Summary

The Voice of America's (VOA) efforts to modernize its facilities have been hampered by delays and have not received the funding anticipated when the program began almost a decade ago. As a result, of 16 planned stations, two are completed and two are under construction. As budgets have shrunk, VOA and the U.S. Information Agency have slashed funding for audience research. VOA is now deciding on program content and broadcast facility needs without adequate information on audience characteristics and broadcast quality. VOA has increased the number of languages in which it broadcasts, even though staff and funding levels have not risen. It has proposed discontinuing broadcasts in some languages to help maintain program quality but, due to congressional concerns, has not done so. VOA officials said that the agency has received little formal input from the U.S. diplomatic community on which language broadcasts should be priorities. New technology and open societies are changing the outlook for international broadcasting. Television and radio are becoming more reliable sources of information in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and are increasing their audiences at the expense of international broadcasters. VOA relies mostly on shortwave broadcasting but is now studying and using new broadcasting methods and technologies, such as providing programs for rebroadcast on foreign radio networks.

GAO found that: (1) a 1983 VOA plan appropriated $1.3 billion, of which VOA spent $31 million on ultimately discontinued stations; (2) VOA has not performed complete cost-benefit analyses on modernization projects; (3) by conducting studies and cost-benefit analyses, VOA could adapt to changing world environments and avoid high construction and modernization costs; (4) VOA spends little on audience research and lacks current audience information; (5) VOA now broadcasts in 47 languages and may be required to add broadcasts in new languages; (6) VOA receives little input from the U.S. foreign affairs community on allocating its resources and targeting audiences; (7) changing world events and new technology affect VOA broadcast strategy, facility plans, and broadcast languages; (8) increases in foreign information resources decrease the VOA audience; (9) VOA continues to rely on shortwave broadcasts, and is considering alternatives, including direct satellite broadcasting, medium wave broadcasts, and using local media for rebroadcasting; and (10) increased resource sharing between VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) would be cost-efficient.