Posted on 03/25/2011 3:40:27 PM PDT by Nachum
The end of an era is at hand. Today marks the last day of BBC World Service Broadcasts to China and Russia after 70 years on the air. Voice of America (VOA) may not be far behind.
VOA several years ago closed down its Russian broadcasts, and, according to the President’s 2012 budget request, broadcasts to China are soon to follow. Already shortwave service in Cantonese has been closed down, and in October, Mandarin is to follow. Next year, television as well as AM and FM radio are on the cutting block.
The Chinese people have been able to rely on truthful information from VOA and the BBC throughout their many national traumas, including Tiananmen Square. No more. While some VOA shortwave programming is to be transferred to Radio Free Asia (which is also owned by the U.S. government), the Internet will henceforth be the primary medium of communication with the people of China, a country whose government is world-class when it comes to Internet censorship.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.heritage.org ...
The list, ping
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And yet NPR is still around.
With the rise of the internet, these broadcasts are outdated, diminished and have become irrelevant. They are not like talk radio here in the US where hosts are usually entertaining and engaging.
When I was learning Russian in the ‘70s, I listend quite a bit to the VOA broadcasts in Russian. You would hear them self identify with “Eto Golos Amyerikiy” (”This is the Voice of America”) over and over again.
How many of us here on FR would believe a radio broadcast of ‘unbiased’ information from our government?
Especially as many now find Pravda to be a better source of information!
Yes, PBS and NPR are still around and the regime has proposed to increase their budgets. The American people will continue to get their dose of government propaganda.
I agree. But, radio can’t be censored.
Many late nights as a young lad in the basement (read Mom and Dad could not hear me) bedroom listening to the world.
50ft of wire and I was the master of the universe! I could hear everbody.
I still have that radio (Radio Shack DX150A).
I built a Knight Kit Star Roamer.
You mean you didn't listen to 'Govorit Moskva"?
You and me both. I miss those days, I listened to BBC World Service, Radio Nederland, Radio Moscow, AFRTS, Radio Australia, I remember anxiously checking the mail each day to see if my QSL cards came in.
Look around...how many countries are being taken over by our enemies and how much support is your president giving to enemies while make more ant American policy ..Its been a constant since his election.
Yep, that was a lot of fun!
As I type this, off to the right of the computer screen are five HF, VHF/UHF transcievers and two scanners. To the left of the screen are two more HF tranceivers and one more on the floor awaiting checkout.
And the roof of the house looks like a NASA comm facility lives here.
All started by one radio purchase with my paper route money, a very long time ago.
DFW, I still get QSL cards!
Net, nye slushil tomu :-)
Since the President does not control the budget, you must figure the Republican House will fund PBS and NPR while abandoning VOA.
They've defunded NPR. I think that other unnecessary agencies like VOA should go as well.
“...unnecessary agencies like VOA...”
The point is that aid will increase to Asia but the Voice of America broadcasts will not be part of it because they are upsetting to the totalitarian regimes. Obama and his allies would rather send money for UN Socialist programs in Cambodia than support cheap broadcasts.
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