Kim Andrew Elliott
@kaedotcom.bsky.social
News about international broadcasting.
Retired VOA audience research/media news broadcaster.
Gradually migrating from eponymous account on X.
See also:
mediafreedomusa.bsky.social
swradiogram.bsky.social
Retired VOA audience research/media news broadcaster.
Gradually migrating from eponymous account on X.
See also:
mediafreedomusa.bsky.social
swradiogram.bsky.social
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
FROM OUR OMBUDSMAN: Given the overall press restrictions and the moves to take over editorial control of Stars and Stripes, the future of a reputable newspaper that dates to the Civil War is in danger.
Here's what's happening, why & what you can do about it. Gift article🔗: bit.ly/4k7MF6F #Flashes
Here's what's happening, why & what you can do about it. Gift article🔗: bit.ly/4k7MF6F #Flashes
January 20, 2026 at 11:02 AM
FROM OUR OMBUDSMAN: Given the overall press restrictions and the moves to take over editorial control of Stars and Stripes, the future of a reputable newspaper that dates to the Civil War is in danger.
Here's what's happening, why & what you can do about it. Gift article🔗: bit.ly/4k7MF6F #Flashes
Here's what's happening, why & what you can do about it. Gift article🔗: bit.ly/4k7MF6F #Flashes
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
The authoritarian government of Belarus is purging the country’s ham operators, charging them with treason and seizing their radio equipment. steanlab.medium.com/mayday-389f5...
MAYDAY from the airwaves: Belarus begins a death penalty purge of radio amateurs
Behind the absurdity of charging Baofeng users with ‘High Treason‘ lies a terrifying intellectual genocide and an urgent call for…
steanlab.medium.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:09 PM
The authoritarian government of Belarus is purging the country’s ham operators, charging them with treason and seizing their radio equipment. steanlab.medium.com/mayday-389f5...
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
RSF launched a number of key projects, including "filing of its first complaint against the Trump administration to defend the international broadcaster Voice of America (VOA),..."
40 years of commitment to informing tomorrow’s world: RSF releases its 2025 annual activity report
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025, has published its annual Activity Report — a testament to an intense year of defending the right to information worldwide. In the report, RSF takes stock of its work during a year marked by worsening conflicts, a rising number of attacks on the media, and growing economic fragility across the news sector. Half the global population now live in a country where press freedom is seriously at risk- and RSF reaffirms its commitment to turning this tide in 2026.
rsf.org
January 20, 2026 at 5:17 PM
RSF launched a number of key projects, including "filing of its first complaint against the Trump administration to defend the international broadcaster Voice of America (VOA),..."
About the Voice of America’s Leo Sarkisian
(Who, when I saw him in the VOA corridors, would always tell me “It’s going to be all right!”)
(Who, when I saw him in the VOA corridors, would always tell me “It’s going to be all right!”)
January 19, 2026 at 2:01 AM
About the Voice of America’s Leo Sarkisian
(Who, when I saw him in the VOA corridors, would always tell me “It’s going to be all right!”)
(Who, when I saw him in the VOA corridors, would always tell me “It’s going to be all right!”)
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
Asia Times - MAGA mouthpiece Kari Lake claims US-funded broadcasts effectively serve Iranians and Venezuelans, but she presides over Potemkin airwaves. asiatimes.com/2026/01/the-...
The hollow resurrection of US international broadcasting - Asia Times
Deserving of scrutiny is the boasting this week by the self-proclaimed acting chief executive officer of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Kari
asiatimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Asia Times - MAGA mouthpiece Kari Lake claims US-funded broadcasts effectively serve Iranians and Venezuelans, but she presides over Potemkin airwaves. asiatimes.com/2026/01/the-...
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
“Congress is speaking loudly and clearly. They are rejecting the Administration's effort to cancel VOA," said Government Accountability Project Senior Counsel, David Z. Seide.
Bipartisan, Veto-Proof Bill to Restore Funding to VOA Proceeding through Congress
Government Accountability Project applauds the bipartisan spending bill approved by lawmakers in Congress that would allocate $643 million for broadcasting from the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and Voice of America (VOA). On January 14, by a veto-proof bipartisan majority of 341 to 79, the House approved.
whistleblower.org
January 16, 2026 at 12:17 PM
“Congress is speaking loudly and clearly. They are rejecting the Administration's effort to cancel VOA," said Government Accountability Project Senior Counsel, David Z. Seide.
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
“Democrats were able to say that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which includes Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Free Asia, and which Trump has tried to defund) was, in fact, funded to the tune of $643 million, not $0.”
Congress is Finally Doing Its Job. Nobody Seems to Notice.
