[United States Government Manual] [June 01, 2006] [Pages 362-365] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS 330 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20237 Phone, 202-203-4545. Internet, www.bbg.gov Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Members Joaquin F. Blaya, Blanquita Walsh Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Edward E. Kaufman, Norman J. Pattiz, Steven J. Simmons (Secretary of State, ex officio) Condoleezza Rice Executive Director Brian T. Conniff Legal Counsel Carol M. Booker Chief Financial Officer Janet Stormes Congressional Coordinator Susan Andross Communications Coordinator Larry Hart Strategic Planning Manager Bruce Sherman Policy and Program Coordinator John Giambalvo Special Projects Officer Oanh Tran Chief Information Officer Ronald Linz, Acting General Counsel Carol M. Booker, Acting Director, International Broadcasting Bureau (vacancy) Chief of Staff Janice Brambilla Director, Office of Civil Rights Delia L. Johnson Associate Director for Management Stephen S. Smith Associate Director for Program Support Gary Thatcher Director, Office of Engineering and Technical George A. Moore Services Director, Voice of America David S. Jackson Chief of Staff Marie Lennon Associate Director for Language Kelu Chao Programming Associate Director for Central (vacancy) Programming Associate Director for Operations Mark L. Prahl Director, Office of Cuba Broadcasting Pedro V. Roig President, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Jeffrey Trimble, Acting President, Radio Free Asia Libby Liu President, Middle East Broadcasting Networks Bert Kleinman [[Page 363]] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Broadcasting Board of Governors' mission is to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding by broadcasting accurate, objective, and balanced news and information about the United States and the world to audiences abroad. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) became an independent agency on October 1, 1999, by authority of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6501 note). The BBG serves as the governing body for all nonmilitary U.S. broadcasting and provides programming in 56 languages via radio, television, and the Internet. The BBG broadcast services include: the Voice of America (VOA), the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). All BBG broadcast services adhere to the broadcasting standards and principles of the International Broadcasting Act of 1994, which include reliable, accurate, and comprehensive news; balanced and comprehensive presentations of U.S. thought, institutions, and policies, as well as discussions about those policies; information about developments throughout the world; and a variety of opinions from nations around the world. Activities Voice of America The Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts on radio, television, and the Internet (www.VOAnews.com) in 44 languages. The VOA Charter requires that broadcasts be accurate, objective, and comprehensive; that they represent all segments of American society and present a balanced and comprehensive view of significant American thought and institutions; and that they clearly present the policies of the United States. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours a week and includes U.S. and international news, features, call-in shows, roundtable decisions, and other programming that is delivered directly or through affiliated stations to audiences around the world. Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) is a nonprofit corporation that is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. MBN operates the Arabic-language Radio Sawa (www.radiosawa.com) and Alhurra television networks (www.alhurra.com). --Alhurra Alhurra, Arabic for ``The Free One,'' is a commercial- free Arabic-language satellite television channel in the Middle East devoted primarily to news and information. In addition to reporting on regional and international events, the channel broadcasts a diverse schedule of news, talk shows, debates, documentaries, and entertaining information programs on a wide variety of subjects from sports to fashion to technology, to millions of viewers every day. --Radio Sawa Radio Sawa is the popular radio network that provides news, information, and a mix of Western and Arabic popular music on its 24-hour, 7-day-a-week FM and medium-wave radio stations throughout the Middle East. The Arabic-language network broadcasts objective, balanced, up-to-the-minute news and news analysis along with interviews, opinion pieces, sports, and features on a wide variety of political and social issues. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/ RL) is a nonprofit, international communications organization broadcasting to Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Southwestern Asia. Listeners rely on RFE/RL's daily news, analysis, and current affairs programming to provide a coherent, objective account of events in their region and the world. RFE/RL broadcasts in 27 languages with more than 1,000 hours of radio programming a week from its operations center in Prague, Czech Republic, and 23 bureaus in its broadcast region. Its corporate headquarters are located in Washington, DC. All RFE/RL broadcasts are also [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T206692.028 [[Page 365]] streamed live and on-demand over the Internet; audio, video, and text in English and the broadcast languages are available from its web site at www.rferl.org. RFE/RL also broadcasts Radio Free Iraq and Radio Free Afghanistan. In a joint effort with the Voice of America, RFE/RL broadcasts a Persian-language radio service called Radio Farda, which means ``Radio Tomorrow.'' Operated from Washington, DC, and Prague, Czech Republic, Radio Farda produces current news and information at least twice an hour, with longer news programming in the morning and the evening. Radio Farda also broadcasts a combination of Persian and Western music. The station operates 24 hours a day on medium wave (AM 1593 and AM 1539), digital audio satellite, and the Internet, as well as 21 hours a day on shortwave. Radio Farda complements the VOA's Persian-language radio and television broadcasts in Iran. Radio Free Asia Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a private, nonprofit news organization providing daily broadcasts in nine languages to listeners in Asia whose governments restrict freedom of information and expression. RFA broadcasts accurate and timely news and information, along with a range of voices and opinions from within Asia, with the aim of demonstrating freedom of expression over the airwaves and online. RFA focuses primarily on news and features of unique and specific relevance to its target countries. Through shortwave transmission and the Internet at www.rfa.org, RFA broadcasts in Mandarin, Cantonese, Uyghur, three dialects of Tibetan, Burmese, Vietnamese, Korean, Lao, and Khmer. All broadcasts originate from RFA's Washington, DC, headquarters. Office of Cuba Broadcasting The Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) oversees the operations of Radio Marti and TV Marti from its headquarters in Miami, Florida. In accordance with the Broadcasting to Cuba Act of 1983, Radio Marti follows Voice of America journalistic standards and guidelines for presenting a variety of news and information in an accurate and objective manner and is guided by the standards and principles of the U.S. International Broadcasting Act. Radio Marti broadcasts 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. TV Marti produces 8 hours of original programming daily, including a 30-minute newscast each day. Primary areas of coverage include the Cuban economy, news relating to the independent human rights and dissident movement, U.S.-Cuban relations, and international stories such as elections around the world. In addition to broadcasting via shortwave, AM, aerostat, and airborne transmissions, OCB broadcasts TV Marti on HispaSat, a direct- to-home satellite television service, and is working to establish a permanent airborne platform for TV and Radio Marti. Radio and TV Marti programming can also be accessed on the Internet at www.martinoticias.com. For further information, contact the Office of Public Affairs, Broadcasting Board of Governors, 330 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20237. Phone, 202-401-7000. Fax, 202-619-1241. Internet, www.bbg.gov. ------------------------------------------------------------------------