CNNization of USG broadcasting leads to waste and abuse, Voice of America employees report

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has not yet received permission from Congress to de-federalize the Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti (read privatize but keep being funded by taxpayers – not likely Congress will grant it), but the process of fleecing American taxpayers and placing former CNN employees on the government payroll is well underway, concerned BBG employees have reported to BBG Watch.

The BBG has already hired a number of former CNN employees to fill federal jobs and more such hires can be expected if the proposed privatization and the merger of the surrogate broadcasters: Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Sawa, and Alhurra TV — also proposed by the BBG — will be allowed to go forward.

So far, these questionable hires include the wife of a Democratic Party operative whose only assignment, according to sources, is to help produce a short TV program once a week. Another highly-paid former CNN employee at VOA has no defined duties other than providing occasional help also with producing a television program. Yet another former CNN employee was assigned to help with arranging special events coverage. A former CNN employee now occupying one of the top jobs at VOA hired a contractor who lives in Florida — “yes, she lives in Florida!!!…,” writes a BBG Watch source — “…as a Booker.” She is also a former CNN employee.

“I have a better story…, writes the same source. “The (BBG) is paying $219,000 to a firm that provided a contractor to help with developing the use of new media)…that does not include her extensive travel and per diem. Since joining earlier this year, she has gone to London twice, Bonn, Prague a couple of times, Ireland, Oman, New York City, and California. (There is already a BBG official in charge of innovation.) Why the heck are we paying two people for this job. She is a contractor who should not be representing the U.S. government,” a BBG Watch source wrote.

The BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson is a former CNN executive and now a successful writer. Sources describe the author of the best selling biography of Steve Jobs as quite a decent person who is too removed and too busy promoting his book to comprehend and to control much of what BBG executives are doing on his behalf. But he cannot disclaim all responsibility for the waste and abuse, which is only likely to get worse, BBG Watch sources warn. They point to several of his former CNN colleagues who have been hired since Isaacson became the BBG Chairman, including former CNN correspondent David Ensor who was hired as the new Voice of America Director.

To dispel any accusations of favoritism earlier in the “CNNization/privatization” process, the BBG used a corporate talent recruiting firm to find the best candidate for another top level job, the president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a surrogate broadcaster which is managed by the BBG. To no one’s surprise, the firm found a former CNN associate of the BBG chairman. Of course, U.S. taxpayers had to pay the recruiting firm for suggesting the best candidate for the job. The job comes with a hefty salary and a free luxurious apartment in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Then there is the still unresolved case of Chairman Isaacson’s former CNN associate who reportedly described in an email to a BBG member his decision to promote his favorites while referring to some of the longtime managers as “old white guys.” Sources say that Isaacson was appalled by that comment but refused to demand his former colleague’s resignation. BBG Watch has learned some new details about this incident which we can now make public.

We had reported earlier that one BBG member thought that the comment was so explosive that he called for a meeting during which he and other BBG members reversed some of the personnel decisions made by the author of the email and adopted a resolution condemning any discrimination based on gender, race and other illegal factors. A reliable source identified the BBG member who was concerned about the discriminatory comment as Michael Meehan. But, according to reliable sources, two BBG members who were part of the original search committee for this job — Susan McCue and Dennis Mulhaupt — defended the executive. One BBG member reportedly stormed out of the meeting and had to be urged to return.

One source told BBG Watch that there were not enough votes to dismiss the official. A reliable source identified the BBG member who stormed out of the meeting as Dennis Mulhaupt. BBG Watch is not identifying the official who made the “old white guys” comment while we continue to investigate the story and wait for the next BBG meeting in a few more days to see if BBG members take any further action.

All of this does not bode well for U.S. international broadcasting. BBG Watch sources warn that BBG executives may try to close down more broadcasting services and fire journalists, broadcasters and engineers to pay for the new CNN hires, contractors and their numerous travels. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress stopped the BBG plan to end VOA radio and TV broadcasts to China and issued a warning to BBG officials. These officials now hope that Congress will be distracted and will allow their privatization and merger plans to move forward, thus giving them more freedom of action and limiting Congressional oversight.

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