Executive Summary

The Broadcasting Board of Governors oversees U.S. government-funded civilian international 

media. Under various statutory authorities, including the Smith-Mundt Act and the International 

Broadcasting Act, the BBG is required to be a responsible steward of tax resources, “to 

effectively reach a significant audience,”1 and to support the requirements of U.S. foreign policy. 

The Board is also authorized to “ensure that all broadcasting elements receive the highest quality 

and cost-effective delivery services.”2 Given these statutory mandates, the Board must ensure 

that the work of this agency is efficient and effective. 

In October 2013, the Board established the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave 

Broadcasting to undertake a comprehensive review of the efficacy of shortwave radio as a 

distribution platform for U.S. international media. Taking an audience-first approach, the 

Committee found that shortwave use is heavily concentrated in a limited number of countries; 

that other means of delivery are used and preferred by many of the BBG’s target demographics 

across most markets; that audiences tend to migrate to other media as they become available; that 

audiences do not return to shortwave in a crisis; and, use of the medium trends downward as

audiences eagerly adopt other platforms as they become available.

The BBG, with our limited resources, must choose from a wide variety of media used by our 

current and future audiences to fulfill our mission to the maximum extent possible. Radio now 

comes in many formats beyond shortwave: medium wave (AM), FM, satellite and cable delivery, 

and Internet streams. These modes often overcome many of the traditional shortcomings of 

shortwave, such as fading, variability in sound quality, and difficulty of tuning. We must also 

embrace television, as many of our audiences now turn to TV first for news and information and, 

of course, entertainment. The explosion of social media provides us with exciting new 

opportunities to complement information delivery with rich interaction and greater audience 

interaction, including content contribution by the audience. For many around the world, the next 

electronic media they acquire will be a cell phone or similar mobile device. The BBG must 

choose to have a commanding presence the media where our audiences are today and in the 

future. 

The BBG is committed to maintaining its shortwave broadcasting to regions where a critical 

need for the platform continues while also being diligent to ensure the BBG networks are 

reaching audiences on the appropriate media. The BBG gratefully acknowledges the strong 

historical foundation created by shortwave radio broadcasting as we invest in the necessary 

capabilities for the evolving media environment. The result of this inquiry, arguably the most indepth and comprehensive to-date, is that the Committee recommends substantial “right-sizing” 

of the BBG’s shortwave broadcasting to be more focused and effective. 

1 United States International Broadcasting Act, Public Law 103-236, §303(a)(7).

2 Id. §305(a)(7).

1 

 
Introduction

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) oversees all U.S.-government funded civilian 

international media, which includes the Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting 

(OCB), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Middle East 

Broadcasting Networks (MBN). Our mission is to deliver accurate and timely news and 

information where access is limited by censorship or a lack of free media; create access to news 

and information and support for freedom of expression for people threatened by censorship and 

intimidation; counter propaganda and extremist rhetoric that threatens peace, stability, and 

freedom with credible news and information that empowers audiences to positively contribute 

and participate in a civil society; and to be a leading channel for information about the United 

States, our people, society, government, and policies. We empower people with knowledge, 

enabling them to know more about their situation, hold their government accountable, know the 

facts about their adversaries, understand and develop the rule of law, support human security,

develop commerce, and more. We tell the American story to develop an understanding of U.S. 

policies and provide reflective moments for audiences to compare our present and our past with 

their situations. Collectively, these activities are in support of U.S. national security and foreign 

policy goals. 

Media environments around the world are undergoing significant disruptions with the 

introduction of new consumer technologies, the evolving needs and demands of changing 

demographics, political instability and aggressive behavior, and increased censorship and 

propaganda. Markets, even in the most remote parts of the planet, are experiencing technology 

revolutions. Media channel disruption, while fueled by technological advances, is deeply linked 

to fundamental changes in the demographics of the audience. Younger demographics, are 

adopting mobile, social, and other digital means of delivery in addition to using television and 

FM radio. More broadly, where shortwave once dominated, audiences moved to satellite, cable,

and terrestrial television, FM and AM, or other digital platforms as they became available.

The BBG continues to evolve our distribution strategy to serve our core mission and to be 

effective in today’s dynamic media environment. Each week, BBG’s networks engage over 200 

million people across a wide variety of technologies: satellite radio and TV, terrestrial radio (FM, 

medium wave (AM), shortwave) and TV, mobile platforms and social media. We reach 

audiences through our own transmissions and Internet sites and through a rapidly growing and 

extensive affiliate network. Unlike other media organizations, the BBG is not driven by 

commercial goals; rather, we select the best means of delivery or tools to reach and empower our 

target audiences.

The BBG has several statutory requirements to be a responsible steward of tax resources, “to 

effectively reach a significant audience”3 and to support the requirements of U.S. foreign policy. 

The Board is also authorized to “ensure that all broadcasting elements receive the highest quality 

and cost-effective delivery services.”4 To these ends, the Board directs the agency to conduct 

regular reviews of the efficacy, efficiency, and performance of our distribution channels and how 

these fit within the overall agency strategy, specific network strategies, and evolving target 

markets and audience assessments. 

3 United States International Broadcasting Act, Public Law 103-236, §303(a)(7).

4 Id. §305(a)(7).

2 
SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND & COMMITTEE 

ESTABLISHMENT

Background

Shortwave was a transformational technology that reached into areas denied access to news and 

information by the tyranny of distance, censors, and propaganda. It permitted the sending of 

sounds across vast distances, to be received and relayed by transmitters and listeners alike. 

Knowledge was (and remains) power, which is why the adversaries of freedom rely on 

propaganda and shutting down free media. The U.S. has long used shortwave and other 

technologies to counter propaganda and ignorance by providing the true news about our policies, 

events both in the U.S. and abroad, and the truths about our adversaries.Shortwave radio has long 

been the foundation of international broadcasting. In 1923, commercial stations in the U.S., 

followed by the U.S. government, began using this magical medium to economically transport 

countless news, information, and entertainment programs across thousands of miles to audiences 

around the world. Throughout past decades, the U.S. Government has used this versatile tool to

widely disseminate policies, speeches, events (such as inaugurations), news, and programs 

related to culture, technology, and education. Shortwave spans huge distances and is easily 

relayed, readily flowing from one country to another irrespective of national boundaries. A 

single broadcast can blanket an entire country or broad regions. Shortwave radios, and kits to 

make the radios, were relatively inexpensive and widely available. Users could tune in to hear 

the news and languages of faraway lands. Newspapers printed broadcast schedules and

dedicated columns to programs discovered on the air. Some towns even instituted “silent nights” 

where local radio stations went off the air to reduce interference and improve reception of long 

distance shortwave signals. 

The BBG’s broadcasters have used shortwave radio transmissions over many years to fulfill their 

missions. VOA has used shortwave to deliver news and information to countries or regions 

where press freedom is lacking or absent in the wake of a natural disaster or coup. Shortwave 

delivered to audiences Willis Conover’s jazz programs and Leo Sarkisian’s “Music Time in 

Africa.” Broadcasting by Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty has been a powerful torch of 

hope and freedom to inform, enlighten, and inspire audiences throughout Eastern Europe, Russia, 

and the former Soviet Union. Reports from political prisoners and dissidents in China attest to 

the potent effect of Radio Free Asia’s programming, while generations of listeners in Cuba have 

tuned in to Radio Martí throughout the years. Displaced populations in Sudan hear Radio Sawa 

on shortwave.

The media landscape around the world continues to change radically and with increasing speed. 

Shortwave was revolutionary for nearly all of the twentieth century and, in the eyes of 

governments that strived to eliminate freedom of expression and information, it was also 

disruptive. Shortwave was the common means of delivery to directly reach people around the 

globe. Over the past several decades, other communication technologies have become more 

popular, more available, richer in content options, asynchronous to allow delayed consumption, 

and easier to share, enhance, or reply. 

Shortwave continues to have a role in delivering news and information and overcoming 

censorship to select audiences, but it is a diminishing role in terms of impact and increasing 

3 
opportunity costs. Shortwave deserves credit for helping win the Cold War, but when 

considering factors ranging from current audience use of media to budgets, today is not like 

yesterday. 

The Shortwave Committee’s Process

The BBG Board established the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting 

(the “Committee”) to undertake a comprehensive review of the efficacy of shortwave radio as a 

distribution platform for USIM. 

The Committee began with an audience-first approach, including a thoughtful analysis of user 

experiences and user choices. It then considered opportunities and limits of the medium and

contemplated the associated direct and opportunity costs of utilizing the medium. This section 

details the process by which the Committee conducted its exhaustive review of the current role 

of shortwave and how the Committee evaluated the information that led to the Committee’s 

formal recommendations.

This process began with a necessary “step back” to understand the audience’s experience with 

the medium. The next step was questioning and then validating whether the BBG’s target 

audiences use shortwave. While the Committee proceeded with this data collection and analysis, 

the Committee also sought input from stakeholders and the global public. The Committee then 

considered the costs of maintaining and broadcasting on shortwave from the BBG’s ten stations 

around the world.5

The first Committee meeting, held in November 2013, included presentations on the listening 

experience of the shortwave user in our target markets and the use of shortwave radio by the 

BBG’s networks as part of their respective engagement strategies; a description of the networks’ 

success in reaching their target audiences through shortwave; and an overview of the cost of 

operating shortwave BBG’s transmitting facilities. 

The Committee’s second meeting, in January 2014, was devoted to analyzing the BBG’s 

research on shortwave radio, with an emphasis on the characteristics of the shortwave audience, 

where shortwave is being used, and its impact. A panel of external experts offered their views 

on our research and our markets to provide additional perspectives and to identify potential 

limitations of the BBG’s existing research. 

A third planned meeting intended to hear comments from three to four stakeholders was 

cancelled in favor of a broader and more inclusive public Request for Comment. In March 2014, 

the Committee published a formal request for comments from stakeholders, experts, and general 

members of the public to provide facts or opinions on the role of shortwave radio broadcasting.

The Committee heard from BBG supporters, former employees, industry experts, academics, 

shortwave listeners, and other stakeholders. 

The Committee requested and received substantial input from the State Department’s overseas 

posts. The posts were provided the BBG’s goals and methods of engagement on a country-bycountry basis to collect insights from the posts on the importance and impact of shortwave as a 

5 BBG operates the following shortwave stations: Greenville, Sao Tome & Principe, Botswana, Biblis, 

Lampertheim, Kuwait, SriLanka, Tinang (Philippines), Udorn (Thailand), Saipan and Tinian (Marianas)

4 
means of reaching target audiences in their respective countries. The responses were very 

helpful and were cross-referenced with the BBG’s own research and provided to the Committee.

