[HCDX]: tfw 98 4/4

["Giovanni Serra" <gio.ser@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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THE FOUR WINDS ON LINE  - Copyright  Part 4
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Year   4  Number  98  - Rome, 31 October 1999


U S A- ALL IS NOT WELL AT VOICE OF AMERICA. Scandals have hit VOA/IBB as
the place approaches what is being promoted as "independence" but is not
in fact. A petition was signed by more than 40 members of the VOA
newsroom staff aimed at ousting the current director of news and others.
Has anyone really dug into the Hartman suit to discover just how much
the agency will have to be paying out to those who won?
[sex-discrimination case] Management has attempted to  eliminate the
remaining members of the VOA correspondent corps (including one of its
most senior members now in Brussels), while stepping up outside hiring
of independents. VOA is now re-opening its Tokyo bureau only 4-5 years
after closing it due to "budget" considerations. Did you know about the
scandals involving the installation of the new computer system in VOA?
The story about VOA, even under the great Sanford Ungar -- is
downsizing, the slow deterioration of the Foreign Service correspondent
corps through attrition, unfair labor practices, and downright ugly
personnel moves, and the added controversy over IBB efforts to develop
television. [Oct 18] Widespread talk of Reductions in Force (layoffs) --
who will be targeted? Bottom line: despite all the hoopla surrounding
VOA independence and talk of the continuing importance of U.S.
International Broadcasting, many people could see themselves out of a
job. Here's an internal memo from the head of one of VOA's regional
service divisions to Sandy Ungar: Sandy:  When we were asked by Doug in
mid-September to provide input on language service priorities, I
contributed the following question: "By the way, I am not sure if the
review of "language service" priorities includes a review of the English
Service as well. If not, I wonder if maybe there is also a legislative m
andate to review our English service programs' priorities. If this
assessment will serve at some point as the base for reviewing VOA's
budget and program operations, then we do need a similar mechanism
whereby to review the scope and effectiveness of the English service
programs." I haven't yet received any response from you or anyone else
to these comments. Since at today's Division Directors Budget meeting, I
heard you mention "language service" cuts several dozen times, I feel an
urgent need to raise the same issue again. I am not suggesting that
every language service is sacred and worth keeping as is, and I am glad
that, as you mentioned, the Board is establishing criteria for a serious
review of language service priorities. However, if the  budget is tight,
as it appears to be, do we also have the mechanism and criteria to
review the output, significance of the  product, and the programs versus
the allotted resources of the English newsroom, VOA News Now, Special
English/ Music, Worldnet/VOA-TV, Engineer Operations, etc.? There is a
widely-held perception that the language services, a majority of VOA's
staff resources, have always been treated as second-class citizens with
pay grade structures lower than other VOA  elements, and that when money
is tight, it is the language services who continually absorb the bulk of
the budget cuts. RIFs are always difficult and subject to dispute,
regardless of the outcome, so it is crucial for top management to
establish its credibility by demonstrating that serious efforts have
been made to fairly evaluate all VOA elements and resources across the
board. By constantly referring to budget cuts and the language services
only in the same breath, this reinforces the misperception that the
language services are less significant to VOA's operation.  September
15, 1999:  Here is a listing of criteria against which  every VOA
language service could be measured. One point given for each item unless
otherwise indicated.  1) U.S. Interests a) Does the country have rule of
law? (0-10 points, with more points for less rule of law) b) Does it
