Voice of America - Management Actions Needed to Adjust to a Changing Environment: Nsiad-92-150 (Paperback)

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Voice of America's (VOA): (1) progress toward modernizing its facilities; (2) steps to cut programs and operations in response to decreased funding; and (3) actions to adopt broadcasting strategies reflecting changing technologies and world events. 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.