[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2856 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2856

  To provide for the establishment of a new international television 
 service under the Broadcasting Board of Governors to replace Worldnet 
 and VOA-TV to ensure that international television broadcasts of the 
 United States Government effectively represent the United States and 
                             its policies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 12, 2000

   Mr. Helms introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the establishment of a new international television 
 service under the Broadcasting Board of Governors to replace Worldnet 
 and VOA-TV to ensure that international television broadcasts of the 
 United States Government effectively represent the United States and 
                             its policies.

    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 Television 
Broadcasting Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Voice of America (VoA) is now implementing the 
        NewsNow format, which broadcasts news repetitively in a 
        continuous cycle.
            (2) The NewsNow format forces most VoA coverage of American 
        thought and institutions, as required by the VoA Charter, to be 
        accommodated within that structured news cycle.
            (3) The NewsNow format is insufficient to present fully the 
        policies of the United States as clearly and effectively as the 
        VoA Charter mandate anticipates.
            (4) The implementation of the VoA Charter's mandate to 
        present United States policies has traditionally and 
        appropriately been fulfilled by airing editorials.
            (5) Editorials offer the prudential and principled 
        rationales for United States policy to radio listeners and 
        television viewers and should not be marginalized in any VoA 
        programming format.
            (6) The television program ``On the Line'' produced by the 
        VoA is an example of a suitable vehicle for fulfilling the VoA 
        Charter's mandate to present United States policies.
            (7) Television is an increasing important form of United 
        States Government-sponsored broadcasting worldwide.
            (8) The Broadcasting Board of Governors plans to complete 
        soon a merger of the Worldnet television broadcasting into VoA.
            (9) Explicit treatment of American thought, institutions, 
        and policies needs to be sustained in United States Government-
        sponsored television broadcasting.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to--
            (1) require the establishment of a new international 
        television service under the Broadcasting Board of Governors to 
        replace Worldnet and VOA-TV; and
            (2) ensure that international television broadcasts of the 
        United States effectively and accurately represent the United 
        States and its policies.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Broadcasting Board 
        of Governors.
            (2) Bureau.--The term ``Bureau'' means the International 
        Broadcasting Bureau under the Board.
            (3) Director.--Except as otherwise provided, the term 
        ``Director'' means the Director of the Bureau.
            (4) Television service.--The term ``Television Service'' 
        means the International Television Service established under 
        section 5.
            (5) VOA-TV.--The term ``VOA-TV'' means the television 
        operations of the Voice of America within the Bureau.
            (6) Worldnet.--The term ``Worldnet'' means the WORLDNET 
        Television and Film Service within the Bureau.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SERVICE.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the effective date of this Act, there 
        is established within the Bureau the International Television 
        Service.
            (2) Director of international television.--The Television 
        Service shall be headed by a Director of International 
        Television, who shall be appointed by the Director and who 
        shall report directly to the Director.
    (b) Implementation Plan.--Sixty days after the effective date of 
this Act, the Board shall submit a report to Congress setting forth the 
Board's plans for the Television Service, including--
            (1) a programming plan, or strategy, or both;
            (2) a staffing plan to implement the Television Service;
            (3) a budget; and
            (4) a reporting relationship to the Board through the 
        Bureau.
    (c) Termination of Programs.--Upon the effective date of this Act, 
Worldnet and VOA-TV shall terminate.
    (d) Prohibition.--Upon the effective date of this Act, no funds 
available to the Board may be obligated or expended for Worldnet or 
VOA-TV.

SEC. 6. BROADCASTING PRINCIPLES; PROGRAMMING.

    (a) Broadcasting Principles.--
            (1) In general.--The Television Service shall conduct all 
        programming activities in accordance with the broadcasting 
        principles expressed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 
        302(b) of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 
        1994 (22 U.S.C. 6202(b)).
            (2) Allocation of resources.--The Director of International 
        Television shall give equal weight to the implementation of 
        each of those paragraphs in allocating budget, personnel, and 
        other resources, in determining program schedules, and in 
        undertaking affiliate and other placement efforts.
    (b) Programming.--
            (1) In general.--In addition to other programs carried by 
        the Television Service, the regular programming of the 
        Television Service shall consist of--
                    (A) those programs which were produced by the 
                Office of Policy of the Bureau before the date of 
                enactment of this Act and which are being carried as of 
                that date; and
                    (B) such additional programs relating to United 
                States policies as the Director of Policy of the 
                Bureau, in consultation with the Director of 
                International Television and the Director may develop.
            (2) Frequency of programming.--The Director, in 
        consultation with the Director of Policy of the Bureau, shall 
        determine the frequency with which the programs described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be carried by the Television Service.
            (3) Statutory construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
        prohibits the Director from--
                    (A) requiring that the programs described in 
                paragraph (1) shall also be carried by VOA Radio and 
                Internet; or
                    (B) determining the frequency of such programming.

SEC. 7. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.

    (a) Transfers From VOA-TV and Worldnet.--Upon the effective date of 
this Act, the personnel employed in connection with, and the assets, 
liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of 
appropriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds employed, 
used, held, arising from, available to, or to be made available in 
connection with Worldnet and VOA-TV shall be transferred to the 
Television Service.
    (b) Savings Provision.--Until the effective date of this Act, 
Worldnet shall continue to be funded at the same level as Worldnet was 
funded during fiscal year 2001.
    (c) References.--Any reference in any Federal law, Executive order, 
rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or any document of or 
relating to Worldnet or VOA-TV before the effective date of this Act 
shall, on and after such date, be deemed to refer to the Television 
Service.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The effective date of this Act is January 1, 2001.
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