United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994

Citation
United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, as amended, Pub. L. No. 103-236, codified at 22 U.S.C. §6201 et seq.

Overview
The Act reorganizes U.S. non-military international broadcasting (hereafter referred to as "U.S. international broadcasting"). It creates the nine-member Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), whose members are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U,S. Senate, and the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), which operates under the BBG to administer Voice of America and Cuba Broadcasting. It also places all U.S. international broadcasting under the authority of the BBG.

The mission of the BBG 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." . Section 305(d) of the Act charges the Secretary of State and the BBG with respecting the professional independence and integrity of the international Broadcasting Bureau, its broadcasting services, and the grantees of the Board.

Section 303 of the Act establishes standards and principles for U.S. international broadcasting. In the list of principles, the Act states that such broadcasting shall include:


 * news that is consistently reliable and authoritative, accurate, objective, and comprehensive;
 * a balanced and comprehensive projection of U.S. thought and institutions, reflecting the diversity of U.S. culture and society;
 * clear and effective presentation of the policies, including editorials, broadcast by the Voice of America, which present the views of the U.S. government and responsible discussion and opinion on those policies;
 * the capability to provide a surge capacity to support U.S. foreign policy objectives during crisis abroad; and
 * programming that meets needs of the people who remain underserved by local media voices.

Source

 * U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues, at 7.