Reading the memo, it doesn't say to shut down transmitters. All it says is you can't be on government property. It's about personnel, not facilities. So I take that as meaning zombie operations. There may be another memo.
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Kari Lake previews her plans for Voice of America in the next Administration.
- Thread starter Bill Betten
- Start date
Reading the memo, it doesn't say to shut down transmitters. All it says is you can't be on government property. It's about personnel, not facilities. So I take that as meaning zombie operations. There may be another memo.
Unless the transmitters and audio feed chains are fully automated they will be shut off quickly. With nobody to produce programming what is the point of leaving everything on? This isn’t a domestic radio station that can run as an automated jukebox without any humans around.Reading the memo, it doesn't say to shut down transmitters. All it says is you can't be on government property. It's about personnel, not facilities. So I take that as meaning zombie operations. There may be another memo.
This isn’t a domestic radio station that can run as an automated jukebox without any humans around.
Sure it is. You say you're hearing music fill on one of the services. The fact that they're still paying people and not simply firing everyone tells me they're waiting for some response to this.
Trump/Musk has threatened to impound funds passed by CongressThe white house doesn't control the funds either. If the money is appropriated, it should go where congress put it.
Congress just passed a CR. That means all funding continues at 2024 levels until September.
Trump/Musk has threatened to impound funds passed by Congress
For every action, there's an opposite and equal reaction. Or should be.
No, there's no authoritarianism going on. None at all. Everything is perfectly normal.The thing to know is everyone is still being paid. There is no cost savings to the taxpayers. All that's happened is that work has been stopped.
The money has been appropriated and is being spent. The constitution and the oath say the president will faithfully execute the laws of the US. He is in fact doing the opposite, and making rules in defiance of the laws. Time for impeachment. The problem is the congress is run by his party and won't file the articles of impeachment.
In the meantime, people around the world who depend on VOA broadcasts are likely not hearing them. Journalists see their jobs as serving the public, and they're being prevented from doing their jobs.
The shortwave transmitters collectively consume tens of Megawatts of power. Why pay that electric bill just for music fill? I still think they will be shut off as soon as someone realizes this.Sure it is. You say you're hearing music fill on one of the services. The fact that they're still paying people and not simply firing everyone tells me they're waiting for some response to this.
I'm sure he will try if they suddenly decide to develop a spine (for example, if Democrats gain power, or – *gasp!* – the Republicans actually come to their senses, and attempt to impeach him). I expect that the day that happens will be essentially the end of the United States as we know it, and we will become a collection of mostly independent nation-states instead of US states. Ordinary life on the ground probably won't change too noticeably, but the economy will be effectively destroyed and broken into at least 50 separate pieces.he can't shut down congress.
Welcome to The Twilight Zone....No, there's no authoritarianism going on. None at all. Everything is perfectly normal.
As for shortwave, as much as I like the concept of using it as an international broadcast medium, it does seem like it's basically dead for that purpose.
Plus with the cost of energy nowadays, running a 500+ kW transmitter for even a few hours every now and then is incredibly expensive and unlikely to be sustainable for long (how is WRMI doing? Last I knew, I *think* they actually were doing OK relative to many of the other US-based SW stations, not that that is saying much).
VOA on SW, therefore, probably is well past its prime, and should've been shut down years ago. However, regardless of whether or not anyone listens or how significant or relevant it is, VOA's SW signals are an example of soft power that shouldn't be messed with carelessly.
FM stations are OK in places that can receive such signals, but there are deeply rural places where most FMs can't fully reach, plus if a government turns against the US and decides to pull VOA programming off domestic radio, blocks the Internet, and so on, something like SW might be the only option, however few listeners there still may be or how few receivers still exist.
You're probably right.The shortwave transmitters collectively consume tens of Megawatts of power. Why pay that electric bill just for music fill? I still think they will be shut off as soon as someone realizes this.
c
The shortwave transmitters collectively consume tens of Megawatts of power. Why pay that electric bill just for music fill? I still think they will be shut off as soon as someone realizes this.
They're still paying staff, and still paying for those facilities. This is obviously NOT about saving money.
Agreed. Any actual savings are minimal; the rest is pure fiction.They're still paying staff, and still paying for those facilities. This is obviously NOT about saving money.
c
WRMI is scraping by, though transmitter outages are not uncommon. They are probably in the best shape of the U.S. private shortwave broadcasters which, like you say, isn’t much.(how is WRMI doing? Last I knew, I *think* they actually were doing OK relative to many of the other US-based SW stations, not that that is saying much).
