{ "id": "R43521", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R43521", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 587474, "date": "2016-12-15", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T15:01:05.785743", "title": "U.S. International Broadcasting: Background and Issues for Reform", "summary": "Since the beginning of modern U.S. international broadcasting during World War II, debates over the effectiveness, strategic direction, and necessity of broadcasting activities have persisted. Longstanding arguments over the structure and operation of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) have only added to these debates, prompting recurring efforts to reform the organization and its programs. Many Members of Congress have consistently shown concerted interest in U.S. international broadcasting, conducting oversight over the BBG and its individual broadcasters, and calling for increased resources and programming for certain regions, countries, and language services as well as streamlining of broadcast structures and resources. Interest in this area is expected to continue into the 115th Congress and with the start of a new Administration.\nHeaded by a Board of eight presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed members, and the Secretary of State, the BBG has responsibility for supervising, directing, and overseeing the operations of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), the Voice of America (VOA), and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB, operating the Radio and TV Mart\u00ed services to Cuba), as well as funding and oversight of the grantee broadcasters Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN).\nCurrent Issues Facing the BBG and U.S. International Broadcasting \nAlthough U.S. international broadcasters enjoy an audience in the hundreds of millions and seem to be effective in providing objective news coverage to populations that might otherwise not receive it, many observers perceive the BBG as a flawed structure that is inefficient, duplicative in its activities, and ineffective. A number of issues concerning the BBG and U.S. international broadcasting continue to spark debate in Congress, including\nBBG operations and changes to executive leadership;\nstrategic direction and allocation of resources in U.S. international broadcasting;\nthe effect of shifts in information communication technologies, especially the importance of the Internet and digital media, on U.S. international broadcasters;\nthe need for greater efficiency of U.S. international broadcasting, including possible consolidation of the several U.S. international broadcast entities;\ncontinuing disagreements over the role of U.S. international broadcasting in advancing U.S. foreign policy goals and promoting democracy; and\nmeans to assess and improve U.S. international broadcasting effectiveness.\nReform Efforts in the 114th Congress\nIn December 2016, Congress adopted provisions within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (S. 2943) that would make significant changes to the structure of U.S. international broadcasting, including abolishing the Board of Governors as head of the BBG agency, as well as significantly increasing in law the responsibilities and authorities of the BBG Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to direct international broadcasting activities and restructure U.S. international broadcasting overall. As of December 14, 2016, the bill has been presented to the President for signature. In addition, previously during the 113th and 114th Congresses, the House Foreign Affairs Committee considered two bills, more recently the United States International Communications Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 2323), which also would have significantly changed the structure of U.S. international broadcasting. Major provisions in each of these proposals are compared at the end of this report.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43521", "sha1": "588c6a421dfd0726c54b918b8c52b5ad157d31cd", "filename": "files/20161215_R43521_588c6a421dfd0726c54b918b8c52b5ad157d31cd.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R43521_files&id=/0.png": "files/20161215_R43521_images_0985705a22ed6a85e8fba4f7a65f363f02edfb18.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43521", "sha1": "ff1bd722bf8673d1e8697dbb036bac9e92ca7a18", "filename": "files/20161215_R43521_ff1bd722bf8673d1e8697dbb036bac9e92ca7a18.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4787, "name": "State Department & International Organizations" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 432025, "date": "2014-05-02", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T20:27:19.389676", "title": "U.S. International Broadcasting: Background and Issues for Reform", "summary": "Since the beginning of modern U.S. international broadcasting during World War II, debates over the effectiveness, strategic direction, and necessity of broadcasting activities have persisted. Since the creation of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), arguments over its structure have only added to these debates, producing a number of reform efforts. Many Members of Congress have consistently shown concerted interest in U.S. international broadcasting, conducting oversight over the BBG and its individual broadcasters, and calling for increased resources and programming for certain regions, countries, and language services. On April 28, 2014, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward Royce introduced the United States International Communications Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 4490), which would change the structure of U.S. international broadcasting, suggesting that this issue might receive increased congressional attention during the second session of the 113th Congress.\nWith the enactment of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (USIB Act), all existing U.S. international broadcasting services were consolidated under the BBG within the United States Information Agency (USIA). In 1998, Congress passed legislation establishing the BBG as an independent entity within the executive branch at the same time that it incorporated USIA\u2019s functions into the State Department. The BBG is composed of eight presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed members, with the Secretary of State serving as ninth member ex officio and providing foreign policy information and guidance to the Board. By ensuring broadcasting independence while at the same time institutionalizing guidance from the Secretary of State, the USIB Act aims to produce U.S. international broadcasting that is both credible and supportive of U.S. foreign policy objectives. The BBG has responsibility for supervising, directing, and overseeing the operations of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), the Voice of America (VOA), and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB, operating the Radio and TV Mart\u00ed services to Cuba), as well as funding and oversight of the grantee broadcasters Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN).\nCurrent Issues Facing the BBG and U.S. International Broadcasting \nMany observers perceive the BBG as a flawed structure that is inefficient, duplicative in its activities, and ineffective. A number of issues concerning the BBG and U.S. international broadcasting continue to spark debate, including\nproblems with Board operations and the possible need to create a new position for executive leadership;\nrecommendations for the strategic direction and allocation of resources in U.S. international broadcasting;\nthe effect of shifts in information communication technologies, especially the importance of the Internet and digital media, on U.S. international broadcasters;\nproposals for improving the efficiency of U.S. international broadcasting, including possible consolidation of the several U.S. international broadcast entities;\ncontinuing disagreements over the role of U.S. international broadcasting in advancing U.S. foreign policy goals and promoting democracy; and\nassessment and improvement of U.S. international broadcasting effectiveness.\nH.R. 4490 addresses many of these issues through a significant restructuring of the BBG and U.S. international broadcasting.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43521", "sha1": "4a718ae07c4731f44c70c2dfce4affc0dd1a8e79", "filename": "files/20140502_R43521_4a718ae07c4731f44c70c2dfce4affc0dd1a8e79.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43521", "sha1": "34897053946aca4e2012d5c6ca1efd41e90f9928", "filename": "files/20140502_R43521_34897053946aca4e2012d5c6ca1efd41e90f9928.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "National Defense" ] }