I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4189 

To require the Secretary of Defense to provide an annual certification that 

all programming on the American Forces Radio and Television Service 

represents the best-faith efforts by the Department of Defense to provide 

programming for members of the Armed Forces and their families that 

communicates the policies, priorities, programs, goals, and initiatives 

of the Department while avoiding airing programming that exhibits values contrary to the values of the Armed Forces and the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2012 

Mr. RYAN of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense to provide an annual 

certification that all programming on the American 

Forces Radio and Television Service represents the bestfaith efforts by the Department of Defense to provide 

programming for members of the Armed Forces and 

their families that communicates the policies, priorities, 

programs, goals, and initiatives of the Department while 

avoiding airing programming that exhibits values contrary to the values of the Armed Forces and the United 

States. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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•HR 4189 IH

1 SECTION 1. ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF AMERICAN 

2 FORCES RADIO AND TELEVISION SERVICE 

3 PROGRAMMING. 

4 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find5 ings: 

6 (1) The American Forces Radio and Television 

7 Service, also known as the Armed Forces Radio and 

8 Television Service, is part of the Department of De9 fense and is headquartered at Fort George Meade, 

10 Maryland. 

11 (2) The mission of the American Forces Radio 

12 and Television Service mission is to communicate 

13 Department of Defense policies, priorities, programs, 

14 goals, and initiatives through multi-channel broad15 cast quality radio and television services and ex16 panded internal information products. 

17 (3) The American Forces Radio and Television 

18 Service includes the Radio and Television Production 

19 Office, the Pentagon Channel, and the AFN Broad20 cast Center. 

21 (4) The American Forces Radio and Television 

22 Service provides radio and television programming, 

23 ‘‘a touch of home’’, to members of the Armed 

24 Forces, civilian employees of the Department of De25 fense, and their families serving outside the conti26 nental United States. 


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•HR 4189 IH

1 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con2 gress that programs broadcast by the American Forces 

3 Radio and Television Service should seek to reflect the val4 ues, including equality, freedom, and service, to which 

5 members of the Armed Forces and their fellow Americans 

6 aspire, and the American Forces Radio and Television 

7 Service should avoid airing programming that has a his8 tory of being contrary to these values. 

9 (c) ANNUAL CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary of De10 fense shall provide an annual certification to Congress 

11 that all programming broadcast by the American Forces 

12 Radio and Television Service represents the best-faith ef13 forts by the Department of Defense to provide program14 ming that communicates the policies, priorities, programs, 

15 goals, and initiatives of the Department while avoiding air16 ing programming that exhibits values contrary to the val17 ues of the Armed Forces and the United States. 

Æ 


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