I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4189 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 8, 2012 Mr. Ryan of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To require the Secretary of Defense to provide an annual certification that all programming on the American Forces Radio and Television Service represents the best-faith efforts by the Department of Defense to provide programming for members of the Armed Forces and their families that communicates the policies, priorities, programs, goals, and initiatives of the Department while avoiding airing programming that exhibits values contrary to the values of the Armed Forces and the United States.

1.

Annual certification of American Forces Radio and Television Service programming

(a)

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)The American Forces Radio and Television Service, also known as the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, is part of the Department of Defense and is headquartered at Fort George Meade, Maryland. (2)The mission of the American Forces Radio and Television Service mission is to communicate Department of Defense policies, priorities, programs, goals, and initiatives through multi-channel broadcast quality radio and television services and expanded internal information products. (3)The American Forces Radio and Television Service includes the Radio and Television Production Office, the Pentagon Channel, and the AFN Broadcast Center. (4)The American Forces Radio and Television Service provides radio and television programming, a touch of home, to members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees of the Department of Defense, and their families serving outside the continental United States. (b)

Sense of congress

It is the sense of Congress that programs broadcast by the American Forces Radio and Television Service should seek to reflect the values, including equality, freedom, and service, to which members of the Armed Forces and their fellow Americans aspire, and the American Forces Radio and Television Service should avoid airing programming that has a history of being contrary to these values. (c)

Annual certification

The Secretary of Defense shall provide an annual certification to Congress that all programming broadcast by the American Forces Radio and Television Service represents the best-faith efforts by the Department of Defense to provide programming that communicates the policies, priorities, programs, goals, and initiatives of the Department while avoiding airing programming that exhibits values contrary to the values of the Armed Forces and the United States.