II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2856

To provide for the establishment of a new international television service

under the Broadcasting Board of Governors to replace Worldnet and

VOA–TV to ensure that international television broadcasts of the United

States Government effectively represent the United States and its policies.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 12, 2000

Mr. HELMS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To provide for the establishment of a new international television service under the Broadcasting Board of Governors to replace Worldnet and VOA–TV to ensure that

international television broadcasts of the United States

Government effectively represent the United States and

its policies.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Tele5 vision Broadcasting Act of 2000’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 Congress makes the following findings:

3 (1) The Voice of America (VoA) is now imple4 menting the NewsNow format, which broadcasts

5 news repetitively in a continuous cycle.

6 (2) The NewsNow format forces most VoA cov7 erage of American thought and institutions, as re8 quired by the VoA Charter, to be accommodated

9 within that structured news cycle.

10 (3) The NewsNow format is insufficient to

11 present fully the policies of the United States as

12 clearly and effectively as the VoA Charter mandate

13 anticipates.

14 (4) The implementation of the VoA Charter’s

15 mandate to present United States policies has tradi16 tionally and appropriately been fulfilled by airing

17 editorials.

18 (5) Editorials offer the prudential and prin19 cipled rationales for United States policy to radio

20 listeners and television viewers and should not be

21 marginalized in any VoA programming format.

22 (6) The television program ‘‘On the Line’’ pro23 duced by the VoA is an example of a suitable vehicle

24 for fulfilling the VoA Charter’s mandate to present

25 United States policies.
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1 (7) Television is an increasing important form

2 of United States Government-sponsored broad3 casting worldwide.

4 (8) The Broadcasting Board of Governors plans

5 to complete soon a merger of the Worldnet television

6 broadcasting into VoA.

7 (9) Explicit treatment of American thought, in8 stitutions, and policies needs to be sustained in

9 United States Government-sponsored television

10 broadcasting.

11 SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

12 The purpose of this Act is to—

13 (1) require the establishment of a new inter14 national television service under the Broadcasting

15 Board of Governors to replace Worldnet and VOA–

16 TV; and

17 (2) ensure that international television broad18 casts of the United States effectively and accurately

19 represent the United States and its policies.

20 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

21 In this Act:

22 (1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the

23 Broadcasting Board of Governors.

24 (2) BUREAU.—The term ‘‘Bureau’’ means the

25 International Broadcasting Bureau under the Board.
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1 (3) DIRECTOR.—Except as otherwise provided,

2 the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of the Bu3 reau.

4 (4) TELEVISION SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Tele5 vision Service’’ means the International Television

6 Service established under section 5.

7 (5) VOA–TV.—The term ‘‘VOA–TV’’ means

8 the television operations of the Voice of America

9 within the Bureau.

10 (6) WORLDNET.—The term ‘‘Worldnet’’ means

11 the WORLDNET Television and Film Service with12 in the Bureau.

13 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW INTERNATIONAL TELE14 VISION SERVICE.

15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Upon the effective date of

17 this Act, there is established within the Bureau the

18 International Television Service.

19 (2) DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL TELE20 VISION.—The Television Service shall be headed by

21 a Director of International Television, who shall be

22 appointed by the Director and who shall report di23 rectly to the Director.

24 (b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Sixty days after the

25 effective date of this Act, the Board shall submit a report
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1 to Congress setting forth the Board’s plans for the Tele2 vision Service, including—

3 (1) a programming plan, or strategy, or both;

4 (2) a staffing plan to implement the Television

5 Service;

6 (3) a budget; and

7 (4) a reporting relationship to the Board

8 through the Bureau.

9 (c) TERMINATION OF PROGRAMS.—Upon the effec10 tive date of this Act, Worldnet and VOA–TV shall termi11 nate.

12 (d) PROHIBITION.—Upon the effective date of this

13 Act, no funds available to the Board may be obligated or

14 expended for Worldnet or VOA–TV.

15 SEC. 6. BROADCASTING PRINCIPLES; PROGRAMMING.

16 (a) BROADCASTING PRINCIPLES.—

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Television Service shall

18 conduct all programming activities in accordance

19 with the broadcasting principles expressed in para20 graphs (1) through (3) of section 302(b) of the

21 United States International Broadcasting Act of

22 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6202(b)).

23 (2) ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.—The Direc24 tor of International Television shall give equal

25 weight to the implementation of each of those para-
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1 graphs in allocating budget, personnel, and other re2 sources, in determining program schedules, and in

3 undertaking affiliate and other placement efforts.

4 (b) PROGRAMMING.—

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to other pro6 grams carried by the Television Service, the regular

7 programming of the Television Service shall consist

8 of—

9 (A) those programs which were produced

10 by the Office of Policy of the Bureau before the

11 date of enactment of this Act and which are

12 being carried as of that date; and

13 (B) such additional programs relating to

14 United States policies as the Director of Policy

15 of the Bureau, in consultation with the Director

16 of International Television and the Director

17 may develop.

18 (2) FREQUENCY OF PROGRAMMING.—The Di19 rector, in consultation with the Director of Policy of

20 the Bureau, shall determine the frequency with

21 which the programs described in paragraph (1) shall

22 be carried by the Television Service.

23 (3) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in

24 this subsection prohibits the Director from—
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1 (A) requiring that the programs described

2 in paragraph (1) shall also be carried by VOA

3 Radio and Internet; or

4 (B) determining the frequency of such pro5 gramming.

6 SEC. 7. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.

7 (a) TRANSFERS FROM VOA–TV AND WORLDNET.—

8 Upon the effective date of this Act, the personnel em9 ployed in connection with, and the assets, liabilities, con10 tracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of ap11 propriations, authorizations, allocations, and other funds

12 employed, used, held, arising from, available to, or to be

13 made available in connection with Worldnet and VOA–TV

14 shall be transferred to the Television Service.

15 (b) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Until the effective date of

16 this Act, Worldnet shall continue to be funded at the same

17 level as Worldnet was funded during fiscal year 2001.

18 (c) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any Federal

19 law, Executive order, rule, regulation, or delegation of au20 thority, or any document of or relating to Worldnet or

21 VOA–TV before the effective date of this Act shall, on and

22 after such date, be deemed to refer to the Television Serv23 ice.
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1 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

2 The effective date of this Act is January 1, 2001.

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