have a democractic system? (0-10 points) c) Does it have alternatives to
total/authoritarian control? (0-5 points) d) Is the country stable? (0-5
points)  e) If the country falls apart, how much will it impact others?
(0-10 points) f) Are U.S. troops stationed there or have they been
involved in actions involving the country in recent years? (5 points) g)
What is their per-capita quality of life index? (a mixture of life
expectancy, economic development, infant mortality, etc.)(0-10 points)
h) Does the country contain any special threats to the U.S.? (e.g.
drugs, AIDS, nuclear weapons, environment) (0-5 points) 2) VOA's
Interests a) What is the # of listeners? (one point for every one
million listeners) b) What is the VOA market share in terms of
percentage? (one point for every  percentage point) c) Do the people
have access to unbiased, accurate information? (0-10 points) d) Does the
international  media have access to the country? (0-5 points)  e) Is the
press free? (0-5 points) f) Is the press endangered (have journalists
been jailed/harmed)? (0-5 points) g) Is VOA jammed or co-channelled?
(0-10 points) h) Are listeners punished for  communicating with VOA or
listening? (0-10 points) 3) Language Service Characteristics a) Does the
Service offer a variety of programs? (news, English, health, business,
etc.) (one point for each) b) How many hours a day does it broadcast?
(one  point per hour) c) What percentage of its programming is new every
hour? (one point for every ten percent) ("new" programming may not
contain more than 20% material that has already been broadcast) d) What
is the ratio of number of staff to number of hours broadcast? (add one
point for every .1 over 1, subtract one point for every .1 under 1). e)
Does the Service have a web page? f) Are its scripts on-line? g) Does it
have an e-mail service? h) How many hours of television programming does
it produce? i) What is the average length of service of staff members?
(subtract one point for every ten years)  This note was issued at VOA
recently. Many find it amazing, and part of the hypocrisy of the
"independence" declaration -- VOA is now supposed to be independent, but
still has its salaries being handled by the State Department, still has
a remaining (albeit small) group of foreign correspondents who are
formally part of the U.S. foreign service, and now is telling listeners
not to write to U.S. embassies/ consulates, but will still use those
same diplomatic facilities to forward (by diplomatic pouch) mail to
VOA... Question: was VOA ready for independence? Not....To All
Concerned: As a result of independence, we are advised not to use
Consulate or Embassy post office boxes for receiving audience mail any
longer. Instead, we should do one of the following: 1) Arrange for a
local post office box in your country and ask the local stringers or VOA
bureau FSNs to pick up the mail and deliver it to the consulate or
embassy for pouching to the U.S.; or 2) In the event there are no
stringers or VOA bureau in your country, you may use the Post Office
boxes in Hong Kong (#8331, #8623) and Eliza Leung will be in charge of
picking up the mail and delivering it to the U.S. Consulate for
pouching. For the time being, VOA is paying the Consulate or Embassy to
continue to pouch our audience mail back to the U.S. *****The biggest
story possibly in years -- Sanford Ungar announced in a  meeting with
service chiefs and division directors on Oct 22 that the Congressional
budget situation looked bad. The figure for VOA reported out of the
House-Senate conference committee matched the House of Representatives
figure of 105.7 illion dollars -- which still leaves VOA 7-8 million
dollars short. Congress is telling VOAto swallow cost of living
increases and so, Ungar announced, VOA faces sharp cuts. There are
likely to be RIFS (layoffs) and VOA is certainly looking at either
shutting down whole language services, cutting broadcast times, turning
some of the services into "feed services" (like they did with Thai
service in the 80's) and/or letting go an estimated 128 people. Layoffs
would have to begin quickly since the longer VOA waits to initiate the
process the worse the budget situation becomes because of how layoffs