SECTION TWO: ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF 

SHORTWAVE

The Committee’s ultimate task was to understand and report on the efficacy of shortwave 

broadcasting as both a stand-alone technology and relative to other means. Like any other 

medium, shortwave has its advantages, disadvantages, and relative costs. The combination of 

today’s austere budgets and the availability of other content mediums to our audiences calls for a 

depth of analysis that has, arguably, not been required before. An examination of the historical 

record and interviews with those that served in the BBG’s networks in the 1980s and earlier 

provide testimony to the past importance and impact of shortwave broadcasting, direct 

connection with U.S. national security and foreign policy, and expansive budgets. While the 

demands for the availability of factual news and information to our audiences have increased in 

more places, on more platforms and across more languages,6 the BBG’s funding levels have 

continued to decrease, including in the FY 2014 Omnibus funding appropriation. Present and 

anticipated future fiscal realities mean the relative impact and value of shortwave must be 

considered. However, regardless of the funding situation, the Board is required to determine the 

right approach to reach and empower our audiences in support of the mission of the networks 

and the agency.

Understanding the Platform

During the first meeting, the Committee members sought a foundational understanding of how 

shortwave radio functions and how each of the BBG’s networks uses shortwave to reach their 

audiences. This gave the Committee insight into the end user experience with the technology,

including the opportunities it creates and the limitations it suffers, as well as awareness that not 

all shortwave users are reliant on shortwave to access BBG content. 

The Technology, Services and Innovation’s Director of Broadcast Technologies presented an 

overview of how shortwave functions and how it performs differently than FM and AM. The 

fundamental value of shortwave is its potential of reaching very long distances and covering vast 

areas. Shortwave transmission does not require a presence within the target countries or in 

nearby countries, and thus is not subject to the political constraints of some other broadcast 

technologies. For comparison, FM coverage is “line of sight,” thereby providing only local 

coverage. AM radio transmissions can cover large areas, but are more subject to interference 

from signal “pollution.” Furthermore, AM transmissions may not reach as far as needed for 

targeted audiences (shortwave can cover larger areas); have their longest reliable range during 

nighttime hours; and are further hampered by a dearth of availability in some of the most 

desirable areas. Perhaps most important is that under international agreement, FM and AM are 

considered “domestic” transmission platforms and are therefore subject to national licensing 

6 Freedom House, 2014: “For the eighth consecutive year, Freedom in the World recorded more declines in

democracy worldwide than gains.” http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2014

5 
regimes and spectrum regulatory law. In contrast, shortwave is recognized by the International 

Telecommunications Union (ITU) as an “international broadcast service” intended for crossborder broadcasting. 

There are several drawbacks and weaknesses associated with this means of delivery. Audio 

quality is substantially limited by the medium itself and is also somewhat volatile and subject to 

degradation by external factors (e.g. electrical noise, electronic devices, etc.), thereby making it 

difficult to produce a consistent and rich audio experience for listeners. Necessary seasonal 

changes in frequencies, and sometimes broadcast times, also differentiate shortwave from using 

FM or AM.

Historically, transmissions to some of the BBG’s most important shortwave targets have been 

heavily jammed by local governments (e.g. China, Cuba, and Iran) both by using local 

transmission of noise patterns that distort and overwhelm the original signal and often, in large 

urban areas, by the hijacking of the frequency with a stronger local signal that effectively 

overwhelms the BBG’s longer distance transmissions and replaces them with the local 

government signal. The BBG’s licensed international frequencies in cities like Beijing, Shanghai 

and Hong Kong, for example, are completely and intentionally overwhelmed by National China 

Radio signals.

Digital Shortwave and Consumer Demand

The Committee reviewed digital shortwave, known as Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). The 

Committee heard in several forums that DRM has matured over the past decade, and now has the 

ability to provide the listener with almost CD quality audio, as well as deliver text, images, and 

low motion video over a standard shortwave broadcast channel. 

Despite these capabilities, DRM has failed to capture any significant market share due to a lack 

of affordable receivers inside and outside of our target markets, a general downtrend in 

shortwave usage, and the concomitant lack of adoption by the overwhelming majority of 

broadcasters. 

For comparison, a full satellite reception setup in China that includes a Ku Band dish, the 

satellite receiver and all necessary cabling, receives video, audio and data and costs less than 

$50, whereas the price for DRM receivers starts at twice that while offering access to 

substantially less content in few formats.

While Russia appears interested in DRM for domestic use and possibly international use (there 

are also suggestions that China is exploring DRM for domestic use), it is the Committee’s 

estimation that it is unlikely that DRM will become an established mass media distribution 

methodology in enough of the BBG’s current or future markets to justify the costs of updating 

our infrastructure to support this technology. The Committee learned that while India is 

investing in DRM for both domestic and international use (including Russian to Russia and 

Russian-language territories), it intends to end this investment because the technology does not 

support their mission or goals.

The Committee does not believe that the BBG’s networks will generate enough consumer 

demand for DRM hardware to cause the necessary decrease in the cost of receivers or to drive 

other broadcasters to our current and future target markets to increase availability of other digital 

programs. The richness of experience from Internet material on fixed and mobile platforms,

6 
satellite distribution of TV and radio, and the constantly dropping price points associated with 

these technologies strongly suggests DRM adoption by our current and anticipated future 

audiences will be minor and most likely by those with access to other technologies. 

Shortwave Alternatives for Certain Markets

In markets for BBG priority languages, BBG programs are available through several mediums.

In broad terms, shortwave has a decreasing user base in most countries, often to the point of 

marginal access and impact. In a number of our priority markets, BBG programming is accessed 

primarily through television, reflecting these audiences’ desire for visuals. In other priority 

markets where the bulk of our audience comes from radio, FM is the most popular waveband for 

tuning in, when it is available.

Meanwhile, the expansion of the satellite TV/radio installed base continues to grow 

exponentially in most of the BBG target markets. Satellite dishes, especially smaller and 

affordable Ku Band dishes, are now ubiquitous in the Middle East and spreading rapidly 

throughout Africa, Central, East and Southeast Asia.

Internet access via fixed, and especially mobile, platforms continues to experience dramatic 

growth in these areas as well and, despite substantial effort by some regimes to censor access to 

the Web and other Internet-based resources, usage of Internet firewall circumvention tools and 

techniques continues to grow. The BBG’s substantial efforts in this arena continue to 

demonstrably enable unfettered access to online information for large numbers of individuals in 

places like China, Vietnam, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and many other countries that censor the 

Internet.

Many of BBG’s target audiences tend to use multiple platforms and are not exclusive to one 

means of delivery. In Nigeria and Burma, for example, it is evident that while young adults use 

shortwave at similar rates as the overall population, they are at least equally, if not more, likely 

as the overall population to also use other platforms, such as television and Internet. Politically 

engaged adults in these markets, as another example, are likely to use shortwave radio, but they 

are also more likely to use it in conjunction with other means of delivery. Research across 

countries and regions strongly suggests a pattern of multi-platform consumption developing in 

markets where shortwave is used. 

In markets where in-depth and reliable data is not yet available, there are strong inferences that

many of BBG’s audiences who appear to rely on shortwave actually have other mediums 

available to them. In many of these references, the top three target demographics are unlikely to 

use shortwave exclusively or at all. 

Data received as this report was being completed provide dramatic illustration of the rapid 

decline of shortwave even in markets where it historically has been robust. New data from 

Burma, where media choices have expanded rapidly since that country’s recent political opening,

indicate that weekly shortwave use has declined from 34 percent to 15 percent in a space of some 

18 months. New data from Nigeria, the country with the largest known population of shortwave 

users in the world, shows weekly usage of shortwave declined from 25 percent two years ago to 

15 percent today. 

7 
Target Audiences, Goals, Use of Other Platforms, Young People & Shortwave

Nigeria, 2014

Past Week Use in 

Percent of:

TV Internet Radio FM radio SW radio

All adults 63 27 78 71 15

Hausa Speakers 56 17 87 70 31

Men 69 34 86 78 17

Women 56 18 71 62 13

15-24 year olds 64 42 77 71 14

Politically engaged7 63 30 83 77 19

Urban 75 34 78 69 15

Rural 54 22 79 72 16

Burma, 2014

Past Week use.../in 

Percent of 

TV Internet Radio FM radio SW radio

All adults 46 5 51 25 15

Men 46 6 55 26 18

Women 46 4 47 25 12

15-24 year olds 50 10 55 30 13

Politically engaged 55 5 61 33 22

Urban 72 13 38 22 8

Rural 34 2 56 27 18

A Valuable Medium for Some Markets

Shortwave continues to be a relevant means of delivery in several African markets, namely 

Sudan’s Darfur region, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Guinea, DRC, and Northern Nigeria. In Sudan, 

shortwave use has increased as their security situation has declined. In Zimbabwe, VOA's 

weekly radio reach was measured at 9.2 percent (9.9% including all other means of delivery) in 

October 2013. Eighty percent of weekly VOA Zimbabwe listeners usually tune in via 

shortwave. Shortwave continues to be essential for Sudan and Zimbabwe as alternate means of 

7 Defined as “very” interested in politics.

8 
accessing VOA (e.g. audio via satellite, the Internet, or mobile) have not yet been embraced by a 

critical mass of VOA users in these markets.

In Burma, Tajikistan, and with some qualifications, Belarus, shortwave continues to be widely 

used. While Belarus still has 23 percent of its weekly BBG audience attributable to shortwave, 

most of those who use shortwave to listen to RFE/RL Belarusian use other means of delivery to 

consume BBG media and are unlikely to be lost if shortwave were unavailable. A drawdown of 

shortwave transmissions in this market would result in a decrease in BBG’s weekly audience of 

0.4 percent of adults, unless they migrate to other means of delivery if shortwave is discontinued. 

This is based on an extremely small sample size (7 cases), making it impossible to determine 

more about the demographics or media use of shortwave listeners, but research shows that 

weekly Belarusian shortwave users are likely to also use AM radio weekly (57%) and the 

Internet weekly (58%), and that some have satellite dishes (18%), which means they could watch 

BBG’s TV currently broadcast to Belarus. 

In no surveyed market, other than those mentioned above, is the audience that uses shortwave 

exclusively a large component of the overall audience (greater than 20%) or in one of our top

three targeted demographics for a particular market.

Even in countries with currently significant levels of shortwave usage, available evidence 

suggests that audiences turn to other more convenient and user-friendly means of delivery when 

those become available. As illustrated in the charts in Appendix E, many countries that once had

robust shortwave audiences have seen dramatic declines in the usage of that medium over the 

past decade. Moreover, with the very rapid spread of FM, terrestrial and satellite television, and 

digital and mobile technologies, the pace of this migration appears to be accelerating. The 

evidence of sharp declines cited above in such historical bastions of shortwave as Burma and 

Nigeria illustrate both the speed of the migration away from the shortwave platform and the near 

ubiquity of alternatives. Given the current pace of change, it seems likely that within the next 2-

5 years, very few of BBG’s current and anticipated future markets will have sizable audiences in 

target demographics that rely exclusively on shortwave to receive BBG programming.8

Public Comment

The Committee posted a request for public comment (in English) on the BBG’s use of shortwave 

and sent out individualized solicitations to many experts and stakeholders for their views. The 

Committee received 157 responses over a nearly three-week period. 

