BBG’s 5yr Strategic Plan: to inform, engage and connect (Updated)

The Broadcasting Board of Governor’s strategic plan for 2012-2016 provides a serious starting point to discuss and debate the future of America’s international broadcasting. Download the Executive Summary for the BBG’s FY2013 Budget Request and the BBG Strategic Plan 2012-2016 (OMB-Final) from MountainRunner.
More to appear on this site about the plan. Feel free to leave comments below or via email.

Update: the link to the plan was fixed.  Such are the challenges of posting on the road (or train or conference room) from an iPad.  

3 thoughts on “BBG’s 5yr Strategic Plan: to inform, engage and connect (Updated)

  1. Jack (and others), thanks for the heads up. It was an accident made easy by hurriedly publishing the post from my iPad on a cellular connection. The correct file is linked — and confirmed.
    Matt

  2. I just finished going through the budget for BBG, released today, and it appears VOA takes the biggest hit — some 17 plus million dollars — and Central News and English feature programs within VOA face a virtual bloodbath of five and a half million dollars in cuts and 71 positions lost.
    For an agency that aspires to become a leading global news organization, this is nothing short of total madness.

    I am not opposed to radical change but this type of decision is why the BBG and its staff have lost almost all credibility with both the workforce and the public following U.S. International Broadcasting.

    Many suspect that the senior staff at BBG has never liked VOA and especially its Central News Division because both had journalistic integrity — something the BBG staff found bothersome when trying to please their audience on Capitol Hill vs. the actual audiences worldwide.

    Here’s what the budget request says:

    “Consolidate and Reorganize Central News and English Divisions [–$5.660 M]

    “As part of this budget request, VOA’s Central News will accelerate its transition from a large scale producer of English-language content, much of it based on wire services, to a much leaner newsroom, producing original content, and a short menu of top stories. Central News would also act as a clearinghouse for original content produced by VOA language service journalists. VOA Central News will be at the heart of a global newsroom for all U.S. international broadcasting entities. Under this budget, VOA will continue successful efforts to produce content for web and other digital platforms (including audio and video) for targeted English-speaking audiences. Radio functions and corresponding staff would be consolidated… Seventy-one positions will no longer be required under this proposal.”

    Fortunately this is only a proposal and approval is far off, if ever. One can only hope sufficient concern can be voiced on the Hill to ensure this and other ill-conceived proposals of the Board are doomed.

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