Compromise is not a last art in Washington.
www.wakeuptopolitics.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:30 PM
“Democrats were able to say that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which includes Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Free Asia, and which Trump has tried to defund) was, in fact, funded to the tune of $643 million, not $0.”
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
Radio in Greenland; an image from a 1936 German "radio atlas":
January 16, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Radio in Greenland; an image from a 1936 German "radio atlas":
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
VOA journalist & Medill alum @chriscasquejo.bsky.social reflects on the power of VOA in Asia—and what was lost after VOA went dark last year. Read more here: 🔗
Truth Matters
Medill Magazine Issue 107
medill-northwestern.shorthandstories.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
VOA journalist & Medill alum @chriscasquejo.bsky.social reflects on the power of VOA in Asia—and what was lost after VOA went dark last year. Read more here: 🔗
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
From jammed signals in Iran to MAGA content in Mandarin, Kari Lake’s hastily attempted resurrection of US international broadcasting rings hollow. newsguy.substack.com/p/potemkin-a...
January 15, 2026 at 1:02 AM
From jammed signals in Iran to MAGA content in Mandarin, Kari Lake’s hastily attempted resurrection of US international broadcasting rings hollow. newsguy.substack.com/p/potemkin-a...
But the Starlink hardware must be somehow acquired …
BREAKING: Satellite internet provider Starlink is now offering free service inside Iran, activists say. Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to share videos and photos of the demonstrations with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night.
Starlink offering free service in Iran, where other communications were cut in protest crackdown
Activists say the satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in Iran. Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who has helped get the units into Iran, told The Associated Press that the free service had started.
bit.ly
January 14, 2026 at 4:33 PM
But the Starlink hardware must be somehow acquired …
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
“The measure would restore funding cut by President Trump’s austerity order but at levels below recent appropriations.”
Congress to continue funding Voice of America, despite Trump's wishes
January 13, 2026 - The proposal faces legislative hurdles and a potential presidential veto as legal challenges against USAGM continue.
thedesk.net
January 14, 2026 at 3:06 AM
“The measure would restore funding cut by President Trump’s austerity order but at levels below recent appropriations.”
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
From GH's WOR mailing list:
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
WBCQ The Planet
Free speech, it’s more than just words
wbcq.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:04 PM
From GH's WOR mailing list:
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
From GH's WOR mailing list:
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
The Worlds Last Chance ministry has apparently gone bankrupt and has abandoned shortwave radio and WBCQ. The following message is now posted on wbcq.com:
Superstation available
One of the most powerful and versatile shortwave stations is now available for your lease...
WBCQ The Planet
Free speech, it’s more than just words
wbcq.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
“It seems to be a notable expression of congressional dissatisfaction with the direction of the administration’s efforts to dismantle U.S. international broadcasting.”
Proposed Spending Bill Includes VOA Funding - Radio World
Congress has reached a deal to fund the Voice of America, with lawmakers agreeing to provide approximately $653 million for the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
www.radioworld.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:15 PM
“It seems to be a notable expression of congressional dissatisfaction with the direction of the administration’s efforts to dismantle U.S. international broadcasting.”
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
The Office of Personnel Management is asking applicants for US military newspaper Stars and Stripes if they back Trump's policies; its EIC says he was unaware (Liam Scott/Washington Post)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
January 14, 2026 at 3:25 PM
The Office of Personnel Management is asking applicants for US military newspaper Stars and Stripes if they back Trump's policies; its EIC says he was unaware (Liam Scott/Washington Post)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
NEW >>
Congressional appropriators agreed to provide $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting President Donald Trump's demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down.
My latest for @washingtonpost.com:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Congressional appropriators agreed to provide $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting President Donald Trump's demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down.
My latest for @washingtonpost.com:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Congress agrees to fund Voice of America, bucking Trump shutdown order
The Trump administration has tried to eliminate funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA. Appropriators in Congress have had other ideas.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:17 PM
NEW >>
Congressional appropriators agreed to provide $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting President Donald Trump's demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down.
My latest for @washingtonpost.com:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Congressional appropriators agreed to provide $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting President Donald Trump's demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down.
