Funding Requests: Increase U.S. Broadcasting to Iran, Extend Alhurra TV To Europe

February 17, 2005 | Washington, D.C.

The Voice of America will be able to significantly expand satellite television broadcasting to Iran with funds contained in the Bush Administration’s FY 2005 supplemental appropriation request submitted to Congress this week.

The supplemental request also contains funds to enable the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent U.S. agency that operates America’s nonmilitary international broadcasting, to extend the popular Arabic language satellite television channel Alhurra to Europe to reach the millions of Arabic speakers there.

If appropriated by Congress, the supplemental request and last week’s FY ’06 budget request will enable BBG to launch and significantly expand television to non-Arabic speaking Muslim populations in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, critical countries in the Global War on Terror.

VOA’s Persian-language TV to Iran would grow from a half-hour of the daily “News and Views” newscast to a full hour with multiple repeats and news updates, similar to the programming formats of domestic U.S. cable TV talk show networks. The BBG is prepared to begin airing the expanded programming mid March, giving the United States a very real presence on satellite television in Iran, a country where the people are hungry for news and information from America.

Of the $82 billion supplemental request, $7.3 million is for international broadcasting. The President’s FY 2006 budget request to Congress for international broadcasting is $652 million - a 10% increase from FY 2005. It represents a 45% funding increase for the BBG since FY 2001. The FY 2006 budget request will significantly increase television broadcasting to key Muslim countries, including VOA Persian, Dari, Pashto, and Urdu television programming.

“The ’06 budget and supplemental requests reflect the Bush administration’s commitment to international broadcasting – our most effective means of public diplomacy abroad and a critical component of the Global War on Terror.” BBG chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson said. “It’s important to remember that in the decade following the end of the Cold War, U.S. spending for international broadcasting was slashed a very real 40%. Now, thanks to President Bush and key supporters in Congress, we are rebuilding from a depleted base and working to get back to where we should be.”

Launched in February 2004, Alhurra is a 24/7 Arabic language satellite channel that broadcasts news and information and presents intellectual debate to Arabic speaking audiences across the Middle East. Alhurra viewers are uniquely exposed to debates on issues ranging from women’s rights to economic opportunity to terrorism. Remarks by American and pro-democracy leaders and opinion makers who appear on Alhurra programs are not subject to the kind of distortion and ridicule that can all too often occur on the many other Arabic-language satellite networks broadcast to Middle Eastern audiences. In addition to bringing the satellite channel to Europe, the supplemental request would allow for audience development in countries with significant Muslim populations.

The FY 2006 budget request also contains funds to allow Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s headquarters to remain in the Czech Republic by moving to a more secure facility and for an aircraft for dedicated airborne radio and television transmission into Cuba.

The BBG is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. government-supported non-military international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle East Television Network (Alhurra); Radio Free Asia (RFA); Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí); Radio Sawa and Radio Farda. Through its broadcast services, the BBG provides the United States and its leaders direct and immediate access to a worldwide audience of over 100 million people. BBG broadcasts reach this a

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