The Greek Service is one of 53 Languges Services broadcasting from the Washington, DC headquarters of the Voice of America. Currently there are seven full time staff members and one European Correspondent. To contact the Greek staff click here or e-mail or write directly to any of the individuals listed below.
VOA Greek Service
330 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20237
Tel: 1-202-619-0366
Fax: 1-202-260-6450
George Bistis, Greek Service Chief since 1983, has been a correspondent and an analyst of political developments involving Greece, Turkey and Cyprus for more than twenty years. He has covered many historic events including the restoration of Democracy in Greece in 1974, the accession of Greece to the European Union, official visits of Greek and Cypriot leaders to the U.S. Congress, the White House, the State Department and the U.N., the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and all subsequent U.S. and U.N. initiatives in support of a peaceful settlement for the Cyprus problem. Mr. Bistis studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and his directing credits include numerous Radio & TV productions as well as stage shows.
Dimitris Comis, Greek Service Senior Editor, joined VOA in 1990 following studies at the University of Athens, Greece and post-graduate work at Howard University of Washington, DC. His extensive legal and journalistic background in Greece and the United States significantly contributes to the high quality standards of the daily and weekend Voice of America programs in Greek. Dimitris co-hosts our late evening news report and the weekly science program "Chronicle of Progress."
Vivian Mercer, Producer, returned to the Greek Service after serving eighteen years as producer of radio programs in various other Voice of America Language Services including English to Africa, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, Dari, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, Turkish and Slovene. Vivian's special production on the subject of Children with Aids won a VOA Excellence in Programming Award.
Nana Kapetanakos, Broadcaster, joined the Greek Service in 1979 after receiving her B.A. Degree in Archaeology from the University of Athens and her Masters Degree in History of Art from George Washington University in the Nation's capital. For many years she has hosted VOA Greek Service weekly science programs and conducted a great number of interviews with personalities from Greece and Cyprus visiting the United States. Nana currently co-hosts the daily "America Today" show and the weeked programs "West of the Atlantic," and "It happened in America."
Anna Karagiannopoulou, Broadcaster, studied music in Athens and later musicology and communications at West Chester University in Pennsylvannia. Upon graduation she worked for a number of Greek-American, and commercial radio stations in Philadelphia as a producer and on-air personality. She joined VOA in 1992, and is currently taking classes in television production and on-camera work. She is the co-host of our early evening news report and the weekly cultural show "West of the Atlantic."
George Vrachnis, Broadcaster, received his B.S. in Political Science and Communications from the National University of Athens in 1988 and his M.A. in Mass Media & Communication from the the New School for Social Research in New York in 1991. He has worked for various Greek American radio stations and newspapers as freelance reporter and video producer. He joined VOA in Washington in 1992 after serving for nine months as correspondent for the Greek Service in New York. He co-hosts the daily "Early Evening News," and the weekly economic news roundup.
Penelope Poulou, Broadcaster, came to the Greek Service in 1993 from Akron Ohio, where she was a faculty member of the history department at the University of Akron. Prior to that she completed her coursework and exams for a Ph.D in social studies at Kent State University after receiving her M.A. in Balkan studies at the University of London in England. Penelope co-hosts the "Late Evening News" and the weekly cultural show "West of the Atlantic".