[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S14296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DORRANCE SMITH

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, earlier this week, the Committee on Armed 
Services favorably reported the nomination of Mr. Dorrance Smith to the 
full Senate. Mr. Smith is an experienced and highly accomplished 
television executive, who has been nominated to be the Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. I have a copy of Mr. Smith's 
biography, and I would note that he is a four-time Emmy award winning 
television producer who spent 9 months in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 where 
he served as Senior Media Advisor to Ambassador Paul Bremer. I have met 
with Mr. Smith on several occasions. I believe him to be highly 
qualified, and I fully support his nomination.
  At a full Armed Services Committee hearing on October 25, 2005, and 
later, at an executive session of the Armed Services Committee on 
December 13, at which Mr. Smith was present, he fully and respectfully 
answered all questions posed to him. Many questions focused on an op ed 
article he wrote as a private citizen that appeared in the Wall Street 
Journal on April 25, 2005. In this article, based on his ``in the 
trenches'' experience as Ambassador Bremer's senior media advisor in 
Baghdad, Mr. Smith questioned the practice relied on by major media 
outlets in the United States of airing video of insurgent attacks 
supplied by the Arab satellite news channel Al Jazeera. I am satisfied 
with Mr. Smith's responses. I would note that no major media outlet, 
except Al Jazeera, expressed any concern about Mr. Smith's op ed.
  The post of Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs has been vacant 
since June 2003. Mr. Smith is an outstanding nominee. I urge favorable, 
rapid action by the full Senate on his nomination.
  I ask unanimous consent that the above-referenced biography be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                             Dorrance Smith

       Dorrance Smith is a four-time Emmy award winning television 
     producer, political consultant, and media strategist who has 
     worked over 30 years in television and politics.
       Mr. Smith spent nine months in Iraq in 2003-2004 where he 
     served as Senior Media Adviser to Ambassador Paul Bremer. He 
     was responsible for developing a state of the art 
     communications facility in Baghdad for the Coalition 
     Provisional Authority and a public diplomacy strategy for the 
     United States government. In addition, Mr. Smith was asked to 
     overhaul the fledgling Iraqi Media Network. By April, 2004 
     this effort was deemed so successful that the terrestrial 
     channel--Al Iraqiya--was launched on satellite. For his 
     efforts he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for 
     Exceptional Public Service.
       More recently he has been a consultant to the Joint 
     Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the 2004 
     Republican National Convention.
       A four time Emmy Award winning ABC News and Sports 
     producer, he has held a number of positions at the network, 
     including serving as the first executive producer of ``This 
     Week with David Brinkley.''
       From 1989 until 1991, Smith was the executive producer of 
     ABC News ``Nightline.'' During his tenure he was responsible 
     for the weeklong ``Nightline'' series originating from South 
     Africa, which covered the release of Nelson Mandela. The 
     broadcasts won an Emmy award. In addition he served as 
     executive producer of the prime time special ``Tragedy at 
     Tiananmen--The Untold Story,'' which was honored with the 
     duPont Columbia University Award, the Overseas Press Club 
     Award and an Emmy. ``Nightline'' also won an Emmy in 1991 for 
     outstanding news coverage of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
       Prior to his work on ``Nightline,'' Smith was the executive 
     producer of the number one rated Sunday public affairs 
     program, ``This Week with David Brinkley,'' a post he held 
     from the program's inception in 1981 until 1989. During his 
     tenure the broadcast received the first Joan Barone Award, 
     the George Foster Peabody Award, and was named the Best 
     National TV Interview Discussion Program by the readers of 
     the Washington Journalism Review.
       In 1991 Smith left ABC News to become Assistant to the 
     President for Media Affairs at the White House. In this 
     capacity Smith handled all television and radio events 
     involving President Bush, members of the White House staff 
     and Cabinet. In addition his office handled all regional 
     media; coordinated media strategy for administration 
     officials seeking confirmation; and organized the debate 
     preparation during the 1992 political campaign.
       In 2001, Smith was designated by FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh 
     to handle all media following the events of September 11th. 
     In this capacity Smith was responsible for FEMA's media 
     strategy for print, radio and television. Smith organized and 
     distributed the now famous FEMA video feeds from Ground Zero. 
     He reorganized the Public Affairs Office to meet the post 
     September 11th media demands.
       At ABC News, Smith became executive producer of all weekend 
     news programming in 1980. He was responsible for the 
     production and programming of ``World News Saturday,'' 
     ``World News Sunday,'' ``The Weekend Report,'' and ``The 
     Health Show.''
       Prior to his weekend assignment. Smith was Washington 
     producer of ABC News' ``The Iran Crises: America Held 
     Hostage.'' He also served as ABC News Senior Producer at the 
     1980 Winter Olympics, the 1984 Winter and Summer Games, and 
     the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
       From 1978-1979, Smith served as ABC News' White House 
     producer. Smith joined ABC News as a Washington producer in 
     1977. Previously he was staff assistant to President Gerald 
     Ford.
       He began his broadcasting career at ABC Sports in 1973 as 
     an assistant to the producer. In 1974 he was made Manager of 
     Program Planning for ABC's Wide World of Sports.
       Smith is a member of the Advisory Council for the George 
     Bush Library in College Station, Texas.
       He graduated from Claremont Men's College in 1973 with a 
     Bachelor of Arts degree. He lives in McLean, Virginia.

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