BBG response to article in Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media

To the Editor of the Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media VI.12
[courtesy of Len Baldyga via email]

Dear Editor,

BBG broadcasters report the story before they write the headline. It’s unfortunate that the anonymous author of the Layalina item “The BBG is Out of Touch with Reality” did not follow the same standard of professionalism. The author did not bother to contact the BBG before publishing this error-filled piece.

First, the BBG is having no difficulties “retaining its staff." The author twists the comment from Senator Lugar’s report that, “since 1995, the Board has only been /fully staffed/ for 6 of the subsequent 15 years of operations, and has not been so since 2004.” This comment refers to the 9-member, Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed, BBG board. As is true for a wide swath of government agencies, the BBG has nominations that are pending Congressional approval. In the meantime, four sitting Governors and the Secretary of State, through her representative on the Board, are conducting business as usual.

Second, the BBG is well aware of the complications, in the Internet age, of abiding by the domestic dissemination prohibition in the Smith-Mundt Act. Congress, not the BBG, is the decision maker on legislation. Our agency is responsible to act within the statutory restriction.

Third, in reference to trying to reach audiences in China, Russia and Iran, the BBG is a leading force to promote press freedom around the world including cutting-edge anti Web censorship and counter jamming tactics for radio and TV. We make every effort to sway the Chinese to allow more BBG reporters into China, just as we opposed Russia’s crackdown against the radio and television stations in that country that once carried VOA and RFE/RL broadcasts.

Calling Alhurra’s budget “disproportionate” to those of Radio Free Asia, Radio and TV Marti, and VOA’s Persian News Network (PNN) is uninformed. Radio and the Internet – Radio Free Asia’s primary delivery platforms – are relatively inexpensive in comparison to the costs of creating television content. Radio and TV Marti broadcast to a single country versus the 22 countries of the Middle East that comprise Alhurra’s audiences. Likewise, PNN – VOA’s broadcast service to Iran -- targets a single country and can be compared more closely to Alhurra’s targeted programming to Iraq (Alhurra Iraq) than to the entire MBN television network. In fact, the BBG is devoting more resources to broadcasting to Iran this year than to any other country in the world. VOA’s Persian News Network and RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reach more than 22% of adults each week on TV, radio and online. In Iraq, Alhurra reaches over 60% of adults weekly.

Fourth, allegations by the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five that the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) was improperly influencing U.S. public opinion and particularly the Miami area jury pool by paying local reporters to generate negative coverage in the case of “The Cuban Five” are baseless. As we have stated publicly, OCB did not pay local reporters to influence coverage of “The Cuban Five.” Payment of outside talent (journalists in this case) to contribute to on-air programs as guests and hosts is common across the broadcasting industry and was well reported three years ago when all the OCB contracts were publicly disclosed. And Radio and TV Marti are broadcast to Cuba, not to the U.S.

The BBG is fully engaged with the realities and challenges of broadcasting to a changing media environment where hostile governments seek to block the free flow of information. We are engaged in vigorous efforts to reach populations in countries of strategic importance including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to continue to advance the research-driven and performance-oriented culture that has produced a 75% rise in the BBG's global audience since 2002.

Sincerely,

Letitia King
Director, Office of Public Affairs
BBG/
lking@ibb.gov