The US Agency for Global Media has signed a new lease for a new Washington, DC, headquarters, which will also serve as the new home of Voice of America. The transition will begin soon and will take place in phases over the next several years.
The new location – 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – is expected to save taxpayers more than $150 million over the 15-year lease. USAGM says relocating from the historic Wilbur J. Cohen Building, which has been home to Voice of America since 1954, will allow the group to operate more efficiently and reinvest savings into technology and infrastructure.
USAGM oversees five international broadcasting entities, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett said, “Our move to 1875 Penn marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter that will reimagine USAGM for the future. This move will dramatically enhance our technological capacity, and most importantly, improve our ability to reach audiences in regions without a free press.”
Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz stated, “While the Cohen Building is full of great memories, the new headquarters offers Voice of America the opportunity to modernize its operations and better position us to fulfill our mission in a world where authoritarian powers seek to disrupt access to truthful news.”
