Board Affirms 2018 Action Plan for U.S. International Media

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — At the last meeting of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) on March 14, 2018, CEO and Director John F. Lansing briefed the Board on the Agency’s action plan for calendar year 2018.

The Board has formally endorsed implementation of the action plan, which aligns with the Administration’s National Security Strategy and President Trump’s management priorities of effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability, and advances the BBG’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

BBG Chairman Kenneth Weinstein (r) and CEO John Lansing discuss the organization’s strategic plan on March 14, 2018

The 2018 action plan focuses on strategy, content, and modernization for the BBG and its five networks—Voice of America (VOA), the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN).

“This action plan is a roadmap for maximizing impact,” says CEO Lansing. “Each component builds on the achievements this agency has made to expand global freedom of information and expression and to counter disinformation and violent extremism.”

The BBG’s 2018 action plan includes three key areas:

Strategy: Grow global audience reach to 500 million; use data to target resources that address information needs of key global audiences, including Russia, Iran, and China; build partnerships in the private sector to help the agency achieve its most important goals.
Content: Replicate the successful model of Current Time—BBG’s 24/7 Russian-language digital network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA—by launching a 24/7 cross-platform Farsi network, and plan for similar English and Mandarin-language streams; expand broadcasts into European markets targeted by Russian propaganda; augment editorials and interviews provided by senior Administration officials to the BBG networks, such as VOA’s weekly interview show hosted by Greta van Susteren.
A Modern Agency: Implement management and modernization reforms—among those, brand evolution and agency reorganization—that streamline operations and enable a more nimble, efficient and effective U.S. international media agency.