Respondents self-reported diverse backgrounds and varied connections to the platform. Some 

said they listened to shortwave, while many were shortwave enthusiasts or amateurs. Others 

worked in the shortwave industry or were academics researching the use of shortwave. Only 

15.3 percent indicated that they listen to BBG shortwave programming. Forty-one percent 

reported that they live in the U.S. Overall, 91.1 percent of the respondents indicated support for 

the BBG’s continued use of shortwave though the vast majority of these recommendations did 

not include fact-based arguments and often referenced past consumption. The Committee values 

the interest and input of those who responded. 

8 Data trends point to a precipitous drop in shortwave usage around the world. As a thought exercise, if the BBG 

assumes an annual 20 percent reduction in weekly shortwave usage and applies that forecast to all countries where 

there are current research-based estimates, there would be no countries where weekly shortwave usage exceeds 8 

percent in five years’ time, and in most places it would be far less.

9 
Shortwave as a Crisis Platform

The Committee heard from many, including 16 percent of the respondents to the public request 

for comment, that shortwave is a go-to means of delivery for a crisis, such as military invasion, 

civil war or natural disaster, which results in a cessation or interruption of pre-crisis media and 

communication technologies. While every crisis is different, especially with respect to the 

impact on media and information availability, the BBG has found no recent evidence that 

shortwave usage in fact increases in such situations. There have been very few crises in recent 

years in which all means of communication other than shortwave have been interrupted for any

substantial period.

In Egypt, for example, in a survey run just a few months after the start of the 2011 revolution, 

only 1 percent of respondents said they were using SW radio; no radio station of any type was 

named as one of the top sources of information. In Syria, early in that country’s civil war, only 7

percent said they were using SW at all, and no international radio station was among the top 

three information sources (over 90% said they relied on TV to follow the crisis).

In Haiti, VOA achieved huge audiences in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in spite of the 

destruction of all local FM stations. VOA broadcast’s to Haiti were in FM, the dominant 

medium in Haiti, by way of the Commando Solo aircraft, which the Department of Defense 

made available to the BBG as a relay platform.10

In the aftermath of the disputed 2009 elections in Iran, when satellite TV broadcasts and 

international websites were being blocked by the authorities, only 5 percent reported turning at 

all to international radio stations to follow the news. This figure is not higher than that of 

previous years. 

Advocates of the argument that shortwave is used and needed in crisis situations note that 

shortwave receivers are affordable and no third party infrastructure is necessary. However, the 

general assumption that people own or could easily purchase a receiver is not supported by 

events over the past decade. In cases where the local government sent shortwave radios to 

disaster zones, there is no evidence of increased use of shortwave beyond the recovery or the 

resumption of service of other technologies. 

Anecdotal evidence from trips to BBG’s target markets where shortwave is or recently was an 

effective medium, as well as similar anecdotal evidence from other Western broadcasters, 

suggests that shortwave-capable radios are decreasingly available for purchase in many of these 

markets. The BBG’s research over many years shows that ownership of shortwave radios, or 

shortwave-capable radios, does not necessarily mean that owners know how to use shortwave or 

access our content on shortwave. In Iran, while 36 percent report having a shortwave-capable 

radio, actual weekly usage of shortwave has consistently remained at 5 percent or below, in spite 

of jamming and interference with satellite TV and significant Internet censorship. As reported 

by research from the BBC and the BBG, it is difficult to purchase a shortwave radio in Iran 

because of an overall lack of consumer demand for the sets has resulted in severe lack of 

10 There persists a myth that shortwave was used to broadcast to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake. This is not 

true. Shortwave was used to transmit programming to the Commando Solo aircraft. This aircraft retransmitted the 

programming to Haiti in FM, which was the far and away dominant medium on the island. Commando Solo has 

since been updated to receive programming through other means. 

10 
availability. Past consumer behavior and anecdotal evidence strongly indicate that once a market 

loses touch with shortwave, the consumer is unlikely to return to the medium. 

At the same time, younger audiences, a substantial portion of populations in our current and 

future target markets, are decreasingly likely to purchase or use shortwave devices. Across the 

globe, young news consumers are turning to television, FM radio, mobile devices and social 

networks to access news information. This remains true in today’s crisis situations – such as 

Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and the Central African Republic – where there have been significant 

interruptions of Internet services and, in some cases, broadcast services. Because of the essential 

nature of the Internet and other communication services, in all cases these interruptions were 

short-lived and measured in hours to, at most, a few days. In that time, audiences did not rush to 

shortwave, which is -- or is quickly becoming -- an unfamiliar technology.

Shortwave as a Method for Overcoming Censorship

The Committee assessed the effectiveness of using shortwave as a means for overcoming 

censorship or outright interdiction of other content distribution platforms. We must accept that 

there is no foolproof methodology for content to reach audiences that cannot be censored, 

interfered with, or even completely blocked.

In those countries where open and free information is anathema, regimes use a wide range of 

methods to censor or interfere with the distribution of content, ranging from taking physical 

control of point of origination, including reporters and studios, to obstructing distribution 

pathways, such as broadcast towers and telecommunication links. We recently witnessed some

of these scenarios in places like Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Interference with cross-border 

radio signals can be made by transmitting noise or other content locally on the same frequency. 

Local regimes may interfere with television and radio signals from satellites either by up-linking 

a signal to the satellite with exactly the same set of technical specifications of the targeted 

channel (often called double illumination) or through more brute force disruption of an entire set 

of signals that often affect many channels at once. Due to the enormous collateral economic 

impact of these activities, these measures have come to be widely condemned by most nations 

and therefore have become methods of last resort mostly used by either rogue regimes or failed 

states dealing with tremendous political or military crisis. 

To avoid the political consequences associated with interfering with a shared resource protected 

by ITU regulations and located outside of their sovereign territory, such regimes will 

occasionally deploy local, ground-based, interference that disrupts satellite radio and television 

signal distribution in a specific neighborhood or suburb. 

Telephone networks, including mobile distribution, can experience interference through direct 

interference with any of the physical distribution architecture (e.g. central offices, local switches 

and/or towers), as well as via signal interference in specific locations.

Finally, Internet-based distribution can be interfered with through a variety of means, including 

physically blocking international or regional gateways through redirection of specific Web 

addresses, either to alternate addresses more acceptable to the censoring regime or to dead-ends 

from which there is no response (commonly referred to as “sink-holing”). Other methods 

include highly targeted removal of specific topics while allowing anodyne content through, 

blocking of specific types of traffic (i.e. encrypted sessions), and even highly sophisticated low 

11 
level traffic analysis that attempts to identify the identity of the end user, the content of the 

traffic, or the targeted address (“deep packet inspection”).

In the past, with a very limited number of cross-border transmission media, the only way to 

respond to deliberate interference was to effectively escalate the number and power of 

frequencies aimed at the target audiences in the hope that, eventually, one would overwhelm the 

ability of the targeted country to block so many powerful signals. It takes far more power to 

place a broadcast-quality signal in a distant location than it takes to locally block or even 

completely replace that signal. With specific targets, the BBG has in the past deployed as many 

as fourteen simultaneous frequencies into the same market only to see each and every one of 

those frequencies jammed within minutes.

Today’s multi-channel distribution strategies work on a completely different level, making signal 

interdiction a far more complex, expensive, and internally disruptive proposition. Rapidly

expanding and extremely inexpensive Direct-to-Home satellite distribution, ubiquitous mobile 

phone ownership, and the increasingly economical imperative of providing one’s population with 

universal access to the Internet have combined to create a media environment where only the 

most repressive and economically stagnant regimes can effectively control foreign content 

consumption within their borders. In order to reach audiences in this complex media 

environment, the BBG must continue to play a game of “cat and mouse.” When interference is 

detected on one channel, the BBG quickly moves or surges to other mediums. If a television or 

radio affiliate carrying our content is shut down, we must shift to the appropriate replacement 

medium, including satellite or the Web. If the Web is blocked, including one of our sites, we 

surge awareness of our existing and proven circumvention tools and programs. 

Overcoming signal interference and interdiction is costly. The BBG continually explores new 

ways to overcome this censorship, while also pro-actively educating our audiences on the

existence, purpose, and use of the tools and programs that will provide them access to the 

information they need. 

While there is long-standing awareness of interference with radio and satellite distribution, the 

past three to four years have demonstrated the power of governments to interfere, even shut 

down digital communications. In high profile cases in Syria (Nov. 2012, May 2013, Feb. 2014 

& March 2014), Egypt (Feb. 2011), Gambia (March 2014), Sudan (Sept. 2013) and even recently 

in the Central African Republic (June 2014), critical digital and mobile services were shut 

down. While these events were very public, it is not widely known that the digital and mobile 

services were quickly turned back on by the same people that shut them down. 

In Syria, Internet and mobile service blackouts have been more frequent than in most 

countries. It is difficult to identify which blackouts were caused by damage from the conflict 

and which were deliberately caused by the Assad regime or by enemies of the Assad regime. For 

example, on March 20, 2014, starting at 12:26 UTC, 84 networks (95% of the country’s 

capacity) experienced an outage in Syria. According to the Syrian government-owned news 

agency SANA, the outage was caused by "a breakdown in the optical fiber cable in 

Damascus.” Service was restored seven hours later. The longest blackouts were in November 

2012 (nearly 48 hours) and May 2013 (19 hours).

The Committee found that Internet blackouts, in general, followed a similar pattern. When a 

country shuts off the Internet it quickly, and quietly, turns it back on. One of the most common 

12 
reasons is that the blackout was designed to thwart or hide a specific event, such as a regime 

military operation or a popular mass protest. Another reason is that the Internet, despite the best 

efforts of some countries, has become a critical backbone to the economic, communication, and 

social infrastructure of a country. A government, even one in open conflict, must continue to 

conduct business, and a significant portion of today’s business requires constant access to the 

Internet.

Despite efforts by these regimes to curtail access to information via modern methodologies, 

populations continue to gravitate to them because of both the richness of content available and 

the opportunity for interaction that so many repressed populations desperately want.

In Iran, systematic efforts to confiscate and destroy satellite dishes have rapidly been followed 

by the installation of even more dishes, to the point that the Iranian regime now openly 

acknowledges that large swatches of the population regularly watch foreign “prohibited” content 

distributed by foreign broadcasters such as VOA, RFE/RL, and the BBC.

The increased efforts at information filtering, traffic restrictions, and identification and 

prosecuting of Chinese web users has not resulted in lower number of attempts to circumvent 

these measures but rather a tremendous growth in the usage of BBG-sponsored tools. These 

tools, including Ultrasurf and Psiphon, routinely serve billions of hits each day to populations on 

the Chinese mainland.

