Voice of America

The Voice of America reaches more than 134 million people and provides accurate, objective, and comprehensive news and information, as well as informed discussion about the United States and the world. VOA strives to engage audiences in regions deemed critical to the U.S. through whatever medium—radio, television, Internet or digital media—the people of those regions prefer.

The Voice of America marked 70 years of broadcasting in 2012 and now reaches more than 134 million people worldwide. VOA provides accurate, comprehensive and trustworthy news and information as well as informed discussion about the United States and the world. It strives to engage audiences in regions deemed critical to the U.S. through whatever medium—radio, television, Internet, or digital—the people of those regions prefer.

President Barack Obama helped VOA mark its 70th anniversary. In a videotaped message, he said millions of people around the world “draw hope and strength” from VOA broadcasts.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Nobel Peace Prize Winners Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama also sent messages to mark the occasion celebrated in a gathering of diplomats, former VOA directors and distinguished guests.

Fast Facts

Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
Budget: $207.4 FY2012
Employees: 1152
Languages: 43
Audience: 134 million weekly

VOA Products and Programs

VOA’s 43 Language Services broadcast about 1,500 hours of radio and television programming each week to an estimated global audience of 134 million people.
Language Services have unique websites and use a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to share content and interact with the audience.
VOA’s world-renowned music and English-language learning programs are enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
VOA’s six state-of-the-art TV studios produce a range of programs from traditional news, call-in and interview formats to the satirical show Parazit,
which is broadcast to Iran.
Journalists in VOA’s 30,000 square foot Newscenter work around the clock with a global network of correspondents to provide a continuous stream of accurate, balanced and comprehensive news and analysis on key issues, U.S. government policies, and cultural developments.
VOA programs are delivered on satellite, cable, short wave, FM, medium wave, streaming audio and a worldwide network of 1,200 affiliate stations.

VOA and Technology

VOA has the largest integrated digital audio system in the world.
A network of transmitting stations operated by the International Broadcasting Bureau, along with some leased stations, send’s VOA’s programs instantaneously around the world.
The website, www.VOANews.com, provides a wide range of English-language news reports and serves as a portal to homepages of all 43 languages broadcast by VOA, as well as other
information about VOA.
A state-of-the-art digital asset management system enables VOA journalists to record, view and edit video, deliver content to studio control rooms, write scripts and search commercial newswires in a single program.

Recent Highlights

The following highlights are a sampling from 2012 of VOA’s engagement with audiences in countries of strategic importance, including areas prone to terror incidents, genocide, or failed states.

Pakistan

Several new Urdu language TV programs were introduced for audiences in Pakistan. Zindagi 360, which airs on the Hum TV cable channel and Sana. A Pakistani, which airs on the Express News cable channel, focus on topics that resonate with young people. For frank dialogue, the program Access Point with Ayesha Tanzeem gives viewers in Pakistan a way to debate tough issues with studio guests in Washington. The Urdu Service also has launched Newsminute, a short segment that airs in prime time on Aaj TV, Express News and Dunya TV.

Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province

Deewa Radio, which has a large audience in Pakistan’s tribal areas, has moved into the increasingly popular direct-to-home satellite TV market. It has adopted a “radio-on-TV” format as a cost-effective way to expand its reach.

Afghanistan

VOA TV continues to enjoy a large audience in Afghanistan, where it is carried by the national TV network and reaches an estimated 27 percent of the adult population every week. Combined with the weekly radio audience, VOA reaches nearly 11 million people in Afghanistan every week, more than 60 percent of the adult population.

Latin America

The VOA Spanish Service increased both its affiliate base and audience reach in 2012 by offering live VOA reports to some of region’s leading television networks and stations. New affiliates include Mexico’s Television Azteca and Radio Formula, Globovision and Radio Caracas in Venezuela, Peru’s Andina TV and Radio Programas del Peru as well as Ecuador’s Teleamazonas and Radio Sonorama. The service also has made inroads in Central America with its “Washington Bureau” concept, which offers live reports from VOA correspondents throughout the United States.

Russia

VOA’s audience in Russia expanded with the launch of Podelis, a dynamic TV-webcast that engages online followers on topics they select. VOA Russian is also working with the independent Dozhd TV channel and other stations to provide coverage of U.S. news.

Ukraine

VOA’s Ukrainian TV program remains one of the most popular in the country with a weekly audience of 16 percent. VOA reports and interviews are now featured on the popular Pravda news portal.

Nigeria

Among the more than 52 million people a week who listen to VOA programs in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 20 million listen in Nigeria alone. The Hausa Service has responded to the emergence of the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram with the launch of a weekly program that looks at social issues in northern Nigeria. VOA also has conducted a series of journalist training programs, established a reporting center, and added a sports blog for soccer-mad audiences in West Africa.

Somalia

VOA’s measured weekly audience is 74 percent of adults in the regions of Somaliland and Puntland. VOA played a key role in gauging public perceptions about a new constitution that was being drafted for the country. Government officials praised VOA for its survey that used Google Ideas software and polled more than 3,000 Somalis about key provisions of the constitution and the kind of government they want.

