BBG networks provide comprehensive coverage of President’s speech
When President Obama addressed the nation on September 10 to outline his strategy for dealing with the terrorist group ISIS, the networks of the BBG provided comprehensive coverage and in-depth analysis to their audiences around the world.
Leading up to the speech, Alhurra provided special programming that included live coverage of Sec. Kerry’s remarks in Baghdad and interviews with prominent leaders such as Sheikh Ahmad Wessam, a fatwa trustee at Egyptian Dar al-Iftaa and addressed the introduction of legislation that would authorize the use of U.S. military force against ISIS.
Alhurra and Radio Sawa provided live coverage of the president’s speech, with simultaneous Arabic translation, as well as analysis by experts including the Brookings Institution’s Michael O’Hanlon. Alhurra also aired an exclusive interview with White House Spokesperson Joshua Earnest during which he discussed the role of Arab countries in fighting ISIS. Radio Sawa extended its newscasts and Alhurra’s political talk show Free Hour dedicated its show to the speech, featuring American and Saudi experts to discuss the role the international community in combating ISIS. For their online audiences, Alhurra.com and RadioSawa.com live blogged the speech as it happened.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty issued an analysis of President Obama’s speech within minutes of its conclusion, for use by all of its language services, including those covering all of Central Asia. Other services, including the Azerbaijani Service, Armenian Service, and Balkan Service have posted their own reports on the speech.
Radio Free Iraq informed its audience in Iraq about the speech with news reports about the itself, the President’s pre-address meeting with Congressional leaders, and Secretary of State John Kerry’s trip to Baghdad and his meeting with Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi. After the speech, Radio Free Iraq posted an interview with Middle East expert Walid Phares, and is today airing a package of reactions and devoting its daily “Iraq File” program to further analysis of the speech.
Radio Farda also aired news reports about the President’s address immediately after it concluded. On Farda’s “Breakfast with News” television program this morning, airing at 7:00am and then repeated for its audiences in Iran, Radio Farda reported on the speech and discussed it with University of South Alabama political scientist Nader Entessar.
Voice of America produced a 90-minute Radio/TV/Web simulcast around President Obama’s speech. The English Division/Central news program used VOA journalists from all the regular Washington beats, including State Department Correspondent Scott Stearns live (via Skype) from Amman following Secretary Kerry’s trip to Baghdad and live reaction from Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) in the Cannon Rotunda. Audience questions were taken via social media and discussed by the hosts.
VOA’s Kurdish Service provided translation for radio and online, and produced a September 11 roundtable with reaction from Kurdish political experts and in a radio interview, spoke with Hoshyar Zebari, the Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq for his reaction to President Obama’s speech.
The VOA Turkish Service provided a live stream online and produced a story on Turkey’s possible contribution to the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State. The service also provided TGRT, its affiliate TV channel, details of the speech and political reaction from Washington.