There is no evidence that, even in the midst of complete cutoffs or natural disasters, repressed 

populations revert to the usage of legacy platforms such as shortwave. The evidence 

demonstrates audiences continue to use their existing technologies, such as TV or FM or 

Internet, or seek out anti-censorship tools, including Internet circumvention to private chat 

software to thumb drives and DVDs that all enable access to the desired content sources. 

Assessing Audience Use of Shortwave

The Committee sought to develop an understanding of the size and demographics of the 

shortwave audience, the countries where programming is consumed over shortwave, and 

shortwave’s contribution to the BBG’s overall impact. The research indicates that listeners are 

heavily concentrated in only a few countries or markets. There are sixteen markets in which 

shortwave accounts for more than 10 percent of the local BBG audience, and approximately 80

percent of the global shortwave audience is in five countries.9 Moreover, evidence for the 

decline of shortwave’s contribution to the BBG’s audiences continues to accumulate. New data 

from Bangladesh, for example, indicates that the percentage of VOA’s Bangla audience relying 

on shortwave has declined from an already low 17 percent in 2012 to 5 percent today. 

Almost by definition, the majority of the BBG’s target markets are in environments that make 

accurate understanding of consumer behavior difficult, with many very challenging to measure, 

such as Cuba, Tibet, and North Korea. These denied environment markets are not easily 

accessed and surveyed. When we can collect data, it is often anecdotal, collected via exit 

interviews with travelers or people escaping the regime. In most cases, there is little to no need 

for the BBG to intentionally place its networks and their content in countries where media use 

and impact are reliably measured. In such markets, the use of shortwave is demonstrably low, to 

9 “Shortwave Radio Audiences and the BBG,” Presentation to the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ Shortwave 

Committee at its January 23, 2014 meeting. (Set forth in Appendix D).

13 

 
the point of being immeasurable among our target demographics, due to the availability of and 

preference for other means of delivery. As a result, the Committee must rely on anecdotal or 

qualitative data, consider historical trends based on the quantitative data we are able to collect, 

and monitor listeners’ behaviors. This is especially true in the case of shortwave use.

The research suggests that there is an inflection point, or sunset period, for shortwave in every 

market. Audiences tend to migrate to other more convenient and accessible means of delivery as

relevant content becomes available through other media. Kenya serves as a solid example of this 

trend. The media market in Kenya has grown richer and more competitive over the past ten 

years, with many FM stations coming on the air and more widespread access to television. At 

the same time, weekly use of shortwave (to receive any content, not just BBG materials) has 

declined from 46percent of adults surveyed in 2003 to just 5 percent in late 2013. As recently as 

2011, half of the sample still claimed to own a shortwave radio, but just 14 percent were using 

one weekly, suggesting that it is the availability of high-quality content on preferred platforms

that is responsible for the decline, not any inability to access content on shortwave. A number of 

other examples of this trend are shown in the chart included in Appendix E.

Audio programming—music, news, call-in or talk, storytelling—remains a vital medium around 

the world and continues to draw significant audiences. The proliferation of choice, the 

convenience of new technology platforms, and the relevance of local content have created an

effective competitor to traditional long-format radio. Again, we have seen significant audience

shifts away from the broad, long-format, low audio quality content found on shortwave and 

suited for shortwave to intimate, local, convenient content formats. This shift is exemplified by 

the move to AM, then FM (driven by local news and higher quality music), as well as the 

growing popularity of podcasts (on-demand), and now mobile streaming (broad selection, ondemand, social). Put another way, audiences of all ages are turning away from thirty or sixtyminute programs in favor of highly programmed, segmented and ondemand content. Traditional formats of straight talk, long-form news programs or news readers 

are losing to sophisticated programming that offers a mix of well-segmented streams, segments 

and formats.

The BBG is completing a strategic review at the country-level to develop goals, performance 

metrics, as well as sharp audience statements for FY 2015. The Committee utilized these 

audience statements in countries where shortwave is currently used as a distribution channel to 

assess shortwave usage by primary targeted audience(s). The core questions the Committee 

considered were “Was the audience that utilized shortwave as means for accessing news and 

information content a strategic audience for the BBG?” and “Did that audience have a more 

preferred or viable alternative(s) to access BBG content?”

As an example, this is the audience statement from Russia: “The BBG target audience consists of 

active, digital consumers of all ages but with a focus on 20-45 year olds. They are generally well 

educated and urban, and they have the potential to be change agents on a large or small scale in 

society. Most are open to information that offers a different perspective on a wide range of 

political, social, civic, cultural and human rights issues that are not reported by other news 

outlets.”

However, in a number of countries there are audience segments that the BBG specifically aims 

for with shortwave. For example, the shortwave target audience in Lao (similar for RFA and 

14 
VOA): independent minded Laotians and Laotian officials, primarily in rural areas too far from 

the Thai border to be reached by cross-border FM. 

When the Committee reviewed these audience statements it could assess the usage of shortwave 

as a key means of delivery and determine whether there were other channels that were more 

effective or preferred by the audience to access news and information. 

It should be clearly noted that the small size of the shortwave-using population in many of the 

BBG’s markets makes it nearly impossible to undertake the sort of statistically reliable analysis 

that would enable the Committee to ascertain whether the remaining pool of shortwave users has 

any characteristics that would fit the BBG’s strategic audience targets. This is a general 

challenge of the BBG considering the regions in which we operate. Where only fragmentary 

analysis is available, it suggests that shortwave users tend to be both more rural and older than 

the population as a whole.

There were only a few markets where BBG research found a sufficient number of shortwave 

radio users to draw any statistically sound conclusions about the ways in which they differ from 

the general population. In a set of markets where there were enough users to draw distinctions 

(Burma, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Afghanistan), shortwave radio 

users are more likely than the general population to be male, live in rural areas, lack access to 

television, and express a high level of interest in political news. Their interest in political news, 

in particular makes them a desirable target for international broadcasting content.

Nigeria is another special case. While shortwave use has experienced rapid decline (dropping 

from 25% weekly in 2012 to 15% weekly in 2014), it remains notably higher among Hausa 

speakers – 31 percent weekly. Hausa speakers are an important target for VOA broadcasts –

they live primarily in the North, where the terrorist group Boko Haram operates – and shortwave 

remains an extremely effective method to reach this population.

Interviews with traveling Tibetan monks suggest that they use shortwave radio and satellite 

television to receive information from BBG networks, information they then share with other 

Tibetans, thereby dramatically increasing the reach and impact of the programming. In the case 

of highly repressive Eritrea, which the BBG lacks research data for, information on media usage 

in similar neighboring countries suggests that shortwave could be effective; however, the 

Embassy indicated that there is “absolutely no demand for SW in Eritrea.” The post also stated 

that satellite TV is widely available.

The Committee found that, in large measure, the profile of shortwave users is not well-aligned 

with the target audiences that most BBG networks are trying to attract and that these users 

generally had viable alternative means in accessing USIM content. The Committee’s review of 

target audiences, and their likely preference for and access to a variety of mediums, indicates a 

sharper than expected reduction in potential impact of shortwave and thus a reduced relative 

value of shortwave to the agency. 

15 
Weekly Audience Reach Via Shortwave

Weekly 

USIM

Reach

Weekly 

USIM 

Audience 

Mainly 

on...

% Of

Weekly 

Radio 

Audience 

Using SW to 

Tune In BBG (Proposed) SW Action

Arabic in Darfur 

(Sudan) 46.1% Radio

No data 

available, but 

likely the 

bulk of 

audience

No MBN reductions. 

Dari in 

Afghanistan 30.9% Radio (all) 9% RFE/RL, 

5% VOA

Reduced VOA SW during 

sequestration—not to be restored. 

No RFE/RL reductions.

Hausa in Nigeria 10.8% Radio VOA: 34% No VOA reductions.

Mandarin in 

China 0.03%

Radio and 

Internet

equally

Unknown 

due to small 

sample size 

Reduced RFA SW during 

sequestration—not to be restored

Pashto in FATA 

(Pakistan) 15.9% Radio (all)

RFE/RL: 

16%. VOA: 

unknown

No RFE/RL or VOA reductions.

Pashto in 

Afghanistan 35.5% Radio

3% VOA. 

RFE/RL 

unknown

Reduced VOA SW during 

sequestration—not to be restored. 

NO RFE/RL reductions.

Persian in Iran 27.9% TV

15% 

RFE/RL. 

VOA: 

unknown due 

to small 

sample size

Ended VOA SW transmissions 

during sequestration—not to be 

restored. Reduced RFE/RL SW as 

per FY14 Operating Budget

Russian in Russia 2.3%

TV, radio, 

Internet

equally

RFE/RL: 8%

VOA: no 

radio.

No RFE/RL reductions.

Urdu in Pakistan 6.4% TV VOA: 9%

Ended VOA SW transmissions 

during sequestration—not to be 

restored.

16 
Cost of Shortwave

At present, the fixed costs of operating the BBG’s network of shortwave transmission stations 

exceed $32 million. The specific costs associated with the actual transmissions (e.g. electricity, 

diesel fuel, and consumables, like tubes and capacitors) exceed $11 million, with the remaining 

costs allocated to the operation of the transmission facilities themselves.

Unlike other technologies where expenses such as maintenance and technology refresh decline 

over time, the cost of maintaining these transmitters continues to rise as the equipment and 

antenna fields age. The declining number of other broadcasters also reduces the demand for and 

thus supply of spare parts for equipment that is decades old. 

The Committee studied the impact of maintaining and updating shortwave transmissions in the 

context of the medium’s effectiveness and ability to reach our target demographics, as well as the 

opportunity costs in today’s limited budget environment. Naturally, as ineffective transmissions 

are eliminated, the fixed costs per actual transmission hour of the remaining broadcasts will 

increase. Identifying the “price/performance” ratio should never be a definitive rejection or 

acceptance of shortwave or any other medium, but it is necessary to know when prioritizing 

requirements and capabilities in support of U.S. foreign policy.

The Committee did consider that operating costs could be slightly lowered with a substantial 

investment in modernization of transmission equipment. However, the Committee does not 

believe this investment, which would require a substantial appropriation from the Congress and 

additional investments across the BBG, would be commensurate with the current or future 

impact of either shortwave or DRM, which modernization could include. 

The Committee also examined opportunities to reduce the size of the BBG’s transmission station 

network. In this analysis, several factors were considered, including: whether some broadcasts 

are only permitted from specific stations; whether some stations also have satellite downlink and 

uplink duties; whether overall costs vary greatly between stations; and whether a station will be 

best positioned to serve key remaining shortwave audiences. Station closings can take up to a 

full year, with fixed cost savings accrued in the following year. 

SECTION THREE: RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee’s review was a highly complex exercise. It involved combining research and 

assessments in ways that have not been done before, challenging the agency and the networks’ 

strategies and perceptions of reach, and comparing existing shortwave audiences to country-level 

strategies and target audiences.

The recommendations of the Committee are based on present realities of our current target 

audiences, evolving communication environments, how our content is consumed today and in the 

near future, consideration of disruptive acts that are willful or result from acts of nature, the 

requirements of U.S. foreign policy, and the need to prioritize the use of taxpayer funds. 