My latest for @washingtonpost.com:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
A bipartisan bill agrees to provide $653M to USAGM, down from $867M in 2025, but over Trump's $153M request, as part of a package needing Congressional approval (Scott Nover/Washington Post)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
January 13, 2026 at 6:35 PM
A bipartisan bill agrees to provide $653M to USAGM, down from $867M in 2025, but over Trump's $153M request, as part of a package needing Congressional approval (Scott Nover/Washington Post)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
The BBC files a motion to dismiss Trump's lawsuit over how his January 6 speech was edited in Panorama, saying the Florida court lacks "personal jurisdiction" (Yang Tian/BBC)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
January 13, 2026 at 9:20 AM
The BBC files a motion to dismiss Trump's lawsuit over how his January 6 speech was edited in Panorama, saying the Florida court lacks "personal jurisdiction" (Yang Tian/BBC)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
"Iran’s digital blackout has now deployed military jammers to shut down access to Starlink. ... Monitoring the sudden drop in Starlink data packets supports reports on the ground that satellite connectivity has been heavily affected."
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
‘Kill Switch’—Iran Shuts Down Starlink Internet For First Time
No way out — Iran's blackout just got worse.
www.forbes.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:43 AM
"Iran’s digital blackout has now deployed military jammers to shut down access to Starlink. ... Monitoring the sudden drop in Starlink data packets supports reports on the ground that satellite connectivity has been heavily affected."
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
No VOA Spanish.
No VOA anything to Africa.
No VOA English, ceding field to RT, CGTN, Al Jazeera etc.
No comprehensive news (incl US/world) in any USAGM language.
Vital SW/MW relay stations, which can sidestep internet disruptions, shut down and maybe dismantled.
x.com/KariLake/sta...
No VOA anything to Africa.
No VOA English, ceding field to RT, CGTN, Al Jazeera etc.
No comprehensive news (incl US/world) in any USAGM language.
Vital SW/MW relay stations, which can sidestep internet disruptions, shut down and maybe dismantled.
x.com/KariLake/sta...
January 11, 2026 at 7:58 PM
No VOA Spanish.
No VOA anything to Africa.
No VOA English, ceding field to RT, CGTN, Al Jazeera etc.
No comprehensive news (incl US/world) in any USAGM language.
Vital SW/MW relay stations, which can sidestep internet disruptions, shut down and maybe dismantled.
x.com/KariLake/sta...
No VOA anything to Africa.
No VOA English, ceding field to RT, CGTN, Al Jazeera etc.
No comprehensive news (incl US/world) in any USAGM language.
Vital SW/MW relay stations, which can sidestep internet disruptions, shut down and maybe dismantled.
x.com/KariLake/sta...
VOA Spanish was among the services silenced. Only Radio MartÍ remains, and while it does provide some reporting about Venezuela (and much reporting about what Trump says), Radio MartÍ is nominally intended for Cuba.
Kari Lake silenced all VOA broadcasts last March and recently brought back a token amount of people & programming in a few of the 48 languages, defying a federal judge’s order for restoration. And replacing balanced reporting with propaganda violates the Charter. (Public Law 94-350) #SaveVOA
January 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM
VOA Spanish was among the services silenced. Only Radio MartÍ remains, and while it does provide some reporting about Venezuela (and much reporting about what Trump says), Radio MartÍ is nominally intended for Cuba.
RFE/RL "resumed shortwave radio broadcasts into Iran following the imposition of an internet blackout by the Islamic Republic. Working with several commercial vendors ... Radio Farda is once again providing an alternative to state-controlled media."
about.rferl.org/article/radi...
about.rferl.org/article/radi...
Radio Farda Returns to Shortwave, Bypassing Iran’s Digital Blackout
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has today resumed shortwave radio broadcasts into Iran following the imposition of an internet blackout by the Islamic Republic.
about.rferl.org
January 11, 2026 at 1:50 PM
RFE/RL "resumed shortwave radio broadcasts into Iran following the imposition of an internet blackout by the Islamic Republic. Working with several commercial vendors ... Radio Farda is once again providing an alternative to state-controlled media."
about.rferl.org/article/radi...
about.rferl.org/article/radi...
Reposted by Kim Andrew Elliott
How independent Venezuelan outlets, operating from exile and in alliance with reporters who remain in the country, managed to cover Maduro's ouster (César López Linares/LatAm Journalism Review)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
January 10, 2026 at 3:26 PM
How independent Venezuelan outlets, operating from exile and in alliance with reporters who remain in the country, managed to cover Maduro's ouster (César López Linares/LatAm Journalism Review)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Radio Canada International has had an "Eye on the Arctic news cooperation project" for years, but now it is especially relevant.
www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...
www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...
The U.S. already has leverage in Greenland, so why is Trump escalating? Experts weigh in
President Donald Trump is reviving his push for Greenland — refusing to rule out force — prompting Arctic specialists to question why Washington isn’t relying on existing agreements with Denmark and G...
www.rcinet.ca
January 10, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Radio Canada International has had an "Eye on the Arctic news cooperation project" for years, but now it is especially relevant.
www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...
www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-a...