The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member Ambassador Victor Ashe welcomed the selection of Kevin Klose to lead Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). BBG members are also praising the role of Governor Susan McCue in the selection process.
Ashe said in a statement: “I am really optimistic that Kevin Klose can be the answer to prayer in terms of getting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty back on the right track. A salute to my colleagues and especially Susan McCue for taking the lead on this.  She was superb,” Victor Ashe said.
“Klose has a strong background and quick grasp of the issues.  He can relate to employees, journalists and government leaders,” Ashe added.
Ashe noted earlier, “Kevin Klose brings years of experience and is the right person to lead the rebuilding. RFE/RL is fortunate to have him as we face and resolve many difficult and serious issues. Thanks to my colleagues for all they have done to bring this about.”
Governor Dennis Mulhaupt, the chairman of RFE/RL corporate board also praised Kevin Klose and the role Susan McCue played.
“We are grateful that Kevin has agreed to take on this task, and we thank University of Maryland President Wallace Loh for the university’s swift response and flexibility,” said Dennis Mulhaupt, chairman of the RFE/RL corporate board.  “Kevin understands well from first-hand experience the special challenge and public trust that RFE/RL represents.  I’d like to thank my colleagues for their speedy work in addressing RFE/RL’s interim leadership needs – especially Susan McCue, the board’s vice-chair, who has spearheaded the effort to recruit Kevin.  We look forward to working with him.”
“As a former chief of both National Public Radio and RFE/RL, Kevin is seasoned at leading broadcasters through critical transitions,” said Michael Lynton, the Board’s presiding governor.  “There is no more qualified person to manage this key part of U.S. international broadcasting than Kevin.  We are thrilled that he will return to public service as we implement our media strategy in priority countries from Iran to Russia and across Eurasia.”
BBG member Michael Meehan also played an active role in addressing the Radio Liberty crisis, sources told BBG Watch.
What started out as criticism of Steven Korn’s disastrous personnel and programming decisions, with Mikhail Gorbachev, Lyudmila Alexeeva and other Russian democratic leaders speaking out against the mass firing of Radio Liberty journalists, ended up as a true bipartisan action by the Broadcasting Board of Governors to address the problem with the selection of Kevin Klose to lead RFE/RL.