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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US to expand TV broadcasts into Iran |
| 2005-03-01 |
| The Bush administration is planning to expand its Persian-language satellite-television broadcasts to Iran (news - web sites) as part of an initiative to press for democratic reforms in the Islamic Republic, officials say. As President Bush (news - web sites) ponders incentives to encourage Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, Voice of America plans to go from a 30-minute to a four-hour daily news and information broadcast to Iran within the next few months. "Iran is an information-deprived society, much like the former Soviet Union," said Kenneth Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the federal agency that oversees international civilian broadcasts including VOA. "A large percentage (of Iranians) appear to be thirsting for information," he added. "What we propose to do is exactly what Radio Free Europe, Voice of America and Radio Liberty did in the Cold War, and that is provide a window on the world." The new initiative comes as the Bush administration reviews options for dealing with Iran's nuclear program that range from economic incentives to military action. Washington accuses Tehran of seeking to develop nuclear arms under the guise of civilian energy, a charge Iran denies. Officials say the Bush administration also plans to begin Arab-language satellite-television broadcasts to Europe later this year in a new escalation of its information war against Islamic extremism. But VOA broadcasts are unlikely to have much effect in Iran any time soon, independent analysts say. "Expanding Voice of America might have some marginal impact. But I don't think it's going to create the climate for a popular uprising," said Shireen Hunter, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies. Analysts also warned that expanded broadcasts could stir nationalist distrust of the United States and inadvertently strengthen the current government. "People could see it as a sign that an invasion is coming. It's the sort of thing that happens before nations build up their war effort," said Nancy Snow, a propaganda expert at California State University, Fullerton. U.S. officials believe VOA TV broadcasts could chip away at Iran's unpopular religious leadership over time by emphasizing issues of economic and political opportunity. "We're trying get people to say ... what do we want opportunity to be in Iran? Do we want a government controlled by mullahs? Do we want a government of the people?" said Tomlinson, who expects the expanded TV format to include close coverage of Iran's presidential election in June. VOA already has a 24-hour Persian-language radio service called Radio Farda, which offers a pop-music format geared toward Iran's large youth population. The administration is seeking money for the expanded telecast in Bush's $81 billion supplemental budget request for military operations in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) as well as other U.S. efforts abroad. The supplemental is expected to win congressional approval over the next several weeks. Officials hope to receive $1.5 million to expand Voice of America's "News and Views" current affairs service into a one-hour program that would be rebroadcast three times a day with hourly news updates. A further $5.5 million would be spent on studio construction and other investments that could pave the way for further Persian-language programing expansions. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #16 We should send them "Desperate Housewives" and tell them that is how the middle class lives. |
| Posted by: Formerly Dan 2005-03-01 10:46:52 PM |
| #15 hee hee, worthy houmor Frank. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-03-01 5:56:33 PM |
| #14 'Bout damn time. Talk about being behind the curve.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-01 3:31:11 PM |
| #13 Send them CSI in all its current iterations. They already believe American technology is close to magic -- CSI will demonstrate its infallibility. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-01 3:22:36 PM |
| #12 Anyway, Moslem young men already don't have any trouble seeing women as dehumanized sex objects.. Maybe the objective is to incapacitate the mullahs by giving as many of them as possible a case of Blue Balls. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-01 2:44:22 PM |
| #11 how about sick murder and pedophilia crime stories ? "Mullah, she wrote" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-01 1:46:04 PM |
| #10 Expand American culture... What is one of the the most popular Foreign TV shows in Russia? Info from my mother-in-law |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-01 1:24:38 PM |
| #9 When "Sex in the City" and "Baywatch" become the flagships of American policy, I'll resign my citizenship. A grand promotion of ditz . . . Anyway, Moslem young men already don't have any trouble seeing women as dehumanized sex objects. Infantile male fantasy is just that. For cryin' out loud, people. Nice one, 2B!` lol |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2005-03-01 1:18:05 PM |
| #8 Programs like "Sex in the City" and "Baywatch" will either turn them to our side or torture their religiously 'pure' minds. |
| Posted by: David Hasselhof 2005-03-01 12:28:17 PM |
| #7 Article: Analysts also warned that expanded broadcasts could stir nationalist distrust of the United States and inadvertently strengthen the current government. "People could see it as a sign that an invasion is coming. It’s the sort of thing that happens before nations build up their war effort," said Nancy Snow, a propaganda expert at California State University, Fullerton. This was what they said about Voice of America broadcasts into the Soviet Union and Communist China during the Cold War. Nancy Snow is a left-wing propagandist who implies that the US doesn't have a free press because anti-American perspectives don't win out 100% of the time. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-03-01 12:19:38 PM |
| #6 See "29 Baathist Leaders Turned Over to Iraq", posted today. The old "stability" was Arafat and Saddam, the new "instability" features elections in Iraq and Afganistan, new candidates in Cairo, and Lebenese governments resigning. Who said instability was bad? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-03-01 10:43:18 AM |
| #5 "Analysts also warned that expanded broadcasts could stir nationalist distrust of the United States and inadvertently strengthen the current government. "Oh, dear, we mustn't do anything that might cause instability in the region! It might make the mullahs angry with us!" |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-03-01 10:10:19 AM |
| #4 Officials say the Bush administration also plans to begin Arab-language satellite-television broadcasts to Europe later this year in a new escalation of its information war against Islamic extremism. Anticipating the new dominant European language? If only the VOA would begin broadcasting to the information starved natives. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-03-01 7:40:33 AM |
| #3 What they need to do is expand braodcasting to target the young men, those that commit Jihad. Programs like "Sex in the City" and "Baywatch" will either turn them to our side or torture their religiously 'pure' minds. |
| Posted by: Charles 2005-03-01 7:22:43 AM |
| #2 if they really want to help the WOT, maybe they should expand the broadcasts to the EU and US. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-03-01 6:59:06 AM |
| #1 'bout time. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-01 3:12:04 AM |