Ultimately, the recommendations are based on two related questions: 

x Is shortwave used by the audiences we are trying to reach?

17 
x What are the opportunity costs of using shortwave to reach these audiences? 

These questions address the audience-first approach of the Committee, the need for the BBG to

be effective in reaching and empowering these audiences, the present and future reality of 

limited budgets that require focus in support of U.S. foreign policy, and ultimately the need to be 

wise stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars. 

Several themes became clear during this comprehensive review process:

x Audiences will migrate to other platforms as they become more accessible

x There is a critical need for shortwave in some countries

x Shortwave is a medium of marginal impact in most markets

x Shortwave is a relatively expensive platform to operate

The BBG must use shortwave where it is most effective. In the past, shortwave audiences were 

larger with greater dependency on the platform. However, many shortwave consumers today do 

not use the medium exclusively. As other platforms, such as FM, television, and the Internet, 

become available, shortwave users demonstrably migrate quickly to these newly preferred 

mediums. Today, the audiences are waning and the BBG is faced with diminishing returns in a 

more restrictive budget environment. 

The Committee acknowledges that small numbers of unusually significant individuals – too 

small to be picked up in surveys but nevertheless important due to their level of influence – may 

presently be reached by BBG shortwave broadcasts. To the extent that such individuals may 

exist – which can be determined only by anecdotal information – a judgment must be made as to 

whether their importance and influence is sufficient to justify the high cost of maintaining 

shortwave broadcasts, which are intended by their nature to reach a mass audience. 

The Committee recommends that BBG take an aggressive approach to reduce or eliminate 

shortwave broadcasts where there is either minimal audience reach or the audience is not a 

target audience based on our support of U.S. foreign policy. 

As such, the Committee recommends that for the remainder of FY14 and for FY15, and subject 

to re-evaluation during the upcoming FY16 budget formulation process by utilizing the same 

audience-based criteria, other shortwave transmissions are continued at the FY14 Operating Plan 

levels. This includes:

x Mandarin (RFA/VOA)

x Cantonese (RFA/VOA)

x Persian (RFE/RL)

In consideration of the current situation in Ukraine and other proximate states with large Russian 

speaking populations, the Committee further recommends that, revising the FY14 Operating 

Plan, and subject to re-evaluation during the upcoming FY16 budget formulation process by 

18 
utilizing the same audience-based criteria, shortwave broadcasts in Russian be continued to those 

target areas for a period of time. This includes:

x Russian (RFE/RL)

x Russian to the Caucuses (RFE/RL)

Shortwave broadcasts previously approved by the Board for discontinuation under sequestration 

and the implementation of the FY14 Operating Plan would be shuttered, subject to shifting 

conditions in each target location, which the agency would monitor. The research which 

supports the following recommendations is set forth in Appendix B. They are as follows:

x RFA Khmer: two (2) hours and VOA Khmer: one and a half (1.5) hours*

x (The target audience is essentially similar for RFA and VOA) Fewer than 2 percent

of the target audience uses shortwave in an average week. The target audience uses 

TV and FM radio at significantly higher rates than other Cambodians. There is still a 

modest audience for cross border MW, which might prove useful in a crisis. BBG

will continue to build on its digital and social media efforts, though these platforms 

are at present best suited to urban audiences rather than the traditional SW target.

x RFA Lao: two (2) hours and VOA Lao: thirty (30) minutes*

x (The target audience is essentially similar for RFA and VOA) Zero percent of the 

target audience reported using SW weekly. Though the research suggests that 

shortwave does not appear to be an effective way of reaching audiences in Laos, 

within our specific target or otherwise, FM radio usage appears fairly common across 

all Lao provinces. Expanding local FM affiliations, if possible, and exploiting the 

prospects for delivery of our audience content via satellite, given the remarkably large 

penetration of satellite technology and the already significant numbers who listen to 

radio via satellite, may be a logical approach to reaching the target audience.

x RFA Vietnamese: two (2) hours

x Zero percent of the target audience reported using SW weekly. The massive growth 

of digital technology in Vietnam provides opportunities for reaching BBG’s target 

audience in a multitude of ways that were not previously possible. This trend is only 

likely to grow in the future, and the widespread usage of social media will encourage 

additional onward distribution of BBG content.

x RFE/RL North Caucasus (Avar, Chechen and Circassian): two (2) hours

x Two percent or less of the target audience use SW weekly, which is data from 2010. 

There is high penetration of satellite TV and growing use of mobile devices to access 

news and information.

* Discussions with the State Department and BBG Networks about these recommendations have resulted in a 

temporary delay in implementing the proposed reductions, due to local circumstances.

19 

 
x RFE/RL Tajik: three (3) hours

x 0.2 percent of the target audience use SW weekly. Radio in general plays but a minor 

role for news consumption, which is dominated by television use. Forty-one percent

of the target audience has a satellite dish at home which enables them to receive 

RFE/RL.

x RFE/RL Turkmen: two (2) hours

x Five percent of the target audience use SW weekly. Radio plays a minor role among 

the target audience—TV is a far more prominent platform. The target audience is

less likely to use the Internet than the non-target audience, but high mobile phone 

ownership could be leveraged in the future.

x RFE/RL Uzbek: two (2) hours and VOA Uzbek: thirty (30) minutes 

x (See Appendix B for target audience information for the each network) One percent

(RFE/RL) and 2 percent (VOA) of the target audience use SW weekly. TV use 

among both target audiences is higher than among the non-targets, and RFE/RL’s 

target audiences is also more likely to own a satellite dish. VOA’s target audience is 

more likely to use radio in general, and FM in particular, than the non-target group, 

which allows those in border regions to tune in via cross-border affiliates. Mobile 

technology could also be leveraged to reach both entities’ target audiences.

x VOA Azerbaijani: thirty (30) minutes

x Two percent of the target audience use SW weekly. The target audience relies 

primarily on TV for news, while radio plays only a minor role. The target audience 

can also be reached by digital media. They use the Internet and social networking at 

approximately twice the level of non-target Azerbaijanis.

x VOA Bangla: one (1) hour

x One percent of the target audience use SW weekly. Shortwave usage is negligible 

among all population segments, including the target audience, and the platform 

therefore is not a viable means of reaching Bangladeshis of interest to VOA in large 

numbers. Overall, an expanded television presence will continue to be the best way 

to deliver content to our target audiences, especially women. For the younger 

demographic, while TV and radio will probably deliver the most robust audience in 

the short term, expanded digital outreach is likely to pay off over the next few years.

x VOA English to Asia: six and a half (6.5) hours

x Nine percent (Vietnam) and 20 percent (Burma) of the target audience use SW 

weekly. There is still modest use of shortwave in the region, although, with the 

exception of Burma, half or more of the target audience turns to the Internet for news 

daily and social media. 

20 
x VOA Kurdish: three (3) hours

x Four percent (Iraq), 4 percent (Turkey) and 5 percent (Iran) of the key geographic 

target use SW weekly. All three markets display certain commonalities: widespread 

access to satellite television, heavy Internet use, relatively modest levels of radio use 

in general and very low levels of SW use. In terms of sheer numbers, the best means 

of reaching Kurdish speaking audiences appears to be via satellite television, given 

that platform’s strong installed base throughout the region. However, the best way 

forward throughout the Kurdish world is probably on the Internet, as it allows for 

better customization of content for diverse Kurdish speaking populations

x VOA Special/Learning English: five and a half (5.5) hours 

x Eight percent (Nigeria) and 2 percent (Kenya) of the target audience use SW weekly. 

There are still substantial audiences for broadcast media, especially in Africa. FM 

radio and TV will continue to be key components of BBG’s distribution efforts in the 

region, but it is evident that target audience members are migrating to digital media in 

substantial numbers. 

In addition to the transmission costs, full implementation of these recommendations will enable 

the thoughtful and methodical closing of four BBG transmitting stations generating, in FY18, 

fixed and variable cost savings in excess of $14.4M or approximately 44 percent of our current 

SW related expenses. These recommendations are based on careful review of existing research, 

which shows that the number of shortwave users in the countries concerned is extremely small 

and the current shortwave broadcasts contribute only trivially, if at all, to the total BBG 

strategically targeted audiences.

Future Evaluations

The Committee recommends that annually or during each review of country and audience 

review, an assessment of audience use of various technologies be made, including but not 

exclusive of shortwave. We must be available on the platforms the audience is using, whether 

shortwave or satellite TV or mobile or whatever the future brings.

21 
Appendices

Appendix A: Media Use Among Target Audiences........................................................23

Appendix B: Resolution Establishing the Shortwave Committee.......................................34

Appendix C: Shortwave Committee Meeting Summaries..............................................35

x November 2013 Meeting

x January 2014 Meeting

Appendix D: “Top Ten BBG Shortwave Audiences” and “Sample Changes in Weekly 

Shortwave Use, 2002-2013”................................................................................41

Appendix E: Solicitation for Public Comment............................................................42

22 
APPENDIX A

Media Use among Target Audiences 

Kurdish

Target audience for SW: Not defined beyond general population of Kurdish speakers – key 

geographic target is Iraqi Kurdistan; secondary targets are Kurds in Turkey, Iran, and Syria. 

Analysis (key media/use access data for target audience):

Iraq Turkey Iran

Use TV daily for news 86 90 76

Use radio daily for news 14 14 17

Use Internet daily for news 13 42 23

Use SMS daily for news 27 22 17

Use social media daily for news 31* 26 5

Own satellite dish 96 87 32

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 94 90 94

Listened to radio at all 

“yesterday”

10 20 20

Used Internet in past week 41 56 48

Own mobile 85 81 63

Used FM in past week 24 30 28

Used MW in past week 747

Used SW in past week 4 4 5

*In Iraq, social media figure is daily use of that platform for any purpose

Narrative: All three markets display certain commonalities: widespread access to satellite 

television (close to universal in the cases of Iraq and Turkey), heavy Internet use, relatively 

modest levels of radio use in general and very low levels of SW use. Given the broad definition 

of the target audience and the niche character of the SW-using population, it is apparent that 

other media are better suited to delivering audiences for BBG products. 

In terms of sheer numbers, the best means of reaching Kurdish speaking audiences appears to be 

via satellite television, given that platform’s strong installed base throughout the region. In 

principle it would be possible to reach very large audiences via placement on existing Kurdish 

language channels, though there would be at least two obstacles to be overcome: (1) VOA’s 

limited ability to produce high quality TV products in Kurdish at present; (2) the affiliations of 

most Kurdish channels with various political parties and actors, which would make many of the 

them inappropriate partners.

23 
Given these considerations the best way forward throughout the Kurdish world is probably on 

the Internet. In both Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, VOA Kurdish already reaches more people on 

Internet than radio, and recent surveys found no SW listeners to VOA Kurdish in either country. 

