The Broadcasting Board of Governors

The broadcasting board of governors (BBG) which became independent of the United States Information Agency in 1999 when that department was dissolved, is charged with responsibility for US-backed, non-military international broadcasting. Such endeavors long pre-exist the BBG, and have been an important tool for getting the American "message" out during the Cold War. With the rise of the war on terror, the federal government launched two new broadcast systems oriented toward the Middle East: Alhurra and Radio Sawa. These two systems have joined the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, and Radio and TV Marti - born of World War II and subsequent Cold War tensions - in the BBG's portfolio. The BBG is a putatively bi-partisan in its operation, but the BBG is stacked with Republican ideologue appointees and former Cold Warriors turned counter terrorists. Though no more than four members of the eight member board are to be members of the same political party, the President also selects the chair of the board. The ninth member of the board is always the Secretary of State.