II.I: Middle East
Launch the Middle East Radio Network and Make It a Success Other Information:
Although daily radio use remains strong across the region, this has not traditionally meant strong listening to U.S. international
broadcasting. Voice of America (VOA) Arabic listening rates in the region averaged around two percent of the population. Awareness
of VOA was lower than for competing international media, probably due largely to VOA's poor signal delivery in the region.
To remedy this, the BBG last year proposed and recently launched the Middle East Radio Network, replacing the VOA Arabic service.
MERN broadcasts as Radio Sawa (“together”) in the Middle East. We must continue to design and build the network to achieve
significant coverage using appropriate delivery means for local audiences. This means:· Attracting and building a significant
audience from among the target group of under-30.· Staying "on-message" by using regular audience research to guide program
decisions.· Presenting news that is objective, comprehensive, fresh, and relevant to Middle East audiences.· Providing a forum
for reasoned discussion of regional "hot button" issues and U.S. policies.· Designing and building the network to achieve
significant coverage using appropriate delivery means for local audiences.
Indicator(s):
|
