WORLDWIDE DX CLUB Weekly Top News

The Board of Governors' proposed $671.9 million budget includes a number
of new initiatives, enhancements and a continuation of initiatives begun
in '06. They include:
? Expanding sce to Iran with a daily four-hour prime time VOA Persian
television lineup and enhancing the Radio Farda website.
? Increasing Middle East television nx coverage (Alhurra) from 16 to 24
hours a day and adding customized local nx content and coverage for Radio
Sawa.
? Adding a one-hour television program for Afghanistan in both Dari and
Pashto, and enhancing txion for VOA Pashto programming to the people of
Afghanistan along the border region while adding additional FM and medium
wave capability.
Faced with the increased costs of expanding critically needed television
and radio programming to the Arab and non-Arab Muslim world, the Board has
had to make some painful choices. As a result, the budget proposes
reductions in English lang programming, by eliminating VOA Nx Now radio
while maintaining VOA English to Africa, Special English and VOA's English
website. The budget reflects the Board's commitment to English lang
programming in the medium of the future, the Internet, and for excellence
in Special English programming. Research shows that millions more are
benefiting from Internet programming than from SW txion, which VOA Nx Now
relies on.
Other proposed reductions include the elimination of VOA broadcasts in
Croatian, Turkish, Thai, Greek and Georgian. VOA radio broadcasts in
Albanian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Serbian, Russian and Hindi would end while
television programming in these langs would continue. Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty will continue radio programming in Russian and
Georgian while eliminating radio programming in Macedonian.
"Every member of the Board of Governors regrets the loss of VOA sces
proposed in this budget," Tomlinson said. "The men and women who provided
these sces for many years served with distinction and provided programming
that were critical to this nation's interests. However, the Board believes
that the priorities reflected in this budget proposal represent the best
allocation of funds."
The BBG is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. govt-
supported non-military international broadcasting, including the Voice of
America (VOA); Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle East
Broadcasting Networks (MBN); Radio Free Asia (RFA); and the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting (OCB). Through its broadcast sces, the BBG provides the
United States and its leaders direct and immediate access to a worldwide
audience of over 140 million people. BBG broadcasts reach this audience in
56 langs via radio, television, and Internet. All BBG broadcast entities,
including the grantees, adhere to the broadcasting standards and
principles mandated by the International Broadcasting Act of 1994. Nine
members comprise the BBG, a presidentially appointed body. Current
governors are Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Joaquin Blaya, Blanquita W.
Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Edward E. Kaufman, Norman J. Pattiz, and
Steven Simmons. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice serves as an ex
officio member.
For more information, contact Larry Hart at (202) 203-4559 or Joseph
O'Connell at (202) 203-4959.
(BBG nx via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, via wwdxc BC-DX Feb 7)
AWR B05 AWR Broadcast Schedule (2005-10-30 to 2006-03-26)
All Regions Version 05/2006-01-30