II.IV: Russia and China
Reach the Two Continental Giants: Russia and China Other Information:
Russia: Russia has in many ways regressed since the optimistic days of the early 1990s. A return to communism and Marxism-Leninism
appears unlikely, but the national system has not developed into a civil society with liberal democracy and flourishing market
economy. Putin's government has moved piecemeal in a more "authoritarian" direction and is exerting considerable pressure
on what had become a pluralistic media scene. Independent national television is now non-existent. Weekly listening to RFE/RL
and VOA combined have dropped from 21 percent nationally in 1993 to about 4 percent in 2001. Even worse, the audience is aging.·
The challenge to RFE/RL and VOA is to reach out successfully to the more serious stratum among youth, while retaining a core
of middle-aged and older listeners who are still committed to a transition to democracy. Delivering relevant and attractive
programs via local FM stations is crucial, as is achieving a much better level of awareness among potential listeners. Efforts
to date to place existing programs on affiliate stations have paid dividends in local markets, as shortwave listening has
dropped.· We need to take a fresh, research-driven look at the kinds of formats needed to reach the crucial young adult listener
and then re-invent our programming accordingly. The old models are not working. China: Reaching the Chinese population effectively
through the barriers raised by the Chinese government (jamming, Internet firewall and no access to rebroadcasting) remains
the greatest challenge to international broadcasters in the region. Reaching less than 1% of the population regularly (as
we now do) will not inform the population of the facts. It is not surprising 68%identify the U.S. as the greatest threat to
China, instead of a great trading partner and boon to its people. This attitude is based largely on ignorance of the facts.
Most believe the U.S. “spyplane” incident was the fault of the U.S. We need to do a better job of getting the facts to the
Chinese and all peoples in the Far East who are denied access to a free press.· We must develop programs that appeal to an
increasingly nationalistic audience. This audience thinks it already understands America from commercial TV products and films.
It believes that America, however attractive, is not to be trusted.· Clearly there are no simple communications solutions,
as long as China continues to jam shortwave, to intimidate regional neighbors from permitting medium wave transmitters on
their soil and block access to international news websites. None of these Chinese measures is totally effective.· We need
to keep on exploring technical solutions. We need to be alert to any program placement opportunities that may emerge. And
we need to keep the issues before the Administration, stressing: (a) the lack of reciprocity of treatment of U.S. international
broadcasters compared to that of Chinese media in the United States, and (b) the need to repeatedly raise the broadcasting
issue with China's neighbors.
Indicator(s):
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