Broadcasting Board of Governors
Seal of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
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Logo of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | October 1, 1999 |
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| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Employees | 3,592 people at the BBG and all its entities |
| Annual budget | $713 million (2013) including the International Broadcasting Bureau and the Broadcasting Board of Governors |
| Website | www |
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is an independent agency of the United States government. According to its website, its mission is to "inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy." The BBG supervises Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio y Television Marti, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcast Networks.
The BBG was formed in 1994 with the passing of the International Broadcasting Act. The act established a bipartisan board that consisted of nine voting members, eight of whom were to be appointed by the President for a three year term. The ninth was the Secretary of State who would serve as an ex officio board member for the duration of his or her term as secretary. At this point, BBG was considered a part of the U.S. Information Agency.
The first voting members of the BBG, confirmed on August 11, 1995, were David W. Burke, Ted Kaufman, Tom C. Korologos, Bette Bao Lord, Alberto J. Mora, Cheryl Halpern, Marc Nathanson, and Carl Spielvogel.
On October 1, 1999, the BBG became an independent agency through the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act. Despite this change, the act maintained that the BBG would remain under the supervision of the Inspector General of the State Department and the Foreign Service.
Since the formation of BBG, U.S. international broadcasting has expanded greatly, particularly in the post 9/11 foreign policy focus on the Middle East. In 2002, BBG launched Radio Sawa, a 24/7 Arabic language radio network that broadcasts news and a mix of Western and Arabic music in the Middle East. According to the BBG website, Radio Sawa is "one of the most popular radio stations" where it’s available on FM radio. In 2004, Alhurra TV was created as a televised sister network to Radio Sawa and began broadcasting throughout the Middle East. Since its founding, it has grown to establish programs like Al Youm (“Today” in English), a daily three hour news program broadcast from five countries on three different continents, and Musawat (Equality in English), a program that focuses on women’s issues and rights in the Arab world.
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