4v/3 Sept 74 KF26 CONTENTS Abshire, David M., Chairman, Board for International Broadcasting; accompanied by Foy D. Kohler, Thomas H. Quinn and John P. Roche, Members, Board for International Broadcasting; and William P. Durkee, President, Free Europe, Inc., and Howland H. Radio Free Europe internal policy guidelines.. Radio Liberty program policy manual..-- Radio Free Europe Fund-Expenditures and public contributions RADIO FREE EUROPE AND RADIO LIBERTY AUTHORIZATIONS THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1974 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 4221, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator Frank Church, presiding. Present: Senators Church, McGee, Humphrey, Aiken, Javits, Percy and Griffin. OPENING STATEMENT Senator CHURCH. The Foreign Relations Committee meets this morning to hear public testimony concerning two legislative requests: S. 3190, which would authorize fiscal year 1975 appropriations for grants to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty; and Executive C, 93-2, requesting the advice and consent of the Senate to Protocols. for the Extension of the International Wheat Agreement, 1971. Testifying on S. 3190 will be members of the newly-constituted Board for International Broadcasting, the creation of which was authorized by Congress 1 year ago. The Board is assuming from the State Department the role of administering the annual U.S. grants to the radios and providing general oversight of the radios' activities. The Chairman of the Board is Mr. David Abshire, who is accompanied, I understand, by Mr. Foy Kohler, Mr. Thomas Quinn, Mr. John Roche, Mr. William Durkee, and Mr. Howland Sargeant. Mr. Durkee and Mr. Sargeant are the chief executives of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, respectively, and are exofficio members of the Board. Testifying on the Protocols for the Extension of the International Wheat Agreement will be representatives of the Departments of State and Agriculture: Mr. Julius Katz, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs; and Mr. Richard Bell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs. We will hear from them after we hear from the Board on Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. [Text of S. 3190 follows:] [S. 3190, 93D Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1975 for carrying out the Board for International Broadcasting Act of 1973 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 8(a) of the Board for International Broadcasting Act of 1973 (87 Stat. 460) is amended by (a) striking out from the (1) first sentence "$50,209,000 for fiscal year 1974" and inserting in lieu thereof "$49,840,000 for fiscal year 1975" and (b) striking out from the second sentence "fiscal year 1974" and inserting in lieu thereof "fiscal year 1975". Senator CHURCH. Mr. Abshire, please commence this morning's proceedings. STATEMENT OF DAVID M. ABSHIRE, CHAIRMAN, BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING; ACCOMPANIED BY FOY D. KOHLER, MEMBER, BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING; THOMAS H. QUINN, MEMBER, BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING; JOHN P. ROCHE, MEMBER, BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING; WILLIAM P. DURKEE, PRESIDENT, FREE EUROPE, INC.; AND HOWLAND H. SARGEANT, PRESIDENT, RADIO LIBERTY COMMITTEE Mr. ABSHIRE. Mr. Chairman, it is an honor for me to appear before this distinguished Committee for the first time as Chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting in support of a request for authorization of funds for the Board's operations in fiscal year 1975 and for grants to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Establishment of the Board was authorized by Public Law 93-129. Accompanying me today are three other members of the Board who have been nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They are Foy Kohler, former Ambassador to Moscow, Thomas Quinn and John Roche. As you know, John Roche was a member of the Presidential Study Commission on International Radio Broadcasting, under the chairmanship of Dr. Milton Eisenhower. Thus, our Board can benefit directly from all of the studies of that important commission. The fifth voting member of our Board, Abbott Washburn, was unable to be present today. The two ex officio, nonvoting members of the Board are Howland H. Sargeant, President of the Radio Liberty Committee, and William P. Durkee, President of Free Europe, Inc. PROVISIONS OF PUBLIC LAW 93-129 As chairman, I believe our Board should make the provisions of Public Law 93-129 its bible and follow scrupulously its various provisions. This was a point I made in my opening statement at our first Board meeting. Mr. Chairman, please permit me to take a moment here on the provisions of the law. Section 2 is a declaration of purpose which sets forth the view of the Congress that these radios serve our national interest: The Congress hereby finds and declares (1) That it is the policy of the United States to promote the right of freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [and] (2) That open communication of information and ideas among the peoples of the world contributes to international peace and stability. . . The Congress then authorized the Board: In order to provide an effective instrumentality for the continuation of assistance to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty and to encourage a constructive dialog with the peoples of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern Europe. |