Obama cuts off VOA funding for China; gives it to NPR
The Obama administration will cancel shortwave radio broadcasts by Voice of America into China this year, as Beijing is expanding its propaganda operations in the United States and around the world.Critics of the broadcasting cuts, announced Monday, said major reductions in staff and shortwave broadcasts will sharply curtail an important outlet for unfiltered news and information for large numbers of people in China, especially areas such as Tibet and western Xinjiang province, where pro-democracy forces are opposing Chinese rule."This is another alarming sign that America is cowering before China‘s gangster regime," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The Chinese people are our greatest allies, and the free flow of information is our greatest weapon."The cuts were outlined as a cost-cutting measure in the fiscal 2012 budget report of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, VOA's parent agency.
We are told that a new focus will be directed towards digital media.
Critics of the broadcasting cuts, announced Monday, said major reductions in staff and shortwave broadcasts will sharply curtail an important outlet for unfiltered news and information for large numbers of people in China, especially areas such as Tibet and western Xinjiang province, where pro-democracy forces are opposing Chinese rule."This is another alarming sign that America is cowering before China‘s gangster regime," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The Chinese people are our greatest allies, and the free flow of information is our greatest weapon."
Former Broadcast Board of Governors member Blanquita Cullum said now is not the time to limit broadcasts into closed societies like communist China."When it comes to pro-democracy broadcasting to the world and with events like Egypt happening, this is not the time to retreat," she said. "This is the time to advance and reach out with more broadcasting."Internet-only broadcasting will prevent millions of Chinese from getting news and information, especially those in restricted areas. "Our broadcasts must not only be focused only on the elites but should target the masses who are protesting against the elites," Ms. Cullum said.
As some Republicans on Capitol Hill try to cut, or even eliminate, its government funding, National Public Radio has sent a public thank-you to the Obama administration for proposing an increase in taxpayer funding for public radio."Public broadcasting received a vote of confidence today from the Obama Administration," NPR said in a statement Monday. "The President's FY 2012 budget submission to Congress included $451 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for the two year advance appropriation for FY 2014, an increase of $6 million over FY 2013 funding."Vivian Schiller, the head of NPR -- and focus of much controversy over the firing last year of commentator Juan Williams -- released a statement saying she is "grateful to the Obama Administration for recognizing the importance of public radio to the life of communities across the nation."
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