BBG Governors D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Steven Simmons and Joaquin Blaya testified at a Senate hearing on the role of international broadcasting in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that "we cannot prevail against the extremists through force alone ... it is of critical importance to engage audiences, whose attention we and our adversaries both seek."

"We play a critical role, especially in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan that lack adequate press freedom and credible alternative media," Blaya told the October 15 hearing of the International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Ted Kaufman of Delaware.

"We succeed when: (a) we deliver the news our audiences want and need to make informed judgment about their societies; and (b) when we deliver our content via the media our audiences prefer and they can easily access," said Blaya.

One way the BBG measures impact is through its audience reach, Governors told the panel. 73 percent of Iraqi adults listen to or watch one of the four BBG broadcasters serving that country – Alhurra TV, Radio Sawa, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq and VOA Kurdish.

In Afghanistan, VOA and RFE/RL reach 56 percent of all adults in Dari and Pashto and RFE/RL is itself the most popular radio station in the country. "[RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan] is also the service Afghans say they turn to first –first – for news and information, and the one Afghans said they most preferred for news about the recent elections," Hirschberg said.

The Governors highlighted the credibility of BBG broadcasters in the eyes of their audience, suggesting that this perception of trustworthiness contributes to their reach.

Research shows over 90 percent of the Afghan audience finds BBG broadcasts credible or mostly credible.

"In my view, the independence and autonomy of the BBG is the key to its success," observed Senator Kaufman in his remarks. "First, it serves as a credible source of balanced news reporting, and second, it demonstrates the true meaning of a free press internationally."

Another driver of impact is program interactivity with audiences through mechanisms like call-in shows. Feedback indicates that local Pashto-speakers on the Afghan-Pakistan border seek engagement, Simmons noted. "We see robust audience reaction every day in some 400 listener phone calls to on air discussion programs," said Simmons of VOA's Deewa Radio, which broadcasts in Pashto to the border region.

Governors also discussed the impact of using local platforms and local content. In Iraq, for example, local news bureaus and operations, local FM and television distribution in major cities, and high levels of domestic coverage, including Alhurra's dedicated Iraq stream, have "won a wide Iraqi following," according to Blaya.

The hearing included discussion about interagency coordination on public diplomacy. In response to a question from Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Hirschberg emphasized the independence of BBG content saying, "If the question is are we in the room from time to time, the answer is yes. If the question is does the State Department or Ambassador Holbrooke suggest programming or content to us, the answer's no."

Senator Wicker pointed out in his opening statement that there are populations in war zones that "no public diplomacy strategy will reach or persuade;" however, as Hirschberg noted, BBG broadcasts reach some important – and surprising – components of the Afghan population.

"We are attracting the really hard-to-reach audience on a daily basis. RFE/RL and VOA together reach 25 percent of those who say they strongly oppose the Afghan government."