RFE/RL and VOA in Russian Sights

Michael Hedges July 10, 2006

International broadcasters are increasingly backed against a wall when it comes to finding easy broadcast licenses for the taking. Governments can prevent access to distribution or, at the very least, make life very uncomfortable for local media affiliates. The enduring rule of media and politics is that no government takes criticism easily, particularly from foreigners.

A flurry of coverage followed an article by the Washington Post’s Peter Finn (July 6) about the dwindling number of Russian local broadcasters carrying newscasts and programs from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the Voice of America (VOA). It is not a new story. Finn, obviously in Moscow for the G8 Summit, needed a scene-setter and when in Russia an article or two about President Putin’s crackdown on independent media is compulsory. The story about the story takes a slightly more interesting angle recalling that the same Peter Finn infamously wrote a story about torture in Iraq that the Washington Post later had to retract.

Not that official Russia’s intent to rein in independent media isn’t intentional; it is. And it’s working.

Through a series of well-known ownership transfers, Russia’s largest and most popular media channels rest firmly in government-friendly hands. National channels and, clearly, those with significant coverage in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were first to change. Nary a broadcaster in a major Russian population center exists without a connection with official Russia or its friends. That “evaluation of licenses” is taking place in every corner of Russia is totally expected.

Both VOA and RFE/RL – which operates Radio Liberty in Russia and its neighbors – have a long history in the region. VOA enjoyed widespread popularity in the former Soviet Union, as much for the slice-of-American-life programs as for the news bulletins. RFE/RL has never been the dictators’ friend, with a streak of fierce, challenging journalism intended to keep the crude and corrupt on their toes. More recently critical ears have noticed a distinct step toward propaganda making from VOA head David Jackson and his boss, political operative and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson. BBG oversees all non-military US government international broadcasting activities.

The Washington Post article stated the obvious:

“Control of the media, particularly news and debate on national television channels, is a critical part of the Kremlin's management of political discourse in advance of parliamentary elections in 2007 and presidential elections in 2008.”

Change just a few words and the sentence describes many, many, many. 

Russia’s media felt compelled to respond to the Washington Post article. Official news agency RIA Novosti dismissed the entire idea of a deliberate crackdown on Radio Liberty or the VOA. Regulators were quoted saying the stations had violated license rules by not declaring intent to broadcast foreign originated programs.

Kommersant and MosNews noted the effect of and on the G8 Summit as well as local broadcasters coming under increased pressure last summer. Earlier in the week Kommersant reported a study of television news programs by the Russian Union of Journalists that “opposition” has been all but “driven out.” Kommersant is owned by exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. 

The source of that pressure, say observers, is official Russia’s furor at an interview with Chechan warlord Shamil Basaevby Radio Liberty correspondent Andrey Babitsky on American television network ABC. Radio Liberty did not broadcast the interview. From that point, they said, stations re-broadcasting VOA and RFE/RL programs have been under pressured – implying pressure to drop the foreign newscasts – since June 2005 when the Basaev interview was broadcast.

Diplomatic sources say a fix is on the table but difficult.  Official Russia would like US cable TV companies carrying its English language channel Russia Today. US diplomats, preferring to remain anonymous because of delicacies involved with G8 discussions, say an agreement would be “helpful” but plead a lack of influence over privately owned cable operators. Russians find this impossible to imagine.

Diplomatic “solutions” to media “situations” have left VOA out in the cold before. In Germany, the Berlin-Brandenburg media regulator (MABB) awarded the last “American” FM radio channel to independent US broadcaster NPR over a competing bid from VOA. BBG’s Tomlinson, until recently simultaneous head of the US Corporation for Public Broadcasting, vowed to “beat” NPR. The MABB showed its independence from outside pressure. Mr. Tomlinson found that impossible to believe.

Finding cable space in the US has also confounded the BBC, which is aggressively marketing its BBC World product around the world. Al-Jazeera has been banking on revenue from US cable distribution for its English language channel, prospects of which are slim to none. A name change might help.

The yet-to-air French channel – “to rival CNN and the BBC” – just adopted the name France 24. They might have more good fortune with American cable companies, particularly if it’s loaded with those famous French TV ads.

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