The universe of Kurdish Internet users in all the countries is now on the order of 50 percent. In 

addition, Internet based delivery allows for better customization of content to reach the highly 

diverse Kurdish populations, who speak different variants of the language and have different 

news interests.

Cambodia

Target audience for SW: (essentially similar for RFA and VOA) rural, less educated, proactive 

news seekers

Data points used to isolate target audience: Live in rural area, partial secondary education or 

lower, accesses news at least daily

Analysis (key media use/access data for target audience):

Target Non-Target

Use TV daily for news 61 40

Use radio daily for news 51 24

Own satellite dish 8 5

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 52 41

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 45 24

Own mobile 61 60

Used FM in last week 65 40

Used MW in last week 9 3

Used SW in last week 2 <1

Listened to radio via mobile in last week 21 20

Narrative: Like other Cambodians, the target audience we have historically tried to reach via 

shortwave hardly ever uses that platform today. Fewer than 2 percent of the target audience uses 

SW in an average week. In contrast, the target audience uses TV and FM radio at significantly 

higher rates than other Cambodians. As a result our strategy to reach that audience will rely on 

expanded outreach to more FM affiliates outside of the capital, as well as continued placement of 

customized television programming on local TV outlets, which continue to expand their reach. 

There are of course dangers in relying exclusively on local affiliate stations in an environment

where the government has shown a willingness to muzzle local information sources, but even in 

the event of a crackdown on local partners, the extremely low current knowledge of SW makes a 

return to that platform unlikely. There is still a modest audience for cross border MW, which

might prove useful in a crisis. BBG will continue to build on its digital and social media efforts, 

though these platforms are at present best suited to urban audiences rather than the traditional 

SW target.

24 
Bangladesh

Target audience for SW: rural, proactive news seekers

Data points used to isolate audience: Live in rural area/ small town, express some level of 

distrust of national broadcasters (independent-minded), Access news at least daily

Analysis (key media/use access data for target audience):

Segment 1 

(Age 15-29)

Segment 2 

(Women aged 

15-39)

Segment 3 

(Remaining)

Use TV daily for news 58 51 49

Use radio daily for news 743

Use Internet daily for news 7 1 2

Own satellite dish 111

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 59 51 47

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 744

Used Internet in past week 13 3 3

Own mobile 64 53 57

Used FM in past week 20 9 5

Used MW in past week 222

Used SW in past week 1 1 1

Listened to radio via mobile past week 23 11 5

Social networks for news past week 6 2 1

Narrative: Radio usage has declined to very low levels among the Bangla population overall, 

though it is a bit more widely used by young people (7% “yesterday,” 21% past week) who 

comprise one of the two broad target audiences for VOA Bangla. Shortwave usage is negligible 

among all population segments, including the target audience, and the platform therefore is not a 

viable means of reaching Bangladeshis of interest to VOA in large numbers.

To the extent that VOA continues to rely on radio to reach its target audiences, presence on FM 

is critical, as that is the only waveband widely used, and this in turn means affiliations with local 

stations. The current affiliate Radio Today – now in 8 cities across the country is responsible for 

most or VOA’s current radio reach. Moreover, most (around 75%) of radio listening in 

Bangladesh today occurs on mobile devices, which reinforces the importance of FM.

Overall, an expanded television presence will continue to be the best way to deliver content to 

our target audiences, especially women. While young Bangladeshis are starting to take up the

Internet and listen to radio at higher rates than others, neither of these phenomena holds true for 

women. For that portion of the target audience the most viable way forward is via television, 

with continued development of attractive content that will get placed on prime local stations. For 

the younger demographic, while TV and radio will probably deliver the most robust audience in 

the short term, expanded digital outreach is likely to pay off over the next few years.

25 
Laos

Target audience for SW: (essentially similar for RFA and VOA) independent minded Lao

citizens and officials, primarily in rural areas too far from Thai border to be reached by cross 

border FM.

Data points used to isolate audience: Live in rural area/ small town, express some level of 

distrust of national broadcasters (independent-minded), access news at least daily; N.B. Given 

the data at hand it is impossible to isolate those individuals too far from the Thai border to be 

reached via cross-border broadcasts. 

Analysis (key media/use access data for target audience):

Target Non-target

Use TV daily for news 87 66

Use radio daily for news 12 18

Use Internet daily for news 2 2

Own satellite dish 79 69

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 76 66

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 12 18

Used Internet in past week 3 4

Own mobile 61 57

Used FM in past week 24 29

Used MW in past week 6 7

Used SW in past week None reported 0.8

Listened to radio via satellite 10 14

Narrative: No reported past week shortwave usage was found among the target audience 

members in the last survey, and among the population as a whole, shortwave usage was less than 

1percent. This medium therefore does not appear to be an effective way of reaching audiences in 

Laos, within our specific target or otherwise. Indeed, radio usage in general is at fairly low 

levels, a bit more so among the target audience then otherwise. However, given that available 

resources are unlikely to permit the development of BBG television products in Lao, and given 

the low rates of Internet penetration at present, radio may remain BBG’s prime medium for 

reaching the target audience for at least the next several years.

Since FM radio usage appears fairly common across all Lao provinces (and not just those close 

to the Thai border) a logical approach to reaching the target audience would be expanding local 

FM affiliations if possible (though this may prove politically difficult), and exploiting the 

prospects for delivery of our audience content via satellite, given the remarkably large 

penetration of satellite technology and the already significant numbers who listen to radio via 

satellite. Should the production of Lao language television products become feasible, direct 

distribution to home dishes appears to be a promising possibility. Simultaneously, BBG will 

continue development of its digital products to reach officialdom and urban audiences more 

likely to have access to that platform.

26 
Vietnam

Target audience for SW: (essentially similar for RFA and VOA) Rural, activists and those who 

share information with others, interest in “forbidden” topics. 

Data points used to isolate audience: Live in rural area/small town, express some level of distrust 

of one or more national broadcasters, shares news with others at least daily

Analysis (key media/use access data for target audience):

Target Other

Use TV daily for news 91 83

Use radio daily for news 24 18

Use Internet daily for news 33 20

Use SMS daily for news 43 30

Use social media daily for news 26 11

Own satellite dish 28 32

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 82 82

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 23 17

Used Internet in past week 41 26

Own mobile 80 78

Used FM in past week 28 22

Used MW in past week 1 3

Used SW in past week None reported 0.4

Listened to radio via mobile past 

week

23

Narrative: Usage of shortwave radio appears to be virtually non-existent in Vietnam today. As of 

BBG’s last survey of that country (early 2013), only 13 out of more than 3000 respondents 

nationwide had used SW in the previous week, and no member of the BBG target audience for 

SW had done do. Other platforms, however, are promising.

In particular, the massive growth of digital technology in Vietnam provides opportunities for 

reaching BBG’s target audience in a multitude of ways that were not previously possible. 

41percent of the target audience use Internet at least weekly; 33 percent use Internet daily for 

news, and 26 percent report using social media for news daily. While the Vietnamese authorities 

have periodically blocked international news sites, including both RFA and VOA, news hungry 

Vietnamese increasingly find their way to BBG content on the Web regardless, to the extent that 

Vietnamese is already one of the best performing language services for both services. This trend 

is only likely to grow in future, and the widespread usage of social media will encourage 

additional onward distribution of BBG content.

27 
North Caucasus

Target Audience (no specific SW or radio audience defined): The RFE/RL North Caucasus 

Languages Service targets primarily urban, educated 25-45 year olds who speak one of the three 

broadcast languages and seek objective and in-depth reporting on both local and national issues 

to augment the extremely limited news coverage, views and opinions offered by the official 

media.

Data points used to isolate target audience: Urban, secondary or higher education, age 25-45,

somewhat/very interested in news about their republic, and speak at home or understand all/most 

of a broadcast in Avar, Circassian, or Chechen. The target constitutes 16% in Dagestan and 9 

percent in Chechnya.

Target

Dagestan

Non-Target

Dagestan

Target

Chechnya

Non-Target

Chechnya

Use TV daily for news 93 91 83 73

Use radio daily for news 13 11 12 11

Use Internet daily for news 20 13 19 19

Use SMS daily for news 28 18 10 18

Own satellite dish 48 40 36 30

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 90 86 80 84

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 25 19 19 17

Used Internet in past week 40 27 44 34

Own mobile 100 98 96 96

Used FM in past week 37 31 35 29

Used MW in past week 2 222

Used SW in past week 2 4 1 1

Listened to radio via mobile past 

week

21 14 15 15

Narrative: As of the most recent BBG surveys in the region (2010), weekly SW use among the 

target audiences in Dagestan and Chechnya was very low (between 1% and 2%). Given the 

global declining trend in the decline of SW use and the 4 years that have elapsed since this 

survey, it can be assumed that the current level of SW use is even lower. Target audiences 

distinguish themselves mainly in two areas of platform use/ access: They are more likely to own 

a satellite dish, which enables them to receive USIM TV broadcasts in Russian, and they are 

more likely to be weekly Internet users, which enables them to access USIM online products in 

28 
Russian. Russian is understood by over 80 percent of the target audience in Chechnya and over 

90 percent of the target audience in Dagestan.

Tajikistan

Target audience for radio (no specific SW audience defined): Tajiks aged 25-45 who are 

students, civil servants, politicians, teachers, intellectuals and are the current and future 

“influentials” in society.

Data points used to isolate target audience: Age 25-45, at least secondary education (which 

would be required for the various occupations listed for the target audience), engaged in any of 

the following activities during the past 12 months (attended a public meeting on local or school 

affairs, written or called a politician, been an active member of a local organization or 

community group, written a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine or called a live radio 

or TV show to express an opinion, written an article for a magazine or newspaper, served as an 

officer for a club or organization, donated money to a charity, given a speech, volunteered your 

time to an organization, run for or held a political office. (N.B. This target audience constitutes 

22% of adults in Tajikistan.)

Target Non-Target

Use TV daily for news 85 80

Use radio daily for news 14 18

Own satellite dish 41 40

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 78 73

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 17 15

Own mobile 84 61

Used FM in last week 31 24

Used MW in last week 2 2

Used SW in last week 0.2 0.6

Listened to radio via mobile in last week 10 7

Narrative: Virtually no members of the target audience use SW radio. Radio in general plays but 

a minor role for news consumption, which is dominated by television use. Forty-one percent of 

the target audience has a satellite dish at home, which enables them to receive RFE/RL via 

satellite. 

Turkmenistan

Target audience for radio (no specific SW audience defined): Urban Turkmen aged 25-45

Data points used to isolate target audience: Turkmen ethnic background, age 25-45, urban (not 

necessary to isolate, as it was an urban survey). (N.B. The target audience constitutes 29% of 

urban adults in Turkmenistan.)

