RT.com (formerly Russia Today) is a Kremlin-funded media outlet. The organization runs worldwide news, entertainment and talk shows – and in 2008 was listed by the Russian government among the core organizations of strategic importance to Russia. An "autonomous non-profit organization," the outlet has been called a “propaganda” outlet and serves as a voice for Russian strong man, Vladimir Putin.
Putin, who has spoken of the fall of the Soviet Union as “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century” is in a continual race with the United States and the West – for arms, for the economy - and in today’s RT media post, the man whom Forbes named the most influential person in the world has his Russian propaganda arm comparing their spending with America’s propagandists.
Everything is a competition when it comes to Putin.
RT wrote an article this weekend called“RT’s 2016 budget announced, down from 2015, MSM too stumped to spin?” The article detailed that RT has been allocated $307 Million Dollars for 2016, a significant cut from previous years. The article notes that “Western media, usually so eager to discuss RT’s lavish financing, has remained surprisingly quiet about this news, at least for now.”
A 7% budget cut – yet Russian government bloggers can read TruthRevolt and know that we took notice of your complaints.
RT added that "everyone from the former BBC chief Peter Horrocks to TIME magazine to the EU Observer," echoes the narrative that the “Western news media is woefully outgunned and outspent by Russia.”
RT notes that “The US’ Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has requested $751.5 million for 2016 – an increase of $30 million. The BBG, which includes Voice of America and Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, is the foreign broadcasting arm of the US government.” The article details how BBC World, Deutsche Welle, Qatari-funded Al Jazeera, and others all receive more money than RT will.
While Michael Kempner of MWW PR Group and other communications professionals are on the board of The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), it has been called the "U.S. government agency which was labeled 'most dysfunctional' by the State Department’s Inspector General, and year after year is rated in employee surveys as the worst—or near worst—place to work in government.”
While RT’s budget may have been reduced, perhaps it’s because BBG is completely useless – and Putin plays chess while Obama is stuck on checkers.
Who can forget when President Obama was caught by a live microphone in March 2012 telling President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia he would soon have “more flexibility” on Russian issues: “This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.”
Putin has had his way with America, and he knows he can spend less on propaganda with a weakling in office. How is that flexibility working out now, Mr. Obama?
