Broadcasting Board of Governors

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is the body that oversees several U.S. funded international broadcast channels, including Voice of America, Radio Sawa and Al Hurra. The board is comprised of four Democrat appointees, four Republicans appointees and the Secretary of State.[1]

Origins

"On October 1, 1999, the Broadcasting Board Governors (BBG) became the independent, autonomous entity responsible for all U.S. government and government sponsored, non-military, international broadcasting," writes the BBG website. "This was the result of the 1998 Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act (Public Law 105-277), the single most important legislation affecting U.S. international broadcasting since the early 1950s."

"Every week, more than 100 million listeners, viewers, and internet users around the world turn-on, tune-in, and log-on to U.S. international broadcasting programs. While the 'Broadcasting Board of Governors' is the legal name given to the Federal entity encompassing all U.S international broadcasting services, the day-to-day broadcasting activities are carried out by the individual BBG international broadcasters." [2]

BBG Broadcasters

• Voice of America (VOA)
• Alhurra
• Radio Sawa
• Radio Farda
• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
• Radio Free Asia (RFA)
• Radio Marti
• International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB)

BBG Board Members

• Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman
• Joaquin F. Blaya
• Blanquita Walsh Cullum
• D. Jeffrey Hirschberg
• Edward E. Kaufman
• Norman J. Pattiz
• Steven J. Simmons
• Condoleezza Rice

Contact

Website: www.bbg.gov

External links

• Neil King, Jr., "Sparking Debate, Radio Czar Retools Government Media," Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2005.
• Johanna Neuman, "Static Rises on Capitol Hill Over Broadcast Board Member," Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2005.