Mali

The seizure of Northern Mali by Islamic militants brought unique challenges. VOA is one of the first western news agencies to get a journalist into the region after the takeover and set up three-minute newscasts for mobile phone users with on-the-ground reports and breaking news from the surrounding countries.

South Sudan

VOA’s South Sudan In Focus radio program provided extensive coverage of ethnic violence in Jonglei State and tension between Sudan and South Sudan.

Zimbabwe

VOA’s Studio 7 broadcasts now reach 12.1 percent of rural and 7.5 percent of urban adults weekly in Zimbabwe. VOA is one of the leading international broadcasters in this African nation, which earns continued low marks for lack of press freedom.

Burma

The Burmese Service began the year by expanding its TV magazine show with a fast-paced, six-day-a-week summary of regional and global developments. In a historic market opening, VOA is now carried by Sky Net, a privately owned satellite TV operator of a 24-hour Burmese and English channel. Burma’s state-owned radio and television also agreed to broadcast VOA English teaching programs.

China

Chinese viewers now have two hours of fast-paced news and information following the launch of the new Mandarin language television program VOA Weishi via direct-to-home satellite and popular social media sites inside China. Innovative program elements provide viewers with information they cannot get on state owned stations. One segment, Error 404, focuses on Chinese censorship, showing the audience what is blocked by China’s Internet filters and why. In addition, VOA’s hit Chinese-English video blog, OMG! Meiyu is now available in the iTunes store as a podcast.

Tibet

VOA was on the front line in covering the self-immolations, demonstrations and civil movements that occurred across Tibet and Tibetan areas in China. Despite the closed media environment, VOA provided multimedia coverage of the Tibetan student protests in Qinghai province and a demonstration by the Tibetan medical students taking place in Rebkong. Exclusive cell phone video and a Skype interview with a witness were made available online and on social media sites within the hour, and promptly broadcast on radio.

Cambodia

VOA Khmer has moved from radio production to television with the launch of a four-day a week WebTV program on YouTube. The program covers topics ranging from genocide, corruption and human rights to economic development and social issues. The reports are shared on affiliate television stations in Cambodia as well as on the Web through a growing social media network.

Indonesia

VOA Indonesian is reaching more than 21 million people each week (13 % of the country’s adult population) through more than 400 affiliate radio stations and more than 30 TV affiliates.

Iran

Audience numbers in Iran grew in 2012. New Gallup data show the weekly TV audience grew to 21.4 percent, up from 6.5 percent in 2011. The return of the VOA signal to the popular Hotbird satellite is believed to be a key factor. With the addition of radio and the Internet, VOA’s total audience reach in Iran is now estimated at 22.1 percent. Under the leadership of a new management team, the Persian Service has updated its programs and is now available 24 hours a day on Livestation, an Internet streaming platform.

Kurdish

VOA inaugurated a new weekly news program Kurd Connection. Beginning as a web-cast only and hosted by Dakhil Elias, Kurd Connection recently gained two affiliations from Kurdish-speaking broadcasters. The Kurdish Service has introduced a social media component to its daily one-hour radio on TV program, with editors appearing on the program to talk about trending news stories and to solicit input from viewers/listeners.

Azerbaijan

The Azeri Service is having extraordinary success with its Live Web Forums, using social media and the Internet to bring prominent Azeri officials, human rights activists, writers, and journalists before average Azeri citizens. During the Live Web Forum, the services’ journalists act as mediators who relay the questions to the guest and make responses available to the public.

VOA on the Web

VOA websites got a new look and feel in 2012, with the transition to the Pangea content management system that makes navigation easier, highlights compelling content, and allows more multimedia functionality.

Earlier Highlights

Awards

Innovative uses of online media garnered recognition for several Voice of America journalists. VOA’s Jessica Beinecke, host and creator of the online English-Chinese teaching program, OMG! Meiyu received the 2012 AIB Founders Award. Arash Sigarchi of VOA’s Persian Service received the Deutsche Welle International Blog Award, which highlights online writing that champions the open exchange of ideas and freedom of expression, for his personal blog, Window of Anguish. And VOA’s Middle East Voices, which combines traditional reporting, commentary, and the stories of people living through the Arab Spring, was honored with the Online Journalism Award for topical reporting.

The 2012 Clarion Award for a television feature story/segment went to VOA reporter Carolyn Presutti, photographer/editor Michael Burke, and photographer Mike Kornely, for their report, The Falling Man, based on one of the most controversial images from the 9/11 terror attack in New York.

And Elez Biberaj, the Director of VOA’s Eurasia Division and former head of the VOA Albanian Service, received a Presidential Medal of Gratitude from Albanian President Bamir Topi.

See VOA Live

Take a behind-the-scenes look at VOA through our guided audio-visual Studio Tour.
Learn more about our history and the regions to which we broadcast, and watch broadcasters during live TV and radio programs.
For reservations or more information, call (202) 203-4990 or visit www.VOAtour.com.