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Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§1464a Broadcasting Board of Governors satellite and television

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - UNITED STATES INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - DISSEMINATION ABROAD OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNITED STATES › § 1464a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Broadcasting Board of Governors may lease or buy time on commercial or government satellites to send programs and materials to U.S. posts and other users overseas. Congress says U.S. television aimed at foreign viewers must win attention and respect. The United States International Television Service must provide accurate, objective news, show a broad picture of American life and ideas (not just one group), and explain U.S. policies clearly while allowing responsible discussion of those policies. The Board may only make, buy, or air satellite TV that is interactive (for example, interviews between different places), covers news or current events, covers official government activities (for example, congressional proceedings or agency briefings), or is artistic, scientific, or shows American culture. If a comparable program from U.S. public or commercial broadcasters is available at the same or lower cost, the Board must use that instead of producing its own. No more than $12,000,000 may be spent for this service in fiscal year 1990 and no more than $12,480,000 in fiscal year 1991. The Board must send Congress quarterly reports for those two years explaining spending, with extra details and justification for in-house cultural or similar programs and a statement that no cheaper comparable U.S. program was available. Also, $1,500,000 in each of fiscal years 1990 and 1991 must be used only to buy or use programs made with Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants or by U.S. public broadcasters.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §1464a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Broadcasting Board of Governors is authorized to lease or otherwise acquire time on commercial or United States Government satellites for the purpose of transmitting materials and programs to posts and other users abroad.
(b)The Congress finds that the long-term interests of the United States are served by communicating directly with the peoples of the world by television. To be effective, the Broadcasting Board of Governors must win the attention and respect of viewers. These principles will therefore govern the television broadcasts of the United States International Television Service:
(1)The United States International Television Service will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. The United States International Television Service news will be accurate and objective.
(2)The United States International Television Service will represent the United States, not any single segment of American society and will, therefore, present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.
(3)The United States International Television Service will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.
(c)The Broadcasting Board of Governors is authorized to produce, acquire, or broadcast television programs, via satellite, only if such programs—
(1)are interactive, consisting of interviews among participants in different locales;
(2)cover news, public affairs, or other current events;
(3)cover official activities of government, Federal or State, including congressional proceedings and news briefings of any agency of the Executive branch; or
(4)are of an artistic or scientific character or are otherwise representative of American culture.
(d)When a comparable program produced by United States public or commercial broadcasters and producers is available at a cost which is equal to or less than the cost of production by the United States International Television Service, the Broadcasting Board of Governors shall use such materials in preference to the United States International Television Service produced materials.
(e)(1)Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Broadcasting Board of Governors not more than $12,000,000 for the fiscal year 1990 and not more than $12,480,000 for the fiscal year 1991 may be obligated or expended for the United States International Television Service.
(2)The Broadcasting Board of Governors shall prepare and submit to the Congress quarterly reports which contain a detailed explanation of expenditures for the United States International Television Service during the fiscal years 1990 and 1991. Such reports shall contain specific justification and supporting information pertaining to all programs, particularly those described in subsection (c)(4), that were produced in-house by the United States International Television Service. Each such report shall include a statement by the Broadcasting Board of Governors that, according to the best information available to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, no comparable United States commercially-produced or public television program is available at a cost which is equal to or less than the cost of production by the United States International Television Service.
(3)Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, $1,500,000 for the fiscal year 1990 and $1,500,000 for the fiscal year 1991 shall be available only for the purchase or use of programs produced with grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or produced by United States public broadcasters.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(A), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “Director of the United States Information Agency”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(B), (C)(i), in introductory provisions, substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “United States Information Agency” and “television broadcasts of the United States International Television Service” for “Agency’s television broadcasts (hereinafter in this section referred to as ‘USIA–TV’)”. Subsec. (b)(1) to (3). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(C)(ii), substituted “The United States International Television Service” for “USIA–TV”, wherever appearing. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(A), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “Director of the United States Information Agency” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(A), (D), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “Director of the United States Information Agency” and substituted “the United States International Television Service” for “USIA–TV” in two places. Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(B), (D), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “United States Information Agency” and “the United States International Television Service” for “USIA–TV”. Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(D), substituted “the United States International Television Service” for “USIA–TV”, wherever appearing. Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(A), (B), in first sentence, substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “United States Information Agency”, and in last sentence, substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “Director of the United States Information Agency” after “statement by the” and for “United States Information Agency” after “available to the”. Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1335(a)(1)(B), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “United States Information Agency”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Broadcasting Board of Governors renamed United States Agency for Global Media pursuant to section 6204(a)(21) of this title. The renaming was effectuated by notice to congressional appropriations committees dated May 24, 2018, and became effective Aug. 22, 2018.

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–277 effective Oct. 1, 1999, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 6531 of this title. Television Service of USIA Pub. L. 100–204, title II, § 207, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1374, which provided that the television and film service of the United States Information Agency was to operate under same criteria and conditions as specified for Voice of America by section 1463 of this title, was repealed by Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. A, title XIII, § 1336(7), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–790.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 1464a

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73