Bureaucrats gave listeners little time to learn about shortwave cuts by VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL

Executives in charge of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), which operates radio transmissions for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), have once again shown their contempt for loyal radio listeners of many years, as well as for Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists and broadcasters who prepare shortwave radio broadcasts, which IBB just announced it wants to terminate at the end of the day on June 30, 2014 in a massive and in most cases complete cut affecting many countries without free media: Belarus, Caucasus, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq (Kurdish), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

At the very least, BBG members should intervene and tell IBB executives that they cannot give radio listeners only a day or two to adjust to such a major change. They should also demand that IBB executives show a little more respect for managers and journalists at VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL.

All shortwave frequencies will also be eliminated for Voice of America English radio broadcasts to Asia, VOA English teaching programs, and VOA programs to Bangladesh.

VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL shortwave radio listeners do not yet know about these cuts becoming effective on June 30, and neither did managers and broadcasters at these media outlets until they received an email from IBB late Thursday night. While some further reductions in shortwave transmissions were anticipated as part of general budget cuts, managers and broadcasters at BBG entities were surprised to learn from IBB that they had only a couple of days to prepare for such a drastic move and equally short time to alert their audiences. Many VOA journalists still do not know this is happening, as the word about the cuts reached only some staffers Friday afternoon, sources told us.

This is a new low in contempt being shown by IBB executives for these media outlets and their managers and journalists. While these shortwave cuts were being discussed earlier, the sudden announcement from IBB that they will take effect in two days was a complete shock to the staff, sources told BBG Watch.

But this sudden IBB internal announcement shows ultimate contempt for loyal listeners of many years to shortwave radio broadcasts from VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL.

Thanks to IBB executives who surprised everyone with their decision to cut numerous shortwave transmissions on June 30, international audiences will now have at best only a day or two to learn about these massive terminations of radio broadcasts.

IBB’s senior bureaucrats have no respect for anyone: VOA, RFA, and RFE/RL as institutions, their managers and their journalists, and least of all for international radio audiences.

How can you tell someone with only two days notice that they will have to find other ways of getting news or, in the case of broadcasters, adjust to producing programs for new platforms?

These IBB actions, however, do confirm the boundless arrogance of IBB’s senior management.

(Source: BBG Watch)