have to be undertaken. If based on seniority, VOA will ironically lose
some of its youngest and most talented broadcasters and other staff,
while being left with the old wood that everyone has been saying for
years has to be moved out. Meanwhile, over at Radio Free Asia the
situation is not as bleak. Since it is a "grantee" organization RFA can
go out and ask for $$ -- what I hear so far is that RFA has told its
employees they won't be getting cost of living increases, but otherwise
RFA continues strong. It is ironic that only 2-3 weeks after all of the
wonderful words spouted by the likes of Senator Biden, and others at the
ceremony marking VOA/IBB independence" from the USG, that now VOA itself
is facing some of the worst news in two decades regarding layoffs. If
Clinton signs the spending bill on his desk that was passed by the
conference committee, Ungar says, there might still be a chance that VOA
could get the extra 8 million or so it needs to avert layoffs. But even
so, the BBG (Broadcasting Board of Governors) is telling people that
there will be a close examination beginning immediately of the
effectiveness and impact of various language services and that VOA
employees can now look to at least 3 years of further cuts. As with
Deutsche Welle, it appears the days of VOA are truly numbered. By the
way -- there were rumors (more than that actually) that when former IBB
Director Kevin Klose (formerly of RFE/RL) came to IBB/VOA his mission
was to begin the process of downsizing that would eventually eliminate
VOA. Klose, of course, jumped ship to yet another cushy job as head of
NPR -- and two other VOA officials, former Evelyn Lieberman Chief of
Staff Jean Peelen and Ken Stern, another senior appointee on VOA's
mahagony row, also have left IBB/VOA for brighter pastures. So, it fits
the pattern -- political appointees coming in, doing their damage to
VOA's long-serving broadcasters, then splitting with another nice line
on their resume.  Letter to the Editor of the Washington Times from Gary
Marco, President, AFSCME Local 1418: Your recent editorial about the
United States Information Agency and the VOA offers a fair assessment
about the fate of these two agencies. In the case of VOA, the mission of
the agency seems to have become lost. In an effort to remain effective
in the post-Cold War era, it has tried to embrace television and
Internet media. Unfortunately, VOA is behind the curve instead of ahead
of it, not having moved with the speed, resources or ability, as other
broadcasters have, with a credible integration of these broadcasting
elements. Further, VOA opted, in some cases, to reduce its direct
shortwave radio broadcasts to certain areas, choosing instead to place
its programs on local or regional stations. Doing so put programs in the
hands of non-U.S. government facilities and reduced VOA's ability to
reach mass audiences across an entire region. In addition, becoming
enamored of other technologies or media leaves the agency vulnerable if
the fiscal resources aren't there to support both diversification and
its core radio operations. To be certain, VOA has some bright spots,
often in times of crises. However, there is the sense that the agency is
being driven by crises and less by a sense of consistency. Congressional
budget decisions are likely to be the barometer of where things are
headed for VOA, if the agency isn't able to make the case itself now and
in the future. [end of MARCO] Washington Post front page October 23:
House GPO Seeks Broad 1.4 Percent Spending Cut House Republican leaders
said yesterday they intend to impose a 1.4 percent across-the-board
spending cut affecting virtually every federal agency, part of a final
push to finance this year's federal budget without touching Social
Security revenues. If the Senate goes along with this approach, as
expected next week, some lawmakers and government experts said it could
have a far-reaching impact on the federal bureaucracy, forcing layoffs
or a reduction in the work force, curtailing travel and postponing some
planned initiatives." (via REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING / GH
SHORTWAVE/DX REPORT 99-47, Oct 25)

