[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1379 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1379

To provide statutory authority and standards for the conduct of United 
States Government international broadcasting activities, to provide the 
    President with flexibility in using international broadcasting 
 resources to meet the foreign policy needs of the United States, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 1993

  Mr. Berman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide statutory authority and standards for the conduct of United 
States Government international broadcasting activities, to provide the 
    President with flexibility in using international broadcasting 
 resources to meet the foreign policy needs of the United States, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``International Broadcasting Act of 
1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.

    The Congress makes the following findings and declarations of 
policy:
            (1) It is the policy of the United States to promote the 
        freedom ``to seek, receive and impart information and ideas 
        through any media and regardless of frontiers'', in accordance 
        with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
            (2) Open communication among the peoples of the world is in 
        the interests of the United States.
            (3) It is in the interests of the United States to support 
        broadcasting to other nations consistent with the requirements 
        of this Act.

SEC. 3. STANDARDS.

    International broadcasting supported by United States Government 
funds shall--
            (1) be consistent with the broad foreign policy objectives 
        of the United States;
            (2) be consistent with the international telecommunications 
        policies and treaty obligations of the United States;
            (3) complement the activities of private United States 
        broadcasters;
            (4) complement the activities of government supported 
        broadcasting entities of other democratic nations;
            (5) be conducted in accordance with the highest 
        professional standards of broadcast journalism;
            (6) be based on reliable information about its potential 
        audience; and
            (7) be designed so as to effectively reach a significant 
        audience.

SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS.

    United States international broadcasting shall include--
            (1) news which is consistently reliable and authoritative, 
        accurate, objective, and comprehensive;
            (2) a balanced and comprehensive projection of American 
        thought and institutions, reflecting the diversity of American 
        culture and society;
            (3) clear and effective presentation of the policies of the 
        United States Government and responsible discussion and opinion 
        on those policies;
            (4) programming to meet needs which remain unserved by the 
        totality of media voices available to the people of certain 
        nations;
            (5) a source of information about developments in each 
        significant region of the world;
            (6) a forum for a variety of opinions and voices from 
        within particular nations and regions prevented by censorship 
        or repression from speaking to their fellow countrymen;
            (7) reliable research capacity to meet the criteria under 
        this section;
            (8) adequate transmitter and relay capacity to support the 
        activities described in this section;
            (9) a source of information about developments in Asia and 
        a forum for a variety of opinions and voices from within Asian 
        nations whose people do not enjoy freedom of expression; and
            (10) training and technical support for independent 
        indigenous media through government agencies or private United 
        States entities.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Authority of President.--The President may assign 
responsibility for any of the functions of United States Government 
supported international broadcasting under this Act to any agency of 
the United States Government. The President may authorize any public or 
private entity to carry out the functions described in paragraphs 5, 6, 
7, 8, and 9 of section 4(b).
    (b) Grants.--The President and any agency of the United States 
Government is authorized to make grants to RFE/RL Incorporated or any 
other public or private entity in order to carry out the functions of 
paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of section 4(b). In exercising oversight 
responsibilities pursuant to any such grant, an agency shall consider 
the necessity of maintaining the professional independence and 
integrity of the grantee in carrying out such functions.

SEC. 6. USIA SATELLITE AND TELEVISION.

    The President is authorized to delegate any of the authorities and 
duties under section 505 of the United States Information and 
Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1464a) to any agency of the 
United States Government.

SEC. 7. REPEAL OF BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING ACT.

    The Board for International Broadcasting Act of 1973 (22 U.S.C. 
2871 et seq.) is repealed.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

            (a) The Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act (22 U.S.C. 1465) is 
        amended by striking out sections 2 and 5.
            (b) The Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act (22 U.S.C. 
        1465aa) is amended by striking out section 242.

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