March 2014 – BBG and USAGM Watch

11 minute read

Appeals from Congress to BBG to give radio to Ukraine and Russia serious consideration likely to be ignored by staff

March 31, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists, former Minister of Communications of Lithuania, and…

9 minute read

Kerry: ‘No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine’ – low in VOA report, near top in others

March 31, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) English language news report from Paris on the Kerry-Lavrov meeting has…

3 minute read

Russian Foreign Ministry retweets RT regularly, U.S. State Department almost never retweets Voice of America

March 30, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ active and frequently updated Twitter account MFA-Russia has numerous retweets…

12 minute read

IBB staff ignored external medium wave option to Russia despite extra effectiveness at no extra cost

March 29, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Some International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) managers are so dead set against radio —…

4 minute read

‘The Tree — A Living Memorial — Grows’ — BBG employees honor Ambassador Ashe

March 29, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary We are posting an update on efforts by U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) employees…

5 minute read

VOA much behind BBC on Obama-Putin phone call, Voice of Russia has much more on the call than VOA

March 29, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Watch had reported earlier that the Voice of America (VOA) English news website was…

3 minute read

Voice of America not reporting on Obama-Putin phone call, top news story for BBC

March 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary VOA English website has finally posted a news report on the Obama-Putin phone call sometime…

5 minute read

‘BBG Networks Continue To Increase Coverage In Ukraine And Crimea’, press release says, but management problems at VOA persist

March 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has posted today a press release, “BBG Networks Continue…

10 minute read

Voice of America ignores protest letter to Putin in NYT from Ukrainian Jews, as do Voice of Russia and RT

March 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Considering insessant propaganda from the Kremlin-controlled media describing anti-Yanukovych protesters and the new Ukrainian government…

8 minute read

Disastrous BBG Budget

March 27, 2014

“The true bureaucrat is a man of really remarkable talents. He writes a kind of English that…

10 minute read

Keep The Implosion of U.S. International Media Rolling!

March 26, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary International Broadcasting Bureau – We Just LOVE Our Jobs While Employees May Be Losing Theirs – Information…

7 minute read

Employees, former BBG member appalled by FY2015 program cuts and BBG press release

March 26, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The announcement of massive FY2015 cuts to foreign language news programs for overseas audiences and…

5 minute read

House Foreign Affairs Committee votes $10 million for RFE/RL and VOA surge in Ukraine

March 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), passed with…

7 minute read

OP-ED – ROBINSON – TRANSFORMATION IS UPON US: HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL

March 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary In a long-anticipated Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, officials appointed by the Broadcasting Board of…

6 minute read

Major cuts to programs and programming positions in U.S. international media outreach

March 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) today released its detailed Fiscal Year 2015 budget request…

5 minute read

U.S. Condemns Death of Radio Free Iraq Journalist — Voice of America fails to report

March 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary At her daily press briefing on Monday, March 24, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie…

2 minute read

Voice of America Uncle Sam Zombie Video for Pakistan

March 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Watch has obtained a copy of a video produced with U.S. taxpayers’ money under…

1 minute read

G8 summit ‘won’t be held in Russia’, BBC again beats VOA on breaking news

March 24, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBC has again beat Voice of America on breaking news on Ukraine and on updating…

1 minute read

Ukraine bill calls for increased RFE/RL and VOA broadcasts

March 24, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary According to Washington Examiner and The Hill articles, bipartisan legislation to aid Ukraine and levy…

6 minute read

Voice of America reporter talks to pro-Russia activists calling Kyiv government ‘fascist’, does not ask basic questions

March 23, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) has posted on its English-language news website a video report from…

9 minute read

March Madness, Kind Of

March 23, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary International Broadcasting Bureau – Proudly Dysfunctional and Defunct – Information War Lost: March Madness, Kind…

2 minute read

Examples of outstanding Ukraine reporting and news analysis by Canadian and European media outlets

March 22, 2014

Recommended by World Media Watch: World Media Watch – Ukraine Crisis – CBC (Canada) Reporting: Ukraine tension has…

1 minute read

Kerry to accompany Obama to The Hague — Voice of America still not reporting

March 22, 2014

On March 24-28, @JohnKerry will accompany President Obama to The Hague, Rome, Vatican City, and Riyadh. http://t.co/NJCdXnIn1z —…

8 minute read

Voice of America Ukraine coverage improves as VOA correspondents assert themselves against management

March 22, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Watch has noticed some, although still sporadic and small, improvements in Voice of America…

2 minute read

Russian Forces Seize VOA Cameras | VOA

March 22, 2014

World Media Watch website has noted the attack by Russian soldiers on Voice of America reporter Daniel Schearf…

5 minute read

Voice of America Chinese Service posts video of Michelle Obama’s free speech remarks, VOA English and other services do not