ZIMBABWE- ZBC Radio 4, 4828, *0300 Oct 16, s/on with choral anthem, vern
talk, Radio 4 ID, church music. Been hearing this at *0300 since Oct 3.
Also hear 3306 with separate programming at *0300 but very weak (Brian
Alexander, PA, REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING / GH SHORTWAVE/DX
REPORT 99-47, Oct 25)


DX PROGRAMS

Join me for the "SOUTH PACIFIC DX REPORT" on Radio New Zealand
International, HCJB, AWR, and NZ's Radio  Reading Service - ZLXA. Full
details available from the South Pacific DX Resource web-site:
http://radiodx.com/spdxr Or you can listen to RNZI's "Mailbox" here:
http://www.audionet.co.nz/ranz.html (Ormandy, New Zealand)

DXING WITH CUMBRE - Hi, everyone! The schedule here will go into effect
on 31 October 1999, when World Harvest Radio goes on its B-99 frequency
schedule. Please note that all transmissions from WHRI and WHRA will be
one UTC hour later, while KWHR transmissions will not shift time.
Frequencies are in kHz; times are UTC. Programs are approximately 30
minutes long. WHRI ANGEL I (Americas/Caribbean) Sat 0600 7315 --- Sat
1330 15105 (new time; will be on 9495 at 1230 UTC before 31 Oct) --- Sat
0830 7315 --- Sat 2330 9495 --- Sun 1600 15105  WHRI ANGEL II
(Eur/Mideast/Afr/Rus/N Am)
Sat 0600 5745 --- Sat 0830 5745 --- Sat 1630 13760 (new frequency) ---
Sat 1900 13760 --- Sun 0400 5745 --- Sun 0530 5745 ---  Sun 1630 13760
(new frequency) KWHR ANGEL III (Asia)  Sat 0300 17510 --- Sat 0600
17780 --- Sun 0000 17510 --- Sun 0600 17780 --- Sun 1830 9930 (new
frequency) KWHR ANGEL IV (South Pacific) Sun 1300 9930 (new frequency)
WHRA ANGEL V (Africa/Mideast) (may also be audible for many WHRI
listeners) Fri 2300 17650 --- Sat 0230 7580 --- Sat 0930 11565 --- Sat
1700 17650 --- Sat 2230 17650 --- Sun 0200 7580 --- Sun 0930 11565 ---
(Sun 2230 17650 has been dropped) The program may be heard on Real Audio
whenever it is on shortwave at the World Harvest website <
http://www.whr.org>. Also, it is audible on demand at the Cumbre DX
website; the URL for it is <http://www.cumbredx.org>. The postal address
for shortwave reception reports: World Harvest Radio P.O. Box 12 South
Bend IN 46624 U.S.A. The postal address for the DXing with Cumbre
program: Marie Lamb, c/o WAER Radio 215 University Place Syracuse NY
13244-2110 U.S.A. Please take note: I announced a fax number for this
program in the past; I will not mention that number here, but just wish
to state that the number now has another use, and so it is no longer
good for faxes. E-mail or postal mail is fine for most purposes, but if
you must fax something for the program, please use the WAER fax number
at +1 315 443-2148, and mark the fax to the attention of Marie Lamb.
Thanks for listening and contributing, as always! 73--Marie Lamb, DXing
with Cumbre

WORLD OF RADIO AND CONTINENT OF MEDIA ANTICIPATED SHORTWAVE-ONLY
SCHEDULE AS OF  OCTOBER 31, 1999 --- Days and times strictly UT - This
version takes into account one-hour time shifts on WWCR and WBCQ with
the end of DST:  Wed 1730 COM RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Wed 2200 WOR WBCQ
7415 --- Thu 0930 COM RFPI 15049 --- Thu 2130 WOR WWCR 15685 --- Fri
1900 COM RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Fri 1930 WOR RFPI 21460-USB 15049 ---
Sat 0300 COM RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sat 0330 WOR RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sat
1100 COM RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sat 1130 WOR RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sat 1230
WOR WWCR 12160 --- Sat 1730 COM RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Sat 1800 WOR
RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Sun 0130 COM RFPI 21460-USB 15049 6975 --- Sun
0200 WOR RFPI 21460-USB 15049 6975 --- Sun 0330 WOR WWCR 5070 --- Sun
0730 WOR WWCR 5070 --- Sun 0930 COM RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sun 1000 WOR
RFPI 15049 6975 --- Sun 2300 WOR RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Mon 0131 WOR
WWCR 3215 --- Mon 0601 WOR WWCR 3210 --- Mon 0700 WOR RFPI 15049
6975 --- Tue 1330 WOR WWCR 15685 ---  Tue 1900 WOR RFPI 21460-USB
15049 --- Tue 2000 COM RFPI 21460-USB 15049 --- Wed 0300 WOR RFPI
21460-USB 15049 6975 --- Wed 0400 COM RFPI 15049 6975 --- Wed 1100 WOR
RFPI 15049 --- For complete information on all our broadcasts, including
satellite,domestic relays, and in Spanish see
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio THIS WEEK ON WORLD OF RADIO
1009: See topic summary when available at
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio/wor1009.html  (GH)


PRESS RELEASE

Prime Minister Chretien has appointed Montreal businessman Robert
Rabinovitch as the new president of the CBC.  Rabinovitch, 56, was
executive vice-president of Claridge Inc, a Bronfman family holding
company. He will head the public broadcaster for the next five years and
succeeds Perrin Beatty. Beatty's mandate echnically expired in March but
remained as head until August at the prime minister's request. Executive
Vice-President Jim McCoubrey had been serving as interim vice-president
since August. Beatty's replacement has been the subject of heated
speculation for almost a year. Rabinovitch has been offered the position
of CBC president  before, but has always turned it down. Heritage
Minister Sheila Copps, who lobbied hard for the appointment of
Rabinovitch, says she is pleased with the announcement. (via John
Figliozzi, USA)

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