BBG orders that contractors be paid on time by Thanksgiving

  • February 11, 2012
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.

Absentee member Michael Lynton pushed to become temporary Broadcasting Board of Governors chair

  • February 8, 2012
Sources tell BBG Watch that Democrats on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) are pushing for Michael Lynton, an absentee member, to become temporary BBG chair until a permanent chairman is named, whenever that may be. Lynton has distinguished himself for being the worst absentee board member. He has missed at least five BBG meetings, including the January one

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

  • January 31, 2012
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.

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

  • January 31, 2012
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.

CUSIB Statement on the Resignation of BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson

  • January 31, 2012
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.

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

  • January 27, 2012
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.

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

  • January 16, 2012
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

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

  • January 16, 2012
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.

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

  • January 11, 2012
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.

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

  • January 2, 2012
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.

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

  • January 2, 2012
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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  • 1 minute read

Broadcasting Board Governor Victor Ashe praised for listening to employee concerns

  • January 2, 2012
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.
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  • 1 minute read

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

  • December 22, 2011
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.

CNNization of USG broadcasting leads to waste and abuse, Voice of America employees report

  • December 16, 2011
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has not yet received permission from Congress to de-federalize the Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti (read privatize but keep being funded by taxpayers – not likely Congress will grant it), but the process of fleecing American taxpayers and placing former CNN employees on the government payroll is well underway, concerned BBG employees have reported to BBG Watch. The BBG has already hired a number of former CNN employees to fill federal jobs and more such hires can be expected if the proposed privatization and the merger of the surrogate broadcasters: Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Sawa, and Alhurra TV — also proposed by the BBG — will be allowed to go forward

Voice of America during the martial law in Poland

  • December 16, 2011
Radio of the Martial Law republished from TedLipien.com Thirty years ago, on December 13, 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski had declared martial law in Poland, imprisoning Lech Walesa and other Solidarity Trade Union leaders. The Polish communist rulers placed the country under a complete information blockout, but thanks to radio programs in Polish from the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe (RFE) — both stations funded by the United States — people in Poland had immediate access to uncensored news and commentary

BBG PR team ignores Rep. Ros-Lehtinen message in support of Voice of America, refuses to issue press release

  • December 16, 2011
Sources have told BBG Watch that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) public affairs office had refused numerous requests to issue a press release about the Capitol Hill reception, hosted by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Voice of America (VOA) broadcasting to China. BBG public affairs experts also ignored an unprecendented video statement in support of VOA broadcasting to China recorded by the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Rep
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  • 7 minute read

The Broadcasting Board of Governors – Cold Hard Cash

  • December 9, 2011
by The Federalist Once again, senior agency officials stirred up a hornets nest with revelations of cash awards handed out in FY2010, especially to themselves. Cash awards are not uncommon in the Federal Government
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  • 1 minute read

Capitol Hill Reception brings together supporters of Voice of America broadcasts to China – BBG Watch

  • December 9, 2011
The video from the Capitol Hill reception to mark the 70th anniversary of Voice of America broadcasts to China includes statements from the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who hosted the reception and introduced an amendment to save these broadcasts from being cut by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Congressman Chris Smith, and others. Link to video.
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  • 3 minute read

Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs says Chinese people need Voice of America broadcasts – BBG Watch

  • December 9, 2011
In a special video message, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, congratulated the Voice of America (VOA) on the 70th anniversary of VOA broadcasting to China. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a federal agency which manages VOA, tried to end all VOA radio and television broadcasts in Mandarin and Cantonese on Oct.