WASHINGTON, DC – The Order of AHEPA is strongly protesting the decision to eliminate the Voice of America’s Greek Service. The service officially closed on August 11, 2014.

“AHEPA is profoundly disappointed with the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ misguided and ill-informed decision to include as part of its FY2014 budgetary cuts the Voice of America’s Greek Service that has led to the Greek Service’s unfortunate closure,” Supreme President Phillip T. Frangos said.

He continued, “The VOA Greek Service has provided award-winning journalism, bringing unbiased news and information to the people of Greece since 1942. The closure of the Greek Service is a tremendous loss because the Service reinforced ties between the United States and one of the few true democracies in that part of the world in NATO ally Greece, making the Greek Service essential to America’s security interests. The Service also will be sorely missed by the American Hellenic community because of the invaluable professional service that signified to Greek Americans that the good works and deeds of the American Hellenic community which were aimed to strengthen U.S.-Greece relations would be reported and placed in several media outlets abroad. The contributions of the Greek Service in all these areas are the reasons why AHEPA and champions of the Greek American community on Capitol Hill have fought annually to keep the Greek Service from elimination over several past fiscal years.

“Over the decades, it has been a pleasure to work with award-winning Greek Service Chief George Bistis, and more recently, Greek Service Chief Anna Morris; and their colleagues at the Greek Service. We are deeply grateful to them, and we wish them the very best in their future endeavors.”

In November 2001, for the second time in two years, Voice of America’s Greek Service, along with VOA’s Turkish Service, received the Ipekci Peace and Friendship Prize for Communication for their multifaceted and sincere cooperation in support of the Greek-Turkish rapprochement on an international level.