University of Southern California, Center on Public Diplomacy, 5 Feb 2013: "CPD Contributing Scholar on the International Broadcasting Research Project, Emily T. Metzgar, discusses the structural arrangement of the BBG and its implications in the newest CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy, 'Considering the "Illogical Patchwork": The Broadcasting Board of Governors and U.S. International Broadcasting.' The piece analyzes each of the five broadcasters that the BBG manages, the impact of the Smith-Mundt Act, and the composition of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, all while looking ahead to the potential role of the BBG in U.S. International Broadcasting and public diplomacy efforts in the future."

From Dr. Metzgar's paper:

"Until legislation that creates a single executive for the BBG and then authorizes that executive to make decisions reaching across the five broadcasters and other BBG administrators, debate about everything from content delivery to budget requests to implementation of the strategic plan risks looking like wasted energy. Indeed, barring passage of such transformative legislation, it seems unlikely that any decisions that manage to emerge from the current structure could do more than nibble around the edges of the 'illogical patchwork' that is contemporary U.S. international broadcasting.

"Of all the issues surrounding USIB, this is the one most worthy of prompt Congressional intervention. The status quo allows various interests to play against one another in an effort to influence broadcast efforts for personal, political or bureaucratic gain, but such intragovernmental infighting benefits no one, least of which the audiences that this American public diplomacy tool purports to serve or the country in whose name the tool is wielded. One hopes that 2013 will bring the introduction of legislation and with it Congressional hearings that will result in substantive oversight, transparent policy debate, establishment of meaningful performance indicators, and ultimately, a measure of order to the 'illogical patchwork' that has been American international broadcasting in the post-Cold War era."

Dr. Metzgar's paper provides a very good and thoroughly documented overview of US international broadcasting. Each of the entities of USIB is described in a separate section. There is also useful history of recent legislation pertaining to USIB. The section on Radio Free Asia does not discuss the false premises about VOA that were used to justify the creation of RFA. This topic, however, would require a paper unto itself. Of course, I agree with Dr. Metzgar's recommendation about the creation of a single executive for USIB. As discussed in a previous post, that CEO must be appointed by the BBG, not by the president.

See previous post about another paper on the organization of US international broadcasting.