Michael Pack, the new CEO of the government-run global media media entity that oversees Voice of America and other news outlets, plans to clean house of the agency’s top career leadership, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Tuesday.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-ny) said in a statement that he had learned that Pack, confirmed by the Senate earlier this month to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, “intends to force out a number of the agency’s career senior leadership tomorrow morning.”
“My fear is that Usagm’s role as an unbiased news organization is in jeopardy under his leadership,” Engel said. “Usagm’s mission is ‘to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy’ — not to be a mouthpiece for the President in the run up to an election.” Engel suggested that the the action was connected...
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-ny) said in a statement that he had learned that Pack, confirmed by the Senate earlier this month to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, “intends to force out a number of the agency’s career senior leadership tomorrow morning.”
“My fear is that Usagm’s role as an unbiased news organization is in jeopardy under his leadership,” Engel said. “Usagm’s mission is ‘to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy’ — not to be a mouthpiece for the President in the run up to an election.” Engel suggested that the the action was connected...
- 6/17/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Voice of America Director Amanda Bennett and Deputy Director Sandy Sugawara resigned on Monday, after defending the government-backed media outlet from withering attacks from the White House and President Donald Trump.
Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Michael Pack, was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month. In a note to staff on Monday morning, Bennett said that Pack has the right to replace them with his own Voa leadership.
Bennett also said that Pack “swore before Congress to respect and honor the firewall that guarantees Voa’s independence, which in turn plays the single most important role in the stunning trust Voa’s audiences around the world have in the organization,” a spokesperson for Voa said. “She remarked that she and Deputy Director Sugawara know that all Voa staff members will offer him all of their skills, their professionalism, their dedication to mission,...
Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Michael Pack, was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month. In a note to staff on Monday morning, Bennett said that Pack has the right to replace them with his own Voa leadership.
Bennett also said that Pack “swore before Congress to respect and honor the firewall that guarantees Voa’s independence, which in turn plays the single most important role in the stunning trust Voa’s audiences around the world have in the organization,” a spokesperson for Voa said. “She remarked that she and Deputy Director Sugawara know that all Voa staff members will offer him all of their skills, their professionalism, their dedication to mission,...
- 6/15/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the global media agency that oversees the Voice of America.
Michael Pack, a documentary filmmaker, will serve as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also provides grants to overseas outlets like Radio Free Europe and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The Senate voted 53-38 on the nomination, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) voting with all Republicans.
Other Democrats, led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-nj), objected to his confirmation while Pack’s nonprofit, Public Media Lab, is under investigation by the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine.
On the Senate floor on Thursday, Menendez used charts to outline claims that Pack used donations from Public Media Lab, for his own benefit.
“Given his alleged use of a small non profit for self-enrichment, can we trust that he will not use the massive resources of the U.S. government...
Michael Pack, a documentary filmmaker, will serve as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also provides grants to overseas outlets like Radio Free Europe and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The Senate voted 53-38 on the nomination, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) voting with all Republicans.
Other Democrats, led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-nj), objected to his confirmation while Pack’s nonprofit, Public Media Lab, is under investigation by the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine.
On the Senate floor on Thursday, Menendez used charts to outline claims that Pack used donations from Public Media Lab, for his own benefit.
“Given his alleged use of a small non profit for self-enrichment, can we trust that he will not use the massive resources of the U.S. government...
- 6/4/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted along party lines to move forward with the nomination of filmmaker Michael Pack to lead the federal agency that oversees the Voice of America and other government-backed international broadcast outlets.
The vote was 12-10 to advance the nomination after a contentious meeting. Pack would lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
The committee was to vote on the nomination last week, but it was delayed. In the meantime, the office of the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine, said that it was investigating Pack’s non-profit. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-nj) indicated that the investigation had to do with whether Pack directed non-profit funds to his for-profit production business, as well as other issues.
President Donald Trump had singled out Pack’s nomination when he criticized Democrats for what he said was an effort to block key appointees in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote was 12-10 to advance the nomination after a contentious meeting. Pack would lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
The committee was to vote on the nomination last week, but it was delayed. In the meantime, the office of the D.C. Attorney General, Karl Racine, said that it was investigating Pack’s non-profit. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-nj) indicated that the investigation had to do with whether Pack directed non-profit funds to his for-profit production business, as well as other issues.
President Donald Trump had singled out Pack’s nomination when he criticized Democrats for what he said was an effort to block key appointees in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
- 5/21/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
President Donald Trump’s latest coronavirus press briefing once again veered off into one of his grievances, this time that dozens of his nominees to government positions have been upheld in Congress.
Trump threatened to use constitutional authority to adjourn Congress so that he can make recess appointments. “We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government, and now more so than ever before because of the virus problem,” Trump said.
Although members of Senate are back in their home districts this month, they are not formally in recess, as they still hold pro forma sessions — a practice that the president called a “scam.”
“We need people for this crisis, and we don...
Trump threatened to use constitutional authority to adjourn Congress so that he can make recess appointments. “We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government, and now more so than ever before because of the virus problem,” Trump said.
Although members of Senate are back in their home districts this month, they are not formally in recess, as they still hold pro forma sessions — a practice that the president called a “scam.”
“We need people for this crisis, and we don...
- 4/16/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
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