I was on the content distribution side - our primary competitor was always BBC - in any market, anywhere in the world. It was always my position that we'd be stronger if we spoke with one voice (pardon the pun) instead of five and collapsed all the silos into one organization. The saved money could improve the product. I am not hopeful anything logical will happen. And I worry about the content.
Given what is being done (or at least attemped) with USAID, there seems little reason to assume that much if anything with be left of USAGM by the end of this year. It is mostly unknown to the cadre calling for demolishing any part of the government spends a penny on foreign aid or outreach, but it is likely just further down the list. Meanwhile, the information security and staffing resources required to operate almost any government program has been put a extreme risk, and the consequences of those moves may be all State can handle for a while. As far as the importance of PD to the new administration, the choise of the acting US tells us all that is needed.
The Office of Cuba Broadcasting was authorized by the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act, 22 USC 1465 et seq. (Public Law 98-111, 97 Stat. 749, adopted October 4, 1983). “The Broadcasting Board of Governors shall establish within the International Broadcasting Bureau a Cuba service….” The authorizing legislation was modified somewhat by the Cuba Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, Public Law 104-114, 110 Stat. 798 and 809 as well as Section 203 of the Coordination of Assistance Program Implementation and Reports to Congress, Reprogramming, 22 USC 6063.
I was on the content distribution side - our primary competitor was always BBC - in any market, anywhere in the world. It was always my position that we'd be stronger if we spoke with one voice (pardon the pun) instead of five and collapsed all the silos into one organization. The saved money could improve the product. I am not hopeful anything logical will happen. And I worry about the content.
Given what is being done (or at least attemped) with USAID, there seems little reason to assume that much if anything with be left of USAGM by the end of this year. It is mostly unknown to the cadre calling for demolishing any part of the government spends a penny on foreign aid or outreach, but it is likely just further down the list. Meanwhile, the information security and staffing resources required to operate almost any government program has been put a extreme risk, and the consequences of those moves may be all State can handle for a while. As far as the importance of PD to the new administration, the choise of the acting US tells us all that is needed.
The Office of Cuba Broadcasting was authorized by the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act, 22 USC 1465 et seq. (Public Law 98-111, 97 Stat. 749, adopted October 4, 1983). “The Broadcasting Board of Governors shall establish within the International Broadcasting Bureau a Cuba service….” The authorizing legislation was modified somewhat by the Cuba Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, Public Law 104-114, 110 Stat. 798 and 809 as well as Section 203 of the Coordination of Assistance Program Implementation and Reports to Congress, Reprogramming, 22 USC 6063.