Voice of America: Domestic Outlets Get Access to International Broadcasts

In a move that could provide some low-cost, high-quality international news content to domestic cable and broadcast outlets, starting July 2 thousands of hours of international video and radio news content from the Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti will become available for domestic distribution for the first time.

Some of that content has been available on the Web, but not in a high-resolution format suitable for framing in a TV picture. Now, thanks to a change in law supported by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, restrictions on domestic broadcast of that content will be lifted so that the Voice of America can be a voice for America as well. Because the content has already been paid for with tax dollars, it will be available for reimbursable costs incurred in making it available -- burning a DVD or changing a format -- although if there is third-party content included that will have to be a separate negotiation. The target of the content is still other countries that lack a free press, but the U.S. press that could use some free content of their own in these tough economic times can now benefit, and the American public "will be able to know what they are paying for with their tax dollars," says BBG.