At Voice of America, a sweeping ouster of Trump officials on Biden's first full day

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Fri Jan 22, 2021, 12:53 PM - Edit history (1)

At Voice of America, a sweeping ouster of Trump officials on Biden’s first full day

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Media

At Voice of America, a sweeping ouster of Trump officials on Biden’s first full day

By Paul Farhi
Jan. 21, 2021 at 6:37 p.m. EST

President Biden moved swiftly to oust top managers loyal to former president Donald Trump who had been blamed for recent turmoil at the federal government’s array of international news organizations, including the biggest and most influential one, the Voice of America.

Only hours after he was inaugurated, Biden forced out Michael Pack, the controversial head of the agency that oversees VOA and four other networks that broadcast news to millions of people abroad. This was followed, domino-like, on Thursday by the removal of VOA’s director and deputy director after only a few weeks on the job.

In doing so, Biden appears to be putting the brakes on what critics said was an effort by the Trump administration to turn the news agencies into mouthpieces for Trump’s views and policies.

The federal government spends $637 million annually to support the five news networks — VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Radio Free Asia. The agencies were established by Congress as an extension of American “soft power,” although the news and commentary they produce is by regulation independent of government or political control.

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Paul Farhi
Paul Farhi is The Washington Post's media reporter. He started at The Post in 1988 and has been a financial reporter, a political reporter and a Style reporter. Follow https://twitter.com/farhip

[katmondoo]

1. Our new President shows signs of greatness. Keep going Mr. President.

[marble falls]

2. VOA is an effective tool in getting information out. It's up to to us to keep it factual and honest.

[marmar]

3. Thorough housecleaning.....

[UTUSN]

4. K&R

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Let's not forget Frank Wuco

I'm going through old files.

Thu Aug 13, 2020: U.S. global media agency hires shock jock who called Obama 'Kenyan'

Source: Politico

MEDIA

U.S. global media agency hires shock jock who called Obama 'Kenyan'
The hiring of Frank Wuco is the latest controversial move by Michael Peck, the new CEO of the taxpayer-funded media group.

By DANIEL LIPPMAN

08/13/2020 04:47 PM EDT

The U.S. Agency for Global Media has hired Frank Wuco, a controversial former talk radio host who once called President Barack Obama “a Kenyan” and said Nancy Pelosi was a Botox-using Nazi, according to three USAGM officials.

Wuco recently started as an adviser in the front office of USAGM, which is headed by Michael Pack, who is dramatically reshaping the agency that oversees taxpayer-funded media properties. Pack’s early moves have led to blowback on Capitol Hill, with Democrats and some Republicans furious over what they see as a effort to turn independent news outlets meant to spread American values into vessels for pro-Trump propaganda.

One of Wuco’s responsibilities so far has been to audit USAGM’s office of policy and research, according to one of the officials. A former senior adviser at the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, he also earlier worked as senior White House adviser at the Department of Homeland Security and is a former naval intelligence officer.

But it’s Wuco’s time hosting “The Frank Wuco Show” from 2011 to 2013 that has gotten most of the attention. His hiring has raised eyebrows among USAGM employees, who are surprised that an agency devoted to promoting fact-based news to audiences around the world would hire someone who has spread conspiracy theories with no basis in reality.

In 2017, CNN reported: “Among the conspiracy theories Wuco pushed were claims that former President Barack Obama’s memoir was ghost written by former anti-Vietnam War radical Bill Ayers, claims that former CIA director John Brennan converted to Islam and claims Attorney General Eric Holder had been a member of the Black Panthers.”

On one show in 2011, he called then-House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi “Nancy Nazi Pelosi” and mocked her appearance.

“Seeing her last night, it made me think -- I’ll have to ask my brother-in-law who’s a plastic surgeon if this is true,” he said, in comments first unearthed by CNN’s KFile. “But I’m telling you that Botox has got to have an expiration date on it. No, I’m not talking about Botox in the bottle. I am talking about Botox in your face. And apparently from what I saw last night, it's not a gradual expiration.”

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/13/frank-wuco-us-global-media-agency-hiring-394997

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U.S. global media agency hires shock jock who called Obama 'Kenyan'

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