March 22, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary We continue to point out that due to lack of effective central leadership and news…

3 minute read

Killing Of RFI Baghdad Bureau Chief Prompts Shock, Outrage Among BBG Board – BBG PRESS RELEASE

March 22, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Watch extends its condolences to the family and colleagues of Dr. Mohammed Bdaiwi Owaid…

5 minute read

Susan Rice and Richard Stengel promote State Department’s response to Putin’s propaganda machine, offer little help so far to BBG

March 21, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary U.S. National Security Advisor to President Obama Susan Rice and U.S. Under Secretary of State…

3 minute read

A view from abroad — Voice of America breaking news coverage and analysis almost destroyed

March 21, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Watch has received comments about the current state of Voice of America news reporting…

5 minute read

VOA manages to stream Obama live with some glitches, gets interview with Kerry

March 21, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary 03-20-14 10.50AM EDT, VOA Homepage. There is still no link or any mention of…

2 minute read

Rights Activists, CUSIB Members and Guests Participate in ‘Hold On, Liu Xia’ Event – CUSIB Press Release

March 20, 2014

The independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) is co-sponsored “HOLD ON LIU XIA!” to raise…

5 minute read

Zombies at IBB – VOA Federal Agency

March 20, 2014

Commentary Executives running the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and the Voice of America (VOA) federal agency are a…

2 minute read

Prague Freedom Foundation praises work of RFE/RL journalists

March 20, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Shortly after we posted our previous story on a sad state of management, direction, journalistic…

6 minute read

What’s worse – Voice of America zombie promo for Pakistan or its video of well-stocked food shops and fat kids in starving North Korea?

March 19, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Have Voice of America (VOA) high standards of journalism and high production values all gone…

12 minute read

Losing Egypt and the Rest of the Arab and Muslim World

March 19, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) failed to send a correspondent with Vice President Biden to Central…

8 minute read

Former senior correspondents discuss mismanagement at Voice of America

March 19, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) executives, whose salaries are paid by American taxpayers, describe these former…

25 minute read

China’s CCTV gave Obama-Merkel call headlines and separate reports, Voice of America gave it one sentence

March 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America devoted only one sentence to Tuesday’s phone call between U.S.…

25 minute read

Deutsche Welle reports on what Biden said today in Warsaw, Voice of America is not

March 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary In yet another news reporting failure, U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA) still has nothing…

1 minute read

Voice of Russia again beats Voice of America on major White House news announcement

March 18, 2014

Obama asks G7 and EU to attend summit next week in The Hague on Ukraine Tue, Mar 18,…

2 minute read

Obama Administration Wants to Ax Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Balkans, Iraq

March 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The following article by Bridget Johnson was posted on PJ Media website: READ: Obama Administration…

4 minute read

CUSIB Urges BBG To Keep Radio As Part of Multimedia Strategy

March 17, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) is urging the federal Broadcasting…

2 minute read

IBB-initiated BBG decision to cut RFE/RL programs to the Balkans and Iraq makes The Jerusalem Post

March 17, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary An article in The Jerusalem Post by Caroline B. Glick, “Our world: Why Obama will…

3 minute read

CUSIB co-sponsors ‘HOLD ON LIU XIA!’ at NY Museum of Tolerance

March 17, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The independent Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) is co-sponsoring “HOLD ON LIU…

6 minute read

Obama speaks on Ukraine at 10:45AM, Voice of America is not reporting, has no live online coverage

March 17, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Obama speaks on Ukraine at 10:45AM, Voice of America is not reporting, has no live…

3 minute read

Did Voice of America executive editor assign anyone to cover White House after 3PM on Crimea referendum day?

March 16, 2014

BBG Watch Just Asking Did Voice of America executive editor assign anyone to cover White House after 3PM…

5 minute read

Voice of Russia has four reports on today’s Obama-Putin phone call, Voice of America has none

March 16, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary In yet another embarrassing news reporting failure, U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA) has not…

3 minute read

Voice of America not reporting on U.S. reaction to death of Chinese activist Cao Shunli

March 15, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary In yet another of many news reporting failures, U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America…

3 minute read

Vatican Radio and Voice of Russia posted reports on VP Biden’s Ukraine related trip to Poland and Lithuania — why not Voice of America?

March 15, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Both Vatican Radio and Voice of Russia had posted on their websites full-length reports on…

1 minute read

First G-7 leader to visit Ukraine, Voice of America not reporting on Canada PM’s planned trip

March 15, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) was hours late and well behind Voice of Russia and BBC…

4 minute read

Voice of America has no reports on today’s talks in Kyiv by Senators Durbin, McCain, Murphy, others

March 14, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America English news website has not reported on the talks in Kyiv today…