29 
Target Non-Target

Use TV daily for news 89 85

Use radio daily for news 19 12

Own satellite dish 88 89

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 90 88

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 20 15

Own mobile 95 94

Used FM in last week 6 5

Used MW in last week 1 1

Used SW in last week 5 3

Listened to radio via mobile in last week 4 3

Narrative: Radio plays a minor role among the target audience—TV is a far more prominent 

platform. Satellite ownership is virtually ubiquitous, and since RFE/RL is available via satellite, 

TV makes a viable alternative delivery platform. Just 5% used shortwave radio in the past week. 

The target audience is less likely to use the Internet than the non-target audience, but high mobile 

phone ownership could be leveraged.

Uzbekistan

Target audience (no specific radio or SW audience defined):

VOA: Age 25- 50, students, those with an education and employed citizens across Central Asia 

and Afghanistan, who express great interest in public and international affairs, including US 

foreign policy, economy and culture. 

RFE/RL: People who are active, engaged and seek dialogue and change, while interacting 

thoughtfully within the confines of a fearful society. These potential "change agents" are mainly 

young people between 25-35, who are either students or educated professionals, working inside 

or outside Uzbekistan in private or government positions, who use the Internet.

Data points used to isolate VOA target audience: age 25-50, speak Uzbek at home or understand 

all/most of a broadcast, with at least secondary education, students or employed, "very" 

interested in news about Uzbekistan, “somewhat” or "very" interested in news about the United 

States. (N.B. This target audience constitutes 10% of adults in Uzbekistan.)

Data points used to isolate RFE/RL target audience: age 25-35, student or employed, at least

secondary education, annual Internet users (weekly would have resulted in an n of just 35). 

(N.B. This target constitutes 3% of adults in Uzbekistan. (Small “n” of 50)

30 
VOA Target VOA NonTarget

RFE/RL 

Target

RFE/RL 

Non-Target

Use TV daily for news 87 70 80 71

Use radio daily for news 30 22 33 23

Own satellite dish 14 13 28 12

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 76 77 82 77

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 34 26 35 26

Own mobile 89 58 100 60

Used FM in last week 61 49 61 50

Used MW in last week 7 494

Used SW in last week 2 2 1 2

Listened to radio via mobile in last week 23 20 52 19

Narrative: Weekly shortwave use among the USIM target audiences is negligible with 1-2

percent. TV use within both target audiences is higher than among the non-targets, and 

RFE/RL’s target audiences is also more likely to own a satellite dish. RFE/RL’s target audience 

(Internet users by definition) can also be on social media, which 86 percent of the target group

use weekly. VOA’s target audience is more difficult to reach through alternate platforms. The 

target audience is not more likely to have a satellite dish at home and is not more likely to use the 

Internet than those not targeted by VOA. VOA’s target audience is more likely to use radio in 

general, and FM in particular, than the non-target group, which allows those in border regions to 

tune in via cross-border affiliates. Mobile technology could also be leveraged to reach both 

entities’ target audiences.

Azerbaijan

Target audience (no specific radio or SW audience defined): Individuals interested or involved in 

politics. The service also targets the youth.

Data points used to isolate target audience: Age under 35, “very” interested in political news. 

(N.B. The target constitutes 6% of adults in Azerbaijan.)

31 
Target Non-Target

Use TV daily for news 81 72

Use radio daily for news 14 10

Own satellite dish 56 53

Watched TV at all “yesterday” 74 73

Listened to radio at all “yesterday” 13 11

Own mobile 92 79

Used FM in last week 40 25

Used MW in last week 4 1

Used SW in last week 2 2

Listened to radio via mobile in last week 33 13

Narrative: SW use among the target audience is very low with 2 percent weekly. The target 

audience relies primarily on TV for news; radio plays a minor role. Over half of the target 

audience has a satellite dish at home, allowing them to receive USIM broadcasts. The target 

audience can also be reached by digital media. They use the Internet and social networking at 

approximately twice the level of non-target Azerbaijanis.

English to Africa; English to Asia

Targets audience: 

x In Africa; Competent English speakers, urban/peri-urban; mid-upper level of education, 

age 35 or under.

x Elsewhere similar, but the small number of competent English speakers in many target 

countries (e.g. Vietnam and Burma, as examined here) remains extremely small (1-2% of 

the population) and are almost by definition urban and better educated.

Data points used for analysis: Africa: urban, secondary education or higher; understand all/most 

of an English language newscast. Elsewhere: all English speakers (can understand all/most of an 

English newscast)

32 
Africa Global

Nigeria Kenya Vietnam Burma

Target Other Target Other Target Other Target Other

Use TV daily for news 67 39 79 35 95 92 64 25

Use radio daily for news 50 57 70 70 37 18 30 27

Use Internet daily for news 50 13 47 10 70 20 40 3

Use SMS daily for news 48 24 64 35 63 30 33 4

Use mobile apps daily for 

news

28 4 25 5 42 9 13 1

Use social media daily for 

news

43 9 51 9 54 9 33 1

Watched any TV 

“yesterday”

67 38 81 35 93 84 60 24

Listened to any radio 

“yesterday”

50 54 72 64 40 17 41 24

Used Internet “yesterday” 53 13 52 16 70 18 36 3

Used Facebook last 7 days 63 21 70 17 67 12 38 3

Used SW last 7 days 8 17 2 12 9 1 20 17

Have satellite dish 18 12 20 9 19 30 30 7

Have mobile phone 98 80 95 62 100 82 80 35

Narrative: The countries chosen above are illustrative of media consumption patterns in key 

markets targeted by VOA’s English service. The data speak eloquently for themselves; while 

there is still some modest degree of shortwave use, that platform is dwarfed by the level of usage 

of other media among the target audience.

The usage of digital media is particularly striking. With the exception of Burma, half or more of 

the target audience is using the Internet for news daily or almost. Even in Burma, where Internet 

access until a few years ago was almost unheard of, that figure now stands at 40 percent.

Similarly, use of social media for news is quite high, providing a means of reaching and 

engaging audiences that, until quite recently barely existed. 

There are still substantial audiences for broadcast media, especially in Africa, and FM radio and 

television will need to continue as key parts of BBG’s overall mix in that part of the world, but it 

is evident that target audience members are turning to digital media so rapidly and in such 

substantial numbers as to easily substitute for any cut back in shortwave, while yielding 

significant benefits both in terms of reach and engagement.

END APPENDIX A

33 
APPENDIX B

RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL COMMITTEE 

ON THE FUTURE OF SHORTWAVE RADIO BROADCASTING

OCTOBER 23, 2013

WHEREAS, after performing a yearlong strategic review, in October 2011, the Board issued its 

5-year Strategic Plan in which the Board noted the importance of reaching audiences on their 

preferred media. The Board committed itself to “devoting resources to the platforms global 

media-use strongly favors—television, Internet, FM, and social media—as well as maintaining 

shortwave broadcasts in regions where it remains a critical platform.” The Board confirmed,

“Where shortwave is vital, it will remain. Elsewhere, resource reallocations will support the 

platforms audiences use;” and

WHEREAS, the Board desires to undertake a comprehensive review on the future of shortwave 

radio broadcasting as an element of the suite of distribution platforms used by the Broadcasting 

Board of Governors.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Broadcasting Board of Governors hereby 

establishes the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting (the “Shortwave 

Committee”). The Board further decides as follows:

x The Shortwave Committee members shall be Governor Matthew Armstrong (who shall 

also serve as Committee Chair), Governor Michael Meehan, and Governor Ryan Crocker.

x The Shortwave Committee shall undertake a comprehensive review on the efficacy of 

shortwave radio as a distribution platform for United States international broadcasting, 

including the challenges associated therewith. The Committee shall review research on 

the use of shortwave radio broadcasting and consider the views of various stakeholders 

associated with this distribution platform. 

END APPENDIX B

RESOLUTION

34 
APPENDIX C

SUMMARY OF THE SHORTWAVE COMMITTEE MEETING

November 19, 2013

7:30 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. EDT 

BBG Headquarters – Washington, D.C.

Members Governor Matthew Armstrong, Committee Chair

Governor Ryan Crocker, Committee Member

Governor Michael Meehan, Committee Member

Governor Kenneth Weinstein, Committee Member

Meeting Summary 

This meeting of the Special Committee on the future of shortwave radio broadcasting 

(“Shortwave Committee”) took place on November 19, 2013 at the BBG Headquarters in 

Washington, DC. The meeting was attended by Governors Matthew Armstrong, Ryan Crocker 

(via telephone), Michael Meehan, Jeffrey Shell and Kenneth Weinstein.

The agenda of the meeting is set forth in Attachment 1 to this report.

Chairman Armstrong opened the meeting with remarks as set forth in Attachment 2.

Housekeeping Matters

The Committee established a tentative meeting schedule (January 23 or 24, March 11, May 21, 

and June 20), highlighting that the meeting schedule coincides with the budget process. The 

Committee Chair noted its intent to report on a regular basis to the plenary Board on the 

Committee’s progress and to deliver a comprehensive presentation with formal recommendations 

at the final meeting of the Committee in June 2014.

Assessing the Shortwave Audience

The Director of Broadcast Technologies presented an overview of shortwave radio, including a 

review of how the technology functions and the audience’s listening experience. The Committee 

also received information on the advantages and disadvantages of the medium, including 

intentional and environmental interface comparison of the coverage capacity of shortwave versus 

other broadcast platforms. A copy of this presentation is set forth in Attachment 3. 

35 
BBG Networks’ Perspectives on the Use of Shortwave

The Committee heard from each of the BBG-sponsored broadcasters on how they use shortwave 

radio to engage their respective audiences, including descriptions of the target ‘market’ or 

audience, the role of shortwave in their respective engagement strategy with that audience or 

market, and the impact of this medium on their audience. 

The Committee requested Radio Free Asia (RFA) to provide additional information on the 

demographics of its shortwave audience and a detailed breakdown of how RFA conducts its 

audience research.

Shortwave Technology Primer

The Committee received a briefing from the Director of Technology, Services and Innovation on 

the variable and fixed costs of operating shortwave transmitting facilities. The director also 

spoke to the challenges of maintaining those facilities in the current budget environment, and 

briefly discussed anticipated savings from migrating to different distribution platforms. A copy 

of this presentation is set forth in Attachment 4. 

