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Soros Foundations: The Energetic Shadow There are seventeen Soros Foundations in the Newly Independent and Baltic States, each one part of the long and energetic shadow of the billionaire businessman and philanthropist, George Soros. Like their Soros Foundation brethren in Central and Eastern Europe, those in the former Soviet Union also manifest a strong interest in creating and supporting independent, not State operated, media institutions in radio, television and print press (see Box for names and other information). Soros himself has long considered media concerns an important aspect in his goal of building democratic institutions. In the past decade he has funneled roughly $200 million into his Foundations throughout Eastern Europe and the FSU to help realize the general goal with some small portion directed to the media. The Foundations do not simply disburse that money; it is a process in which the Foundations hire employees directly to develop projects under close Foundation supervision. While the projects are often a reflection of local interests or needs as perceived by local boards and staff, any grants above $25,000 require approval from the Soros Foundation New York. Jody Sprio, executive director in New York coordinates the approval of the NIS funds and Patricia Klecandra, media consultant, and Lisa Goldenberg, program assistant, coordinate proposals specific to media interests. The Foundations have long considered radio a low-cost, high leveraged and high access means of effectuating change, especially in less developed distant areas. The Foundations provide equipment endowments for independent radio stations throughout the region as a low-cost means to encourage alternative sources of news and programming. Sasa Vucinic, the legendary former editor of Radio B 92, Belgrade, and Elisabeth Socolow of Soros’ International Cultural Initiative Foundation in Moscow co-developed and help supervise radio efforts in NIS. In December 1993, their efforts led to a $89,990 equipment and office set-up grant to create an independent, non-profit news agency in conjunction with Eckho Moscow to provide free news and wire services to independent radio stations. In television, the Soros Foundations work closely with Internews (see article on subsequent page). The Foundations often provide equipment, including satellite dishes, to create an infrastructure, called media centers, for an interconnected group of independent stations. Last fall, the Foundations also provided funds to help set up electoral debates on independent television. In development is a project launched by an $800,000 Soros grant in coordination with Children’s Television Workshop to create a new Russian Sesame Street program as part of preschool educational reform. In connection with the election, the Soros Foundations also financed a joint conference and seminar on journalism which brought together experts from Western and Eastern Europe as well as the United States and Russia. The Foundations also funded the Transatlantic Dialogue to provide consultation to the Information Arbitration Court established during the fall election. |
Last Updated: 11/20/99 |
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© 1999 Post-Soviet Media Law &
Policy Newsletter |
