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From:
Steve Schwartz <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 15 Feb 2005 14:19:52 -0600
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>I would certainly be interested in hearing Steven R. Gerber's "Fanfare
>for the Voice of A-M-E-R-I-C-A".  I wonder, though, whether Gerber has
>ever actually listened to the Voice of America.  I did hear that it was
>blocked inside the U.S. so that citizens could not hear what their own
>shortwave radio station was broadcasting; that may be a myth.  Does
>anyone know?

It's certainly true that few US citizens have heard it.  Even when I
lived in Europe, I never heard it, although I did listen to Armed Forces
Radio (some really good programs there - better radio than what I could
normally get back in the States).

I remember, once upon a time, during the Solidarity crisis in Poland,
the US government made a huge mistake by airing a broadcast intended for
VOA audiences to the US one.  It was so bad (even hilariously bad) and
so blatantly propoganda that it raised a brief stink, to the extent that
Congress was questioning whether to continue funding for USIA and VOA.
The Reagan or Bush 1 administration (I forget which) took the line that
this wasn't intended for domestic consumption, and that for some reason
defused the criticism.

I wonder how many people in the Eastern bloc actually listened to VOA
regularly or even listened to it more than once.  I'd certainly have
tried for the BBC or Deutsche Welle.  Less nonsense.

Steve Schwartz

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