[Senate Report 107-125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 293
107th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                    107-125

======================================================================



 
              AUTHORIZATION OF ``RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN''

                                _______
                                

               December 14, 2001.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

          Mr. Biden, from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1779]

    The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under 
consideration S. 1779, a bill to authorize the establishment of 
``Radio Free Afghanistan,'' and for other purposes, reports 
favorably with an amendment thereon and recommends that the 
bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
  I. Purpose..........................................................1
 II. Background.......................................................1
III. Committee Action.................................................2
 IV. Committee Comments...............................................2
  V. Section-by-Section Analysis......................................3
 VI. Cost Estimate....................................................4
VII. Regulatory Impact Statement......................................5
VIII.Changes in Existing Law..........................................6


                               I. Purpose

    The bill authorizes the establishment of ``Radio Free 
Afghanistan'', an Afghan-language broadcast service within RFE/
RL, Incorporated (commonly known as Radio Free Europe/Radio 
Liberty).

                             II. Background

    From the mid-1980s until the early 1990s, RFE/RL operated 
an Afghan-language service which broadcast to Afghanistan. It 
was terminated in 1993 for budgetary reasons. Currently, the 
Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts a total of six hours per day 
to Afghanistan in two of its major languages, Dari and Pashto 
(three hours in each language). The most recent survey 
indicates that it has a substantial audience inside the 
country.
    The need for additional news and information inside the 
country, both during the ongoing military campaign by the 
United States and during the forthcoming international effort 
to rebuild Afghanistan, is self-evident. There are few 
indigenous media in the country. Afghans have limited access to 
news, and are starved for truthful information about events in 
their own country. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a 
private corporation funded by the U.S. government, has a long 
and successful record of conducting ``surrogate 
broadcasting''--providing news and information primarily about 
the target country, thereby acting as a local news service in 
the absence of a free and indigenous media. The Committee 
believes restoration of the Radio Free Afghanistan service will 
provide an important complement to VOA broadcasts, will assist 
in the restoration of order in Afghanistan in the near term, 
and assist in the international effort to build a stable 
government in the country.
    The bill, introduced on December 6, 2001 by Chairman Biden 
and Senator Helms, authorizes broadcasts in the Dari and Pashto 
languages by RFE/RL. It authorizes the appropriation of $8 
million in operating costs in Fiscal Year 2002 and $9 million 
in capital costs. The funding provides start-up costs, and 
operating costs to support a total of eight hours of daily 
broadcasts. This would involve four hours in each language, 
comprising two hours of original programming and two hours of 
repeat programming. The capital funding authorized in the bill 
contemplates construction of a new shortwave transmitter in 
Kuwait. The Broadcasting Board of Governors has indicated to 
the Committee that the transmitter will be part new, and part 
used. The transmitter itself is in storage in Europe, and will 
be moved to Kuwait; but new antennae will have to be procured.
    The bill differs in minor respects from H.R. 2998, which 
passed the House of Representatives on November 7, 2001. The 
House-passed bill authorizes funds for both Fiscal Year 2002 
and 2003. The Senate bill is limited to the current fiscal 
year; the Committee believes that funding for Fiscal Year 2003 
should be addressed in the normal budget cycle. The House-
passed bill also authorizes a higher level of funding--a total 
of 12 hours per day.

                         III. Committee Action

    The Committee considered S. 1779 at a business meeting held 
on December 12, 2001. During the meeting, Senator Feingold 
offered an amendment related to the standards and oversight of 
Radio Free Afghanistan broadcasting; the amendment was 
accepted. The Committee ordered the bill reported, as amended, 
by voice vote.

                         IV. Committee Comments

    The Committee has confidence in the ability of RFE/RL and 
its leadership to rebuild, in a short time, a credible Radio 
Free Afghanistan. Nonetheless, it has authorized a reduced 
level of broadcasting as compared to the House-passed bill 
because it believes that, in rebuilding the new service, RFE/RL 
should proceed carefully, both to ensure quality control and to 
ensure that the service meets the highest standards of 
professional journalism. It will take time for the new service 
to build an audience; credibility is essential to building such 
an audience. The rapid establishment of the service--from a 
starting stop to 12 hours per day in a matter of months (as 
envisaged by the House-passed bill)--risks errors that could 
threaten the credibility of the new service.
    The Committee urges RFE/RL, in the operation of the new 
Afghan service, to also devote resources to the training of 
indigenous media. The establishment of a local media will be 
essential, over the long-term, to stability in the country. 
Such training is within the mandate of RFE/RL under Section 
303(b)(10) of the U.S. International Broadcasting Act of 1994. 
The United States and the international community have made a 
commitment that it will not walk away from Afghanistan, as it 
did in 1989 after the Soviet withdrawal. Training of local 
media is just a small part of that commitment.
    During the Committee business meeting, Senator Dodd urged 
that RFE/RL undertake to rebroadcast the stories of the victims 
of the September 11 attacks--set forth daily in major U.S. 
newspapers in recent weeks--as a means of telling the personal 
stories of that fateful day. The President of RFE/RL (Tom 
Dine), who was present at the meeting, committed to pursue the 
idea. The Committee urges all the U.S. international 
broadcasting services to do the same.

