In our zeal to reduce the size and reach of government, we need to remember that some programs have worthy purposes.  International broadcasting is an example.  We pride ourselves on winning the cold war without firing a shot.  U.S. broadcasts spreading truth to the communist world was part of the winning strategy.  Now, U.S. international broadcasting plays a critical role in the war on terror.

One of the heroes of our broadcasting efforts — George Moore, deputy director of the International Broadcasting Bureau and a civil servant — just passed away.  Kenneth Tomlinson, my former boss and former chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which runs America’s international broadcasters such as Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti to Cuba, remembers George this way:

George Moore died yesterday.  He collapsed while working in his yard.

George had a remarkable ability to make things happen.  Surely one of the
finest managers we will ever know.  But more than that, he was a wonderful man.

I remember once when everyone in government woke up one day and realized we had done not enough to get the Marti signal into Cuba, and somewhere (surely not at the State Department) people decided the problem had to be the BBG.  The story is more complex than I am telling it, but I more or less convinced key people to put George in charge, really in charge, and that also meant inside the BBG front office.  Within months even people at State were saying BBG was leading the way.

Same could be said about Afghanistan and Iran and any of a number of places he touched.

I am convinced that he did not retire because he realized his strengths and recognized that only he could accomplish what needed to be done there.  His willingness and ability to close the antiquated shortwave stations to find resources for television and Internet literally paved the way for the most important international broadcasting developments of our time.  (If only he had been in charge of programming to the Arab world!)

In recent months, we nominated George for the highest award that can be given a government manger.  We will want to be sure he receives this recognition posthumously.

We were blessed to have known him.  International broadcasting will miss him
more than we can even contemplate.