Voice of America Antenna Farm Demolition

[cockpitbob]

In May the VoA antenna farm was demolished. It looks like it was an amazing facility with 48 towers holding up wire antennas that I can only guess at how they worked (HF co-linear arrays, maybe).

Controlled Demolition Inc. brought down the towers. Some very cool footage here.

 

[blindfire]

Very cool.

 

[Boris]

voice of America dies ... not cool [sad2]

 

[blindfire]

voice of America dies ... not cool [sad2]

No, they are still broadcasting from another site.

And FWIW, I'd be fine with them taking down the service altogether. I know in the grand scheme of things that it isn't that much money, but it really is a pointless service today. Just my opinion.

 

[cockpitbob]

No, they are still broadcasting from another site.

And FWIW, I'd be fine with them taking down the service altogether. I know in the grand scheme of things that it isn't that much money, but it really is a pointless service today. Just my opinion.

I wonder about that. In dictator run countries the only "honest" news they can get is over the airwaves. Internet and TV are controlled.

Weather or not it's money well spent is complicated. Keeping people living "behind an iron curtain" informed on world events is probably in our best interest. Maybe. I think.

 

[Boris]

No, they are still broadcasting from another site.

And FWIW, I'd be fine with them taking down the service altogether. I know in the grand scheme of things that it isn't that much money, but it really is a pointless service today. Just my opinion.

Voice or America, Radio Free Europe are like the Statue of Liberty over the airwaves ... a beacon of hope and "reasonable truth"

Something like more than half of population of Russia has no access to internet. But everyone has access to TV, even if you don't have one:

From the amount of money we spend on cruise missiles, drones and other shit, it's like less than 1% to let people in their own country see dictators what they really are.

 

[blindfire]

Voice or America, Radio Free Europe are like the Statue of Liberty over the airwaves ... a beacon of hope and "reasonable truth"

Something like more than half of population of Russia has no access to internet. But everyone has access to TV, even if you don't have one:

From the amount of money we spend on cruise missiles, drones and other shit, it's like less than 1% to let people in their own country see dictators what they really are.

So, they get our propaganda instead of local propaganda??

I get that it is another voice in the dark for those in these countries. I just think we need to prioritize our spending.

Has there ever been a study that shows how much value there is for VOA?

 

[Boris]

So, they get our propaganda instead of local propaganda??

I get that it is another voice in the dark for those in these countries. I just think we need to prioritize our spending.

Has there ever been a study that shows how much value there is for VOA?

well, you don't need to demonize Putin, he is well capable of that himself. Putin and pretty much any dictator (including our own), the truth is worse than any kind of propaganda.

In terms of return on investment, you can't directly quantify it, but thousands would tune in. That was the only source of actual news and truth. I know that it was a big factor for collapse of the Soviet Union.

The cost is just silly small, power + dude reading books from Soviet political prisoners + whatever is in the other news. I don't think that they had special reporters. Even BBC was on par with Voice of America just because they simple broadcast news that were carefully screened from the Soviets.

 

[cockpitbob]

So, they get our propaganda instead of local propaganda??

I have a hard time believing VOA would stray from the truth with their broadcasts. Anyone in the U.S. or anywhere else, can listen. I'm sure some journalist would take them to task if they were spewing full blown propaganda (lies).

- - - Updated - - -

Voice or America, Radio Free Europe are like the Statue of Liberty over the airwaves ... a beacon of hope and "reasonable truth"

Something like more than half of population of Russia has no access to internet. But everyone has access to TV, even if you don't have one:

From the amount of money we spend on cruise missiles, drones and other shit, it's like less than 1% to let people in their own country see dictators what they really are.

Reminds me of the Mandatory Viewing in the Hunger Games movies.