Voice Of America – 65 % of the Century
This is the voice that Georgians heard for the first time 65 years ago today.
And ever since that day they have been tuning in to listen to once-prohibited programs and music on Voice of America.
Many would call Voice of America a broadcaster that gave people a sense of outside world.
For 65 years, the news has swung between the good and the bad; the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ethnic conflicts, civil wars, upheavals, demonstrations and revolutions have been covered along with Georgia's successful bid for independence, the adoption of its constitution and its first democratic elections.
Today, the VOA Georgian Service is present on TV, radio and web.
Through its weekly TV magazine Washington Today, and as a result of partnerships with Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, the Imedi and Maestro private TV channels, as well as weekly newspaper Georgia Today, VoA Georgian provides its audience with first-hand information on U.S. foreign policy, government and independent expert commentary on important issues, as well as the American way of life and Georgians living in and visiting the United States.
Friends of Georgia will tell you VoA has made a significant contribution to Georgia’s democratization.
Richard Miles, Former US Ambassador to Georgia:
“The VOA Georgian bureau should be very proud of the high quality reporting which they have done through the decades. Especially at a time when, quite frankly, the VOA has some difficulties maintaining the high level of service that it had during the Cold War, for example. I am very pleased that the Georgian Service is alive and continuing to do extremely high quality work. I always treasured it; I treasured it when I was there, and I still treasure it.”
Damon Wilson, Atlantic Council:
“The past 25 years have been a remarkable opportunity for the Georgian people to find their voice, to determine their future, to begin to shape their own destiny, whether it is in shaping their needs of government, their economy or their relationships with the rest of the world. And I think as the Georgian people have gone through that, which has neither been linear nor smooth, the VOA Georgian Service has been an important light and an important voice to help inform, educate and broaden the perspective for Georgians to take their future in their own hands.”
Senator James Risch:
“Georgia has come a long way. And everybody who has watched that is very proud of what Georgia has done, and I think Voice of America Georgian has been a real contributor, not only in bridge building but also in being able to communicate things that should be on the table between friends and talked about.”
Congressman Ted Poe:
“It’s important that you are able to give a voice to other parts of the world that they are not going to hear by any other source except by you. So I congratulate you on making sure that there is an alternate voice to what people are hearing, especially those people who are in totalitarian countries who get the government view on everything”
Richard Norland, Former US Ambassador to Georgia:
“Today Georgia is a thriving, European-style democracy with a vibrant American-style media. So, I want to congratulate Voice of America and the talented, hardworking journalists of the VOA Georgian Service and I also want to remind the audience that VOA continues to deliver good information in Georgian and I want to encourage you to continue to tune in… გილოცავთ, best wishes from Mary and me, we miss Georgia very much.”
VOA Georgian service chief Anna Kalandadze says that after 65 years on air, VoA Georgian maintains an audience through its exclusive TV and digital programming across its target area:
Anna Kalandadze:
“VOA Georgian audiences can always expect us to provide exclusive, reliable and objective news and information.”
Georgia Today would like to extend its own congratulations and admiration to the Voice of American Georgian Service, and thanks VoA Georgian for over its years of cooperation.