Airtime bookings will likely continue to dry up. Bigger question I have is that the owner/operators of these stations are starting to get up there in age. Is there another generation that is willing to keep them going?
The EO has the following sentence:
So do the bare minimum. This is what we can expect from our government. If workers did that in non-government jobs, they would get fired.
When Jimmy Carter ran for president, he asked "Why not the best?" This is the complete opposite.
The order says those agencies should eliminate all operations not codified in statute as well as “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
So do the bare minimum. This is what we can expect from our government. If workers did that in non-government jobs, they would get fired.
When Jimmy Carter ran for president, he asked "Why not the best?" This is the complete opposite.
I wasn't alive then, but from what I've heard and read, he was a very good, but sorely misunderstood president who only recently gained the recognition and appreciation for what he did in his single term that he deserved all along.When Jimmy Carter ran for president, he asked "Why not the best?" This is the complete opposite.
So, Trump will have a bare bones government of the worst performers. Many important things will not get done as a result, and what few things do get done will be done very badly.
c
The statute says that USAGM is an independent agency, and doesn't report to the president. So to follow the statute means to ignore the EO.
For the purpose of this title, “independent establishment” means—
an establishment in the executive branch (other than the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission) which is not an Executive department, military department, Government corporation, or part thereof, or part of an independent establishment;
Plus with the cost of energy nowadays, running a 500+ kW transmitter for even a few hours every now and then is incredibly expensive and unlikely to be sustainable for long (how is WRMI doing? Last I knew, I *think* they actually were doing OK relative to many of the other US-based SW stations, not that that is saying much).
None of the USGM short wave transmitters are being run at 500kW.
The only transmitters which would go over that power level is the DX-1000 MW transmitter at Rasom, Thailand, the MW transmitter at Botswana and the MW transmitter at Kuwait.
VOA on SW, therefore, probably is well past its prime, and should've been shut down years ago. However, regardless of whether or not anyone listens or how significant or relevant it is, VOA's SW signals are an example of soft power that shouldn't be messed with carelessly.
Some of the USAGM SW broadcasts are being jammed and that suggests that there is a need to continue those broadcasts.
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I wish that Key West SDR was still around, I'd like to see if Radio Marti is on the air, and what, if anything, its broadcastingNone of the USGM short wave transmitters are being run at 500kW.
The only transmitter which would go over that power level is the DX-1000 MW transmitter at Rasom, Thailand.
Some of the USAGM SW broadcasts are being jammed and that suggests that there is a need to continue those broadcasts.
I wish that Key West SDR was still around, I'd like to see if Radio Marti is on the air, and what, if anything, its broadcasting
I don't have a confirmation on this, but what ever Greenville is broadcasting on the Radio Marti SW frequencies is probably the same programming from the Radio Marti 1180kHz transmitter at Marathon.
Based on David's previous posts regarding the numerous transmitters in Cuba on 1180kHz, Marathon isn't being jammed in the classical sense of useless noises and modulation but is defacto jamming of the Marathon signal with the Cuba 1180kHz network programming.
Thanks! It's true that Marathon is jammed with 1180s all over the island. Same with 670 and 710 against Miami Spanish language stations.I don't have a confirmation on this, but what ever Greenville is broadcasting on the Radio Marti SW frequencies is probably the same programming from the Radio Marti 1180kHz transmitter at Marathon.
Based on David's previous posts regarding the numerous transmitters in Cuba on 1180kHz, Marathon isn't being jammed in the classical sense of useless noises and modulation but is defacto jamming of the Marathon signal with the Cuba 1180kHz network programming.
I said USAGM is an independent agency. It's run by a board of directors, one of which is the secretary of state. It will be interesting to see if Rubio speaks up about Radio Marti, or if he continues as a rubber stamp. My expectation is the latter.
The other part is Kari Lake. She isn't in charge of VOA yet because the CEO of USAGM hasn't been confirmed by the senate. But she is a special advisor to USAGM, which means she's getting paid a big govt salary. She put out a tweet this morning telling all staff to check their email for instructions. That's about it.
The other part is Kari Lake. She isn't in charge of VOA yet because the CEO of USAGM hasn't been confirmed by the senate. But she is a special advisor to USAGM, which means she's getting paid a big govt salary. She put out a tweet this morning telling all staff to check their email for instructions. That's about it.