Good defense of RFE/RL, VOA, etc again the false equivalency or RT (RussiaToday), Sputnik, etc by @washingtonpost EXCEPT... /1 washingtonpost.com/opinions/globa…
Because of Obama Admin, current BBG CEO, and one board member, "which have been insulated” is now "was insulated" as there is no more board and the CEO is a political appointment (POTUS's nominee is still pending). /2 
For years, including in a May 2015 article, I argued that requiring RT to register as a Foreign Agent would be counterproductive: no upside, all down. Obama Admin declined to req registration when RT launched in in US 2010. /3 warontherocks.com/2015/05/rt-as-…
In summary, RFE/RL, VOA etc benefited not just operationally but also by the optics of political insulation provided by the board. /4
The board's structure was defective, for sure, a fact compounded by successive admins not doing their job to put the right ppl on the board or refresh the board, but my/others efforts to restructure were, in hindsight, rebuffed in favor of shortsighted elimination. /5/
*AGAINST not again
