement-at-broadcasting-board-of-governors/feed/ 0 Victor Ashe Annoys Peers, says Knoxville’s Metro Pulse, quotes from BBGWatch.com http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/victor-ashe-annoys-peers-says-knoxville%e2%80%99s-metro-pulse-quotes-from-bbgwatch-com/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/victor-ashe-annoys-peers-says-knoxville%e2%80%99s-metro-pulse-quotes-from-bbgwatch-com/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:50:15 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13428 A Knoxville magazine website Metro Pulse quoted from BBGWatch.com in its report about Broadcasting Board Governor Victor Ashe’s unprecedented one-man campaign to reform the federal agency in charge of U.S. international broadcasting

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Victor Ashe Annoys Peers, says Knoxville’s Metro Pulse, quotes from BBGWatch.com

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/victor-ashe-annoys-peers-says-knoxville%e2%80%99s-metro-pulse-quotes-from-bbgwatch-com/feed/ 0 Broadcasting Board Governor Victor Ashe praised for listening to employee concerns http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/broadcasting-board-governor-victor-ashe-praised-for-listening-to-employee-concerns/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/broadcasting-board-governor-victor-ashe-praised-for-listening-to-employee-concerns/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:49:29 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13415 The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1812 (AFGE Local 1812) published a report on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member Victor Ashe’s recent visit to the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station in Greenville, North Carolina, praising him for reaching out to BBG employees and openly discussing their concerns. It is highly unusual for BBG members to regularly meet with groups of employees and for the union representing the BBG workforce to praise a BBG member.

The rest is here:
Broadcasting Board Governor Victor Ashe praised for listening to employee concerns

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/broadcasting-board-governor-victor-ashe-praised-for-listening-to-employee-concerns/feed/ 0 Voice of America resists CNN-ization with humor – The Literary Adventures of the Steves http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/voice-of-america-resists-cnn-ization-with-humor-%e2%80%93-the-literary-adventures-of-the-steves/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/voice-of-america-resists-cnn-ization-with-humor-%e2%80%93-the-literary-adventures-of-the-steves/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:48:39 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13429 We have reported earlier on the placement into high-paying government jobs at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) of former CNN employees, many of whom don’t have any real duties.

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Voice of America resists CNN-ization with humor – The Literary Adventures of the Steves

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2012/01/02/voice-of-america-resists-cnn-ization-with-humor-%e2%80%93-the-literary-adventures-of-the-steves/feed/ 0 Chen as Tank Man – Chen Guangcheng: Send a Christmas Card to Blind Chinese Human Rights Activist http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/chen-as-tank-man-%e2%80%93-chen-guangcheng-send-a-christmas-card-to-blind-chinese-human-rights-activist/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/chen-as-tank-man-%e2%80%93-chen-guangcheng-send-a-christmas-card-to-blind-chinese-human-rights-activist/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:06:52 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13388 Women’s Rights Without Frontiers is launching a Christmas Card campaign in support of Chen Guangcheng. WRWF President, Reggie Littlejohn, stated, “Send a Christmas card to encourage Chen Guangcheng and his family. Let them know that you are thinking about them and support them…

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Chen as Tank Man – Chen Guangcheng: Send a Christmas Card to Blind Chinese Human Rights Activist

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/chen-as-tank-man-%e2%80%93-chen-guangcheng-send-a-christmas-card-to-blind-chinese-human-rights-activist/feed/ 0 Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on 70 years of VOA broadcasting to China http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/rep-ileana-ros-lehtinen-on-70-years-of-voa-broadcasting-to-china/ http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/rep-ileana-ros-lehtinen-on-70-years-of-voa-broadcasting-to-china/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:04:42 +0000 BBGWatcher http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/?p=13387 BBG Watch is releasing a full transcript of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s special video statement on the 70th anniversary of Voice of America (VOA) broadcasting to China. While her statement did appear on the VOA Chinese website, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Public Affairs Office refused employee requests to issue a press release on the 70th anniversary reception hosted on Capitol Hill by Congressman Dana Rohrabaher on December 6, 2011 and on the statement by the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on 70 years of VOA broadcasting to China

]]> http://freemediaonline.org/freemediaonlineblog/2011/12/22/rep-ileana-ros-lehtinen-on-70-years-of-voa-broadcasting-to-china/feed/ 0