BBG Watch Commentary

CUSIB member Victor Ashe
Victor Ashe

The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusig.org) announced that departing Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member Victor Ashe has joined CUSIB Advisory Board.

CUSIB is a nonpartisan, independent NGO supporting U.S. international broadcasting. CUSIB has worked with individual BBG members, heads of BBG entities, members of the U.S. Congress, and media to identify and correct management problems that hamper effectiveness of U.S. international broadcasting. CUSIB members were active in successfully opposing proposed cuts to Voice of America (VOA) radio and satellite television programs to China and VOA radio programs to Tibet. CUSIB also defended dozens of Radio Liberty journalists in Russia who were fired by the previous Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) management. Some of the journalists were rehired after the BBG hired Kevin Klose as acting RFE/RL president. Klose initiated management reforms at RFE/RL.

At the BBG, Victor Ashe was a champion of accountability and transparency. He won respect of rank and file employees for his willingness to communicate with them and address serious management issues. Ashe insisted that top agency executives not ignore the problem of record low employee morale under the management of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), as measured by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

Ashe said in a statement: “I am honored to serve on this [CUSIB] Board and appreciate their dedication to transparency and fairness. There is still much work to do for international broadcasting by the United States due to serious management issues which still exist.” “I am hopeful the new BBG Board with the leadership of Jeff Shell will make the decisions necessary to move BBG forward,” Ashe added.

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CUSIB Press Release

For Immediate Release

August 6, 2013

CUSIB - Supporting journalism for media freedom and human rights

CUSIB Welcomes Ambassador Victor Ashe to Serve on Advisory Board

The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) is delighted that former Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member Victor Ashe has agreed to serve on CUSIB’s Advisory Board.

CUSIB Executive Director Ann Noonan stated: “We are honored to have Victor Ashe, a distinguished public servant, former Broadcasting Board of Governors  member, former U.S. Ambassador to Poland and former Mayor of Knoxville, on CUSIB’s Advisory Board. All of CUSIB’s members have their own special gifts to bring to the table to help promote media freedom in nations where such freedoms are not permitted. Ambassador Ashe’s vast experience will help us advance our mission as a nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization committed to strengthening free flow of uncensored news from the United States to countries with restricted and developing media environments.”

Victor Ashe issued this statement:

“I am honored to serve on this Board and appreciate their dedication to transparency and fairness. There is still much work to do for international broadcasting by the United States due to serious management issues which still exist.

I am hopeful the new BBG Board with the leadership of Jeff Shell will make the decisions necessary to move BBG forward. I also hope the President will move to fill the remaining Republican vacancy as well as the two Democratic seats which are filled but on expired terms.

CUSIB has been the trenches working hard to improve U.S. broadcasting and other media outreach to nations without free press. They were there when Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) faced a meltdown in 2012 pointing out the significant shortcomings.”

CUSIB Director and Co-Founder Ted Lipien stated: “We believe that Ambassador Ashe will find great freedom at CUSIB to work alongside our outstanding Board and be part of the team of CUSIB supporters of U.S. international broadcasting.”

Ambassador Ashe received the 2013 Champion of Free Speech Award from the New York Chapter of the Visual Artists Guild for his contributions as a Broadcasting Board of Governors member to the defense of media freedom. He also received the Glasnost Defense Foundation Award for his defense of glasnost in Russia.

For further information, please contact:

Ann Noonan, co-founder and Executive Director
Tel. 646-251-6069
Ted Lipien, co-founder
Tel. 415-793-1642

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