The AM Forum

The parent administrative agency of the Voice of America, the "Broadcasting Board of Governors," has cooked up a new strategy.

The operative paragraph of an announcement contains a lot of verbiage, at least one syntax error, and not a lot of clarity.

BBG’s 2012-2016 strategic plan aims to make BBG the world’s leading international news agency by 2016, focused on both mission and impact, and targeting a 50 million worldwide audience gain.  Titled “Impact through Innovation and Integration,” the plan calls for the establishment of a global news network and development of new delivery and anti-circumvention technologies. It also recommends streamlining management, evaluation of the possible consolidation of the three grantee networks into one organization, exploring possible de-federalization of the federal agency components, ending language duplication, modernizing distribution mechanisms to reflect the media audiences prefer, and repealing the ban on domestic dissemination of BBG programs contained in the 1947 Smith-Mundt Act.

See if you can make sense out of it:

http://www.bbg.gov/pressroom/press-releases/BBG-Announces-New-Strategic-Plan.html?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=e6af340385-TRI_10-17-2011&utm_medium=email (http://www.bbg.gov/pressroom/press-releases/BBG-Announces-New-Strategic-Plan.html?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=e6af340385-TRI_10-17-2011&utm_medium=email)

For those still interested, the syntax error appears to be a linkage between the BBG and "news agency."  Unless this administrative panel suddenly starts hitting the street to dig up stories, anchor newscasts, and/or run the technical facility, the BBG's role is limited to management, not newsgathering.

From website sub-page "about:"

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is a bipartisan board comprised of nine members. Eight, no more than four from one party, are appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate; the ninth is the Secretary of State, who serves ex officio.

Hi Paul!

Thanks for finding this.

Looks like they will be thinning out the VoA and following other electronic media's adoption of social media for the creation and "interactive dialog" of news. Of course, traditional shortwave probably is not in the list. Also, I thought they already had an international news operation?

BTW, Walter Isaacson's parents lived next to me in New Orleans.

Also, thanks for all your effort in handling 'ZRF's gear.

Dan