                    V. Section-by-section analysis.


Section 1. Short title

    The title of the bill is the ``Radio Free Afghanistan 
Act.''

Section 2. Establishment of Radio Free Afghanistan

    Subsection (a) requires that, within 15 days of enactment, 
RFE/RL, Inc., submit a detailed plan to the Broadcasting Board 
of Governors for the provision of surrogate broadcasting 
services in the Dari and Pashto languages to Afghanistan.
    Subsection (b) provides the Broadcasting Board of Governors 
the authority to make grants to RFE/RL, Incorporated once the 
report required under subsection (a) is submitted. This 
subsection also supersedes a statutory limit on grants to RFE/
RL, Inc. This authority to exceed the limit applies during 
Fiscal Year 2002 for support of Radio Free Afghanistan.
    Subsection (c) makes clear that the authorities applicable 
to carry out U.S. government international broadcasting 
activities may be used to carry out Radio Free Afghanistan 
broadcasts.
    Subsection (d) requires the new service to adhere to the 
same standards of professionalism and accountability, and shall 
be subject to the same oversight mechanisms, as other services 
of RFE/RL, Inc.

Section 3. Authorization of Appropriations

    This section authorizes $8,000,000 in operating costs and 
$9,000,000 in capital costs in Fiscal Year 2002. The funds 
appropriated under this section may remain available until 
expended.

Section 4. Repeal of ban on U.S. transmitter in Kuwait

    This section repeals a permanent ban on construction of a 
U.S. shortwave radio transmitter in Kuwait. The ban was enacted 
in 1994, at a time of serious budget stringency and in the 
aftermath of the cancellation of a major transmitter project in 
Israel. The repeal of the ban is necessary to ensure the 
construction of a new transmission facility in Kuwait for use 
for Radio Free Afghanistan. This new facility is necessary 
because current transmission capabilities in the region are 
nearing their capacity. The Committee expects that the new 
transmitter will be used not only for Radio Free Afghanistan, 
but also for other U.S. international broadcasting. Finally, 
the Committee notes that in the past, RFE/RL has not been 
permitted to use U.S.-owned transmitters in Kuwait for 
broadcast of Radio Free Iraq or RFE/RL's Persian Service. Such 
restrictions are unacceptable, and the Committee expects both 
services to broadcast without hindrance or restriction from 
Kuwait by the end of the year.

                           VI. Cost Estimate

    In accordance with rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the 
following estimate of the cost of this legislation prepared by 
the Congressional Budget Office:
                                     U.S. Congress,
                                Congressional Budget Office
                                 Washington, DC, December 13, 2001.

Hon. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Chairman,
Committee on Foreign Relations,
United States Senate,
Washington, DC.

    Dear Mr. Chairman:

    The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed 
cost estimate for S. 1779, the Radio Free Afghanistan Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Joseph C. 
Whitehill, who can be reached at 226-2840.
            Sincerely,
                                  Dan L. Crippen, Director.


Enclosure:

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate


Summary

    S. 1779 would authorize the Broadcasting Board of Governors 
to make a grant for radio broadcasting to the people of 
Afghanistan in their local languages. The bill would authorize 
the appropriation of $17 million in 2002 to fund the 
broadcasting. Assuming the appropriation of the authorized 
amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost 
$15 million over the 2002-2006 period. Because S. 1779 would 
not affect direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply.
    S. 1779 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.

Estimated Cost to the Federal Government

    The estimated budgetary impact of S. 1779 is shown in the 
following table. The costs of this legislation fall within 
budget function 150 (international affairs). The estimate 
assumes the enactment of this bill and appropriation of the 
authorized amounts before the end of calendar year 2001. We 
assume that Radio Free Afghanistan will experience some delays 
in starting operations, and as a result, would not be able to 
use all of the 2002 funding.

                          TABLE 1.--BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THE RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN ACT
                                    (By fiscal year, in millions of dollars)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              2002       2003       2004       2005       2006
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Spending for Broadcasting Board of Governors:
  Authorization Level....................................         17          0          0          0          0
  Estimated Outlays......................................          6          6          3          0          0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pay-As-You-Go Considerations

    None.

Intergovernmental and Private-Sector Impact

    S. 1779 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in UMRA and would not affect the budgets of 
state, local, or tribal governments.

Previous CBO Estimate

    On November 7, 2001, CBO transmitted an estimate for H.R. 
2998, the Radio Free Afghanistan Act of 2001, as ordered 
reported by the House Committee on International Relations on 
November 1, 2001. The differences between the two estimates 
reflect the different amounts authorized by the two bills.

Estimate Prepared By

    Federal Costs: Joseph C. Whitehill. Impact on State, Local, 
and Tribal Governments: Elyse Goldman. Impact on the Private 
Sector: Lauren Marks.

Estimate Approved By

    Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget 
Analysis.

                  VII. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact

    In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has concluded that 
there is no regulatory impact from this legislation.

                     VIII. Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, 
as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in 
italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 
roman):

    Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



        Title III--United States International Broadcasting Act

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



     part b--usia and related agencies authorities and activities

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


[SEC. 226. UNITED STATES TRANSMITTER IN KUWAIT.

    [None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this or 
any other Act may be obligated or expended for the design, 
development, or construction of a United States short-wave 
radio transmitter in Kuwait.]

                                  
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