Voice of America Washington, DC 20547 Tel: (202) 619-2538 Fax: (202) 619-1241 E-mail: pubaff@ibb.gov

VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

Washington, D.C., November 30, 1999 - VOA's Special English Division celebrates 40 years of broadcasting tomorrow, December 1, with a reception and remarks by Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Marc Nathanson and VOA Director Sandy Ungar. Former VOA Director Henry Loomis and former Program Manager Barry Zorthian will also speak.

The reception begins at 2:00 p.m. and remarks at 2:30 p.m. Media wishing to attend the ceremony should contact the Office of External Affairs at (202) 619-2538. Please enter through the C Street entrance of the building.

Special English provides clear and simple news and information to listeners whose own language is not English. Using a 1,500 word vocabulary and a slow delivery, about 90 words a minute, Special English has helped tens of millions of listeners learn English since its first broadcast on October 19, 1959.

The Voice of America broadcasts news and information in 53 languages to an estimated audience of 91 million people each week. VOA began broadcasting in 1942 and is part of the International Broadcasting Bureau, which became an autonomous U.S. Government civilian broadcast service on October 1, 1999, under the authority of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Contact: Joe O'Connell
Phone: 202-619-2538
E-mail: pubaff@voa.gov