Other attendees: Richard Lobo, IBB Director; Jeff Trimble, IBB Deputy Director; Suzie Carroll, 

Executive Director; Paul Kollmer-Dorsey, General Counsel and Board Secretary (via telephone); 

Leslie Hyland, Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Lynne Weil, Director of Communications & 

External Affairs; Oanh Tran, Director of Board Operations; Andre Mendes, Director of 

Technology, Services and Innovation; Gerhard Straub, Director of Broadcast Technologies; 

Bruce Sherman, Director of the Office of Strategy and Development (OSD); William Bell, 

Director of Research; Kathryn Neeper, OSD Program Analyst; Paul Marszalek, OSD Media 

Strategist; David Ensor, Director of the Voice of America (VOA); Steve Redisch, VOA 

Executive Editor; Rebecca McMenamin, Acting Senior Advisor of VOA Strategy; Carlos GaciaPerez, Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) (via telephone); Irv Rubenstein, OCB 

Director of Administration (via telephone); Oscar Rodriguez, Director of Radio Marti; Libby 

Liu, President of Radio Free Asia (RFA) (via telephone); Betsy Henderson, RFA Director of 

Research, Andrew Janitschek RFA Director of Program and Operation Support, Kelu Chao, 

Director of the Office of Performance Review (OPR); Dan Sreebny, Senior Advisor for the 

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; Kevin Klose, President of Radio Free 

Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) (via video conference); Adam Gardner, IBB Regional 

Marketing Officer for Eurasia (via video conference); Paul Tibbits (via video conference), RFE 

Director of Market Insight and Evaluation (via video conference); Luke Springer, Director of 

Technology (via video conference); Christine Fetzko, Director of Corporate Strategy and 

Operations (via video conference); Brian Conniff, President of Middle East Broadcasting 

Networks (via telephone)

36 
ATTACHMENT 1

MEETING OF THE SHORTWAVE COMMITTEE

November 19, 2013

7:30 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. EDT 

BBG Headquarters – Washington, D.C.

Members Governor Matthew Armstrong, Committee Chair

Governor Ryan Crocker, Committee Member

Governor Michael Meehan, Committee Member

Governor Kenneth Weinstein, Committee Member

AGENDA

Agenda Topic 1 Housekeeping Matters 

x Review of Committee Mandate

x Scheduling 

x Reporting Procedures

Agenda Topic 2 Assessing the Shortwave Audience 

x Shortwave Audience Overview

x Audience Interaction with the Medium

Agenda Topic 3 BBG Networks’ Perspectives on the Use of Shortwave 

x VOA Perspective

x OCB Perspective

x RFA Perspective

x RFE/RL Perspective

Agenda Topic 4 Shortwave Technology Primer 

x Transmission Facility Overview 

x Platform Comparison: Shortwave, Medium Wave, FM and Satellite

x Digital Shortwave Availability and Cost

Agenda Topic 5 Next Steps and Action Items

37 
SUMMARY OF THE SHORTWAVE COMMITTEE MEETING

January 23, 2014

9:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. EDT 

BBG Headquarters – Washington, D.C.

Members Governor Matthew Armstrong, Committee Chair

Governor Ryan Crocker, Committee Member

Governor Michael Meehan, Committee Member

Governor Kenneth Weinstein, Committee Member

Meeting Summary 

This meeting of the Shortwave Committee took place on January 23, 2014 at the BBG 

Headquarters in Washington, DC. The meeting was attended by Governors Matthew Armstrong, 

Ryan Crocker (via telephone), Michael Meehan, Jeffrey Shell and Kenneth Weinstein.

The agenda of the meeting is set forth in Attachment 1 to this report.

Understanding the BBG Research on Shortwave

William Bell, the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Director of Research, presented an 

overview of the BBG research on shortwave radio, specifically focusing on the characteristics of 

the shortwave audience, where shortwave is being used and its contribution to BBG’s overall 

impact. The IBB Director of Research also provided a detailed analysis of countries with the 

highest shortwave consumption and briefly spoke to audience trends, stating that history suggests 

that audiences will migrate to other media as they become available. In closing, he noted that 

shortwave radio remains critically important in a limited number of countries.

Analyzing the BBG Research

The Committee convened a panel of external experts to analyze the BBG research, identify its 

potential limitations, and assess whether the BBG has sufficient data to make informed decisions 

on the use of shortwave radio. The bios of the external experts are set forth in Attachment 2. 

The panelists discussed the value of shortwave, contemplating the cost per listener in markets 

outside of the top five markets (Nigeria, Burma, Ethiopia, Sudan [Darfur] and the Democratic 

Republic of Congo), which make up about 80% of the total shortwave audience. Andre Mendes, 

Director of Global Operations, also spoke to the budget implications of maintaining shortwave 

radio at its current levels. There followed a robust discussion on how to define the concept of 

impact. The panelists noted that determining what impact means to the BBG and gaining a 

better understanding of that concept is imperative when considering the reach, efficacy and 

ultimately the use of shortwave. 

38 
Dan Sreebny, Senior Advisor for the State Department’s Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 

and Public Affairs, addressed the Committee’s request for input from the State Department’s 

overseas posts on their perceptions of the BBG’s shortwave efforts in various countries, noting 

that the embassies’ feedback may offer some insight on the impact of shortwave. 

Next Steps and Action Items

Governor Armstrong, the Committee Chair, requested feedback from the full Committee, as well 

as the Office of Strategy and Development on the State Department’s proposed document to be 

sent to overseas posts in order to obtain their perspectives on BBG shortwave broadcasts. The 

Committee also indicated that the focus of the Committee’s meeting in March will be on 

shortwave stakeholders.

Other attendees: Suzie Carroll, Executive Director and Director of Global Communications; 

Andre Mendes, Director of Global Operations; Robert Bole, Director of Global Strategy; Paul 

Kollmer-Dorsey, General Counsel and Board Secretary; Leslie Hyland, Chief Financial Officer 

(CFO); Lynne Weil, Director of Communications & External Affairs; Oanh Tran, Director of 

Board Operations; Bruce Sherman, Director of the Office of Strategy and Development (OSD); 

William Bell, Director of Research; David Ensor, Director of the Voice of America; Carlos

Gacia-Perez, Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (via telephone); Oscar Rodriguez, 

Director of Radio Marti (via telephone); Kevin Klose, President of Radio Free Europe/Radio 

Liberty (RFE/RL) (via video conference); Nenad Pejic, RFE/RL Editor-in-Chief of 

Programming (via video conference); Paul Tibbitts, RFE/RL Director of Market Insight and 

Evaluation (via video conference); Luke Springer, Director of Technology (via video 

conference); Christine Fetzko, Director of Corporate Strategy and Operations (via video 

conference); John Giambalvo, RFE/RL CFO; Libby Liu, President of Radio Free Asia (RFA); 

Brian Conniff, President of Middle East Broadcasting Networks (via telephone); Dan Sreebny, 

Senior Advisor for the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, State 

Department; Ashley Lancaster, Board Operations and Policy Adviser; Gerhard Straub, Director 

of Broadcast Technologies; Kathryn Neeper, OSD Program Analyst; Paul Marszalek, OSD 

Media Strategist; Karen Larson, OSD Program Analyst; and Theresa Beatty, Senior Management 

Analyst, CFO.

39 
ATTACHMENT 1

MEETING OF THE SHORTWAVE COMMITTEE

January 23, 2014

9:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. EST

BBG Headquarters – Washington, D.C.

Members Governor Matthew Armstrong, Committee Chair

Governor Ryan Crocker, Committee Member

Governor Michael Meehan, Committee Member

Governor Kenneth Weinstein, Committee Member

Governor Jeffrey Shell, Committee Member, ex officio 

AGENDA

Introductory Remarks by the Committee Chair

Questions Framing the Discussion

1. Who are we reaching and are they our target audience?

2. How much of the target audiences are accessible through other 

mediums? 

3. What is the impact of the content format on the medium and its 

audience? 

Agenda Topic 1 Understanding the BBG Research on Shortwave

Agenda Topic 2 Analyzing the BBG Research

x What is missing in the research or what are its limitations?

x Do we have data we need to make properly informed decisions on 

shortwave?

Experts:

x Guido Baumhauer, Director of Strategy, Marketing and Distribution, 

Deutsche Welle 

x Mike Cronk, Senior Partner, Marquis Media Partners 

x Shawn Powers, Associate Director of the Center for International 

Media Education & Assistant Professor of Communication at Georgia 

State University 

Agenda Topic 3 Next Steps and Action Items

x What further research, if needed, do we need?

x Preview of Meeting 3

END APPENDIX C

40 
APPENDIX D

Top Ten BBG Shortwave Audiences (in millions)

Sample Changes in Weekly Shortwave Use (percentages of adults), 2002-2013

END APPENDIX D

0.3 

0.4 

0.4 

0.5 

1.0 

1.2 

1.7 

4.5 

6.2 

6.2 

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Somalia

Bangladesh

Afghanistan

Zimbabwe

Iran

DR Congo

Sudan (Darfur)

Ethiopia

Burma

Nigeria

2 

2 

2 

1 

5 

5 

6 

7 

11 

9 

13 

14 

46 

58 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Pakistan

Ukraine

Bangladesh

Russia

Uganda

Kenya

Tanzania

2002/3

2012/13

41 
APPENDIX E

Request for Public Comment

Shortwave radio has been a mainstay of U.S. international media since the 1940s. Over time, 

however, the number of countries in which shortwave is the medium of choice for audiences 

overseas has been shrinking. In many places, people are increasingly turning to other means to 

get news and information - including but not limited to FM radio, satellite television, websites, 

social media, and their mobile phones.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent federal government agency that 

oversees U.S. civilian international media, has been adjusting to these changes over the years and 

now delivers news and information programs on a wider variety of platforms in more languages 

than any other media organization. To support its commitment of reaching audiences on their 

preferred media, the Board recently established a Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave 

Radio Broadcasting, which has been conducting a thorough review of the agency's use of 

shortwave radio as a distribution platform, the associated costs, and the likely reliance on it by 

next-generation audiences.

This Committee is now seeking feedback from external experts and stakeholders on their 

perspectives on the role of shortwave radio broadcasting as a BBG distribution platform. Given 

your interest and involvement in international media matters, we would very much appreciate 

hearing from you. We are particularly interested to hear views that consider the evolving media 

consumption of target audiences, changing access to shortwave and other platforms, and the need 

to prioritize in an austere federal budget environment.

The BBG is committed to sustaining shortwave broadcasting to regions where a critical need for 

the platform remains.

The Shortwave Committee has held two meetings focused on the shortwave audience's listening 

experience, the BBG networks' success in reaching target audiences, the role of shortwave in the 

networks' engagement strategies in various markets, the cost of operating shortwave transmitting 

facilities, and the BBG's research into how shortwave is being used and its impact on audiences.

Your input will better inform the Committee's recommendations and could help shape its 

comprehensive report to the plenary Board.

I would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest opportunity, but I am hoping to have all 

views by March 14, 2014. Please let me know if that will not work for you. Your submission 

need not be longer than a thousand words or so; send it to ShortwaveCommittee@bbg.gov

The news and information provided by our networks helps bring the light of truth to some of the 

darkest corners of the world. By supporting the free flow of news and information, including 

42 
combatting Internet censorship and providing news and information tailored for specific 

audiences, developing local media, and creating access to global media, we purposefully support 

the freedom to speak, the freedom to listen, and the freedom of expression.

If you are aware of anyone with a particular interest in this topic, I encourage you to forward this 

letter to them.

Thank you for your interest in taking part in this process to help the BBG become more efficient 

and effective in supporting U.S. national security and foreign policy.

Sincerely,

Matthew C. Armstrong

Chairman

BBG Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting

END APPENDIX E

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