Broadcasting Board of Governors Vacancy Rate Analysis

November 18, 2009 update

Senator Dick Lugar welcomed news that the Obama Administration has nominated four Republicans and four Democrats to fill the vacant positions on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).

The Republicans nominated to be members are Victor H. Ashe, Dennis Mulhaupt, Dana Perino, and S. Enders Wimbush. More information on the Republican nominees is available via the White House announcement.

The Democrats nominated are Walter Isaacson to be Chair and Michael Lynton, Susan McCue, and Michael P. Meehan to be members. More information on the Democrat nominees is available via the White House announcement.

Senator Lugar urges the Senate to quickly consider and confirm the nominees.

The BBG oversees the international broadcasting entities of the United States including the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Radio Free Asia. The BBG was is comprised of eight governors, four Republicans and four Democrats, chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate, with the Secretary of State serving as the ninth, ex officio, member. The President designates one member, other than the Secretary of State, to serve as Chairman of the BBG.  The term for a Board member is three years, but they may serve "until a successor has been appointed."

In the 110th Congress (2007-2008), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination of eight Board members as either new appointees or to extend their existing terms. Not one of these nominations was ever ratified by the full Senate, thus leading to the current situation whereby, only four of the eight positions are filled. Of the four members serving, all their terms expired in 2005. Of the four positions vacant, one has been vacant for more than three years, two for more than a year and one for more than six months. The average vacancy for a Board position is 408 days.

Lugar welcomes public diplomacy moves

On May 22, 2009, Senator Lugar welcomed the Senate’s unanimous confirmation of Judith McHale as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy.

“Ms. McHale brings serious business and media experience to this position that I trust will serve her well as she manages the world of traditional and new media and engages with the world to tell America’s story to the world and to listen to what they have to say,” Lugar said. “This position has historically remained vacant for more than one-third of the time, with nominees staying, on average, barely over a year.  I am hopeful that Ms. McHale will buck this trend.”

The Senate also unanimously passed Lugar’s public diplomacy resolution, S. Res. 49, which calls for the Secretary of State to initiate a reexamination of the public diplomacy platform strategy of the United States with a goal of reestablishing publicly accessible American Centers, and to consider placing United States public diplomacy facilities at locations conducive to maximizing their use, consistent with the authority given to the Secretary in the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act.

Lugar: Time for U.S. to 'get back in the game' of public diplomacy

Senator Lugar has released a report prepared by the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In his letter accompanying the report, Senator Lugar wrote:

"Recent polling suggests that support for the United States throughout the world is on a slight increase but remains well below the fifty percent mark in many countries, even among those nations normally considered strong allies. This less-than-positive attitude towards our nation has impacts ranging from national security threats, to lost trade opportunities, to a significant drop in tourism, to parents overseas refusing to allow their children to be educated in U.S. universities.

"The sources of this problem are many. Some of these include honest disagreements with our policies and our actions. But many are based on misrepresentations of our goals, values and motives targeted at those prepared to believe the worst about us. Yet, in spite of recent actions to counter these misperceptions, our efforts to present our point of view have not been getting through. It is time to re-think how we conduct our Public Diplomacy.

In addition, Senator Lugar introduced S. Res. 49 on February 13, 2009, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the importance of public diplomacy. He also wrote an oped for ForeignPolicy.com on this topic.