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The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
The Voice of America was supposed to transmit news into countries that didn't permit events to be heard without censorship. But now it's the VOA that's been all but censored after the U.S. government ordered the termination of more than 639 remaining staff members of the radio station on Friday, leaving barely 100 people left with the organization.
It comes at a time when there are two major wars ongoing, many despotic countries are restricting access to news and world tensions are at an all time high.
And it truly is the end of an era that goes back a long time.
"The move likely marks an end to VOA, which was founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, operated in nearly 50 languages and reached 360 million people a week, many living under authoritarian regimes."
It was for many shortwave listeners a signal that could always be counted on, broadcasting on several wavelengths. Those beacons are now silent.
Voice of America parent terminates over 600 more staff in likely death knell
- darcyh
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
Problem is hardly anyone has a shortwave radio and like AM / medium wave there is so much electrical noise that receiving anything can be challenging.
Additionally most people would not know a shortwave radio (much less how to tune it) from a banana.
- Shorty Wave
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
As a kid we lived in Africa and shortwave radio was prevalent. VOA was one of the stations we would listen to find out what was really going on in the world, as local broadcasts usually towed the government line. They even had a pop music program, which I liked as they played stuff we’d never heard locally! It sad that VOA is gone and as RadioActive pointed out, there are two major wars happening and news will be restricted, if not blocked completely in those regions.
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
Maybe the DOA VOA has been revived with a rare win for the good guys.
Judge suspends Trump administration’s plan to eliminate hundreds of Voice of America jobs
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Thread Starter- turkeytop
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
Back in the day, I used to think VOA was a nuisance . VOA, Radio Moscow and BBC were all over the bands all day and all night, making things difficult for us DXers.
Now, I would welcome those nuisances back again.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- Dial Twister
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
turkeytop wrote:
Back in the day, I used to think VOA was a nuisance . VOA, Radio Moscow and BBC were all over the bands all day and all night, making things difficult for us DXers.
Now, I would welcome those nuisances back again.
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
"I love the poorly educated."
.......Donald J. tRump
- RadioActive
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
Oh, the irony. Just one day after a judge prevented the mass firings of Voice of America employees, allowing them to retain their jobs and keep their stations on the air, the radio network is off again - this time because the U.S. government shutdown has left them with no funding.
Voice of America Stops All Broadcasting After Government Shuts Down
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Thread Starter- turkeytop
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Re: The VOA Is Pretty Much Dead After Friday's Latest Mass Firings
Oh, the irony. Just one day after a judge prevented the mass firings of Voice of America employees, allowing them to retain their jobs and keep their stations on the air, the radio network is off again - this time because the U.S. government shutdown has left them with no funding.
Voice of America Stops All Broadcasting After Government Shuts Down
During the last shutdown I sent a reception report to and received a QSL verification from Radio Marti.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.