[HCDX] VOA and RFA Increase Broadcasts to Tibet

["Arnaldo" <slaen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Washington, D.C. March 17, 2008 - U.S. international radio broadcasts to 
Tibet will increase by four hours daily beginning tonight at 6:00 p.m. EDT, 
6:00 a.m. local time in Lhasa.
"The violent crackdown by Chinese authorities in Tibet compels us to 
increase our broadcasts," said James K. Glassman, Chairman of the BBG, which 
oversees all non-military U.S. international broadcasting including the 
Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). "Our audience clearly will 
benefit from these trustworthy sources of news and information, which differ 
sharply from Chinese government sanctioned broadcasts."

At present RFA broadcasts eight hours daily to Tibet via shortwave radio. 
VOA broadcasts four hours daily, also via shortwave. Each will expand radio 
programs by two additional hours daily. VOA also will double its weekly 
Tibetan-language television programming from one to two hours via the 
AsiaSat 3 satellite.

"RFA's Tibetan service is working around the clock to bring authoritative, 
breaking news to the Tibetan people. These additional hours will greatly 
enhance our capacity to deliver this news, including live updates, to people 
on the ground," RFA President Libby Liu said.

Tibet's media is tightly controlled and most Tibetans are deeply suspicious 
of Chinese domestic media coverage. BBG audience research, while limited to 
Tibetan refugees in Nepal, indicates that VOA and RFA are among the most 
well known foreign broadcasters and an important source of information in a 
society where word of mouth is the top way to share news.

"We know from experience that Tibetans will tune to VOA at pivotal times 
such as these," said Danforth Austin, Director of the Voice of America. "For 
example, a VOA special TV program about the Dalai Lama receiving a gold 
medal from the U.S. Congress was recorded and widely distributed in Tibetan 
regions inside China."

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency which 
supervises all U.S. government-supported, non-military international 
broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA); Radio Free Europe/Radio 
Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and 
Radio Sawa); Radio Free Asia (RFA); and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting 
(Radio and TV Martí). Through its broadcast services, the BBG provides the 
United States and its leaders direct and immediate access to a worldwide 
audience of 155 million people. Current governors are Chairman James K. 
Glassman, Joaquin F. Blaya, Blanquita W. Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, 
Edward E. Kaufman, and Steven J. Simmons. Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice is an ex officio member.

For more information, please call the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 
203-4959, or e-mail publicaffairs@xxxxxxxx

all from http://www.voanews.com/english/About/2008-03-17-voa66.cfm 

---[Start Commercial]---------------------

Order your WRTH 2008:
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/redirect2.php?id=wrth2008
---[End Commercial]-----------------------
________________________________________
Hard-Core-DX mailing list
Hard-Core-DX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/
_______________________________________________

THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed
and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License
published by Michael Stutz at
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html