Cancelling VOA Arabic "was a mistake," says Council on Foreign Relations

A report issued yesterday by the Council on Foreign Relations urges restoration of VOA's traditional Arabic language broadcasts.

"In Support of Arab Democracy: Why and How" [PDF text] [press release] was the product of a task force chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Vin Weber, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives. Here's some of what they had to say about U.S. international broadcasting to the Arab world.

The United States should also leverage the new media space in the region to spread its message about democracy and freedom. On balance, the United States has done a poor job in this area. Although Radio Sawa, which the Broadcasting Board of Governors established in March 2002, is a relative success among younger Arabs, with its mix of American and Arabic pop music and regular news bulletins, it is unclear what affect the station is having on the way Arabs view the United States. VOA’s service was defunded in favor of Radio Sawa. This was a mistake as VOA’s Arabic service and Radio Sawa serve different functions and audiences. Whereas Radio Sawa is geared exclusively toward Arab youth, the VOA has traditionally provided news and information from and about the United States for a wider-range audience, including elites. The service should become an integral component of Washington’s public diplomacy strategy, emphasizing reform issues in addition to news and information about the United States.

Washington should also rethink the role of its own Arabic satellite channel, al-Hurra. Because the channel is operated by the U.S. government, the suspicion is strong within the region that it is merely a conveyor of propaganda. This critique will continue to hamper al-Hurra’s efforts to draw a larger market share, especially in comparison to al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyya. There is, however, an important programming niche that al-Hurra could fill, which has the advantage of being pro-reform without the taint of the U.S. government. Some of al-Hurra’s programming should be shifted to a C-SPAN-style format. Broadcasting the processes of the U.S. and other democratic governments, including congressional and parliamentary hearings, political rallies, and debates, would expose Arabs to the spectacle of free political systems in action. (pp. 29-30)

The 88-page document is highly critical of U.S. broadcasting efforts aimed at the Arab world. It could be even more critical. An analysis of Sawa's programming would show a tiny news hole that, despite promises at the radio's inception made in a public meeting in the VOA auditorium, has never expanded. In fact, in some streams it actually contracted some time ago in response to commercial pressures from competitors who emulated the Sawa programming model without the taint of its American origins.

The content of al Hurra is even more disappointing. The schedule is replete with nature documentaries, fashion shows, and stale technology segments. Not that there's anything wrong with that sort of programming, which can nurture viewer affinity for the station. But since al Hurra does not go out of its way to advertise its American origins (though no one is fooled), if any affinity develops it will not necessarily work to the advantage of the country that is footing the bills. Too, as al Hurra is airing that soft programming, key competitors — notably al Jazeera — are often broadcasting news reports or commentary and analysis segments. Hard to see how al Hurra wins hearts and minds that way.