International Broadcasting Bureau

On April 30, 1994, President Clinton signed the International Broadcasting Act (Public Law 103-236). The legislation established the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) within the United States Information Agency (USIA), and created a Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) with oversight authority over all non-military U.S. government international broadcasting.

The Voice of America, the oldest and best-known organization within the BBG, was the first broadcast news organization to offer continuously updated programming on the Internet.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070709043008/http://www.chriskern.net/history/voaFirstOnTheInternet.html www.chriskern.net]

When USIA was disbanded in October 1999, the IBB and BBG were established as independent federal government entities, with the IBB as an administrative vehicle under the BBG containing VOA, Radio and TV Martí, the Office of Engineering and Technical Services, and a number of support services.

Other international broadcasting services supervised by the USAGM are constituted as private corporations and are not part of the IBB.

These include:

• Radio Sawa and Al Hurra television (Arabic),
• Radio Farda (Persian to Iran),
• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
• Radio Free Asia (RFA).

Currently, the VOA and the IBB continue to operate shortwave radio transmitters and antenna farms at one site in the United States, located near Greenville, North Carolina.{{cite web |url=https://www.usagm.gov/who-we-are/history/ |title=The history of U.S. civilian international broadcasting |author= |website=United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) |publisher= |access-date=December 19, 2020 |quote=On August 22, 2018, as part of a larger modernization effort, the Broadcasting Board of Governors changed its name to the United States Agency for Global Media.}}

The position of IBB Director is appointed by the president of the United States, with Senate confirmation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/browse/category|title=govinfo|website=www.govinfo.gov}}

The last IBB Director was Richard M. Lobo. Mr. Lobo was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in September 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbg.gov/pressroom/press-releases/BBG-PressRelease-474.html |title=Lobo Appointed Director of International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) |website=www.bbg.gov |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723180254/http://www.bbg.gov/pressroom/press-releases/BBG-PressRelease-474.html |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead}} He retired in November 2013 being the longest-serving IBB Director. He had implemented a management restructuring plan under which the responsibilities of the IBB Director would be assumed by a new CEO of the BBG.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/lobo-exiting-international-broadcasting-bureau-post-124358|title=Lobo Exiting International Broadcasting Bureau Post|first=John|last=Eggerton|website=Broadcasting & Cable|date=23 October 2013}}

Previously, the directorship was held by Seth Cropsey (December 9, 2002—2004).{{Cite web |url=http://www.ibb.gov/_ibb_pr.cfm?articleID=131 |title=IBB |access-date=2006-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925215032/http://www.ibb.gov/_ibb_pr.cfm?articleID=131 |archive-date=2006-09-25 |url-status=dead }}

Appointed by the BBG, Brian Conniff served as acting director from April 1999 to December 2002.{{cite web | title=Montpelier Magazine - JMU Scholarly Commons | website=James Madison University Research | date=2016-07-26 | url=http://www.jmu.edu/montpelier/issues/spring02/main/beam.html | access-date=2020-04-15}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.publicdiplomacy.org/news/IBBNotices20021125.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928155824/http://www.publicdiplomacy.org/news/IBBNotices20021125.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }} Joseph B. Bruns was the first director of IBB, he served from 1994 until 1995. Bruns previously had been Acting Associate Director of Broadcasting of USIA and Acting Director of VOA.

• International broadcasting
• Shortwave
• Radio Canada International
• Media of the United States

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.ibb.gov}}
• [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=washingtontechnology&story.id=24964 Profile at Washington Technology]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060925215032/http://www.ibb.gov/_ibb_pr.cfm?articleID=131 Seth Cropsey sworn in as IBB Director]
• [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+22USC6206 United States Code, Tit. 22 Ch. 71 Sec. 6206: International Broadcasting Bureau]

{{Telecommunications}}

{{European Broadcasting Union Members}}

Category:Independent agencies of the United States government

Category:Communications and media organizations based in the United States

Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Category:1999 establishments in the United States