Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

US Budget Plan Would Cut Most VOA English Radio Programs
--------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1622DFE:A6F02AD83191E1603965501CC4C92D039574F7DCC14957C0 Programs in 12
other languages also to be cut



The new U.S. budget proposal would eliminate most Voice of America
English broadcasts, as well as radio programs in 12 other languages.

The U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors said programs in some other
languages would be expanded, and there would be an increase in total
spending on international broadcasting in President Bush's 2008 budget
plan.

Under the proposal, VOA would eliminate all 14 hours per day of VOA
NewsNow English broadcasting, but would continue English-to-Africa
programs and the Special English broadcasts that use a limited
vocabulary.

The proposed budget calls for increased VOA broadcasting to North
Korea, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as continuing a daily Somali
program set to begin next week.

The plan also seeks the elimination of VOA broadcasts in Cantonese,
Uzbek, Croatian, Greek, Georgian and Thai. Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian,
Macedonian, Hindi and Russian radio would also be cut, but those
services would continue television programming. Other services would
be reduced.

Any cuts would have to approved by Congress. A similar bid to cut
English radio programs was made in the proposed 2007 budget. That
budget has never been approved.


.