Evaluation Criteria Supporting the Board's (Continued From Previous Page) Criteria Transmission effectiveness Affiliates database Broadcast hours Production and transmission costs Description Signal quality determines whether radio signals are being received clearly by the intended audiences. Short- and medium-wave signal strength is measured and compiled twice each year for almost all language services. This information is collected through a worldwide network of monitoring stations managed by the International Broadcasting Bureau that periodically sample and record the audio quality of U.S. international broadcasts. The signal quality of individual language services is rated on a five-point scale. The Board also has a separate satellite transmission effectiveness rating, which seeks to gauge the ability of the International Broadcasting Bureau's satellite distribution network to provide quality radio and TV signal delivery to affiliates and private satellite dish owners. This index examines the signal reception of small antennae, the size of the target country's television population, the number of channels available on the satellite, the signal strength of the satellite, the satellite's capability to cover multiple time zones, and the ability of the satellite to serve as both a radio and a TV program feed within the overall network, especially during "prime time." Information for this index is collected by the International Broadcasting Bureau's Office of Engineering and Technical Services, which uses it for decision-making in satellite leasing and related activities with the intent of improving transmission services over time. The Board maintains an affiliates database for the Voice of America and is currently inputting data for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The number of original broadcast hours produced by each language service is obtained from program logs that each language service maintains. Original broadcast hours are currently defined to include no more than 70 percent repeat material. The Board compiles annual production and transmission costs for each language service, cost per listener ratio, and related budget information. Source: Office of Strategic Planning, International Broadcasting Bureau. Appendix IV Information on Board and British The British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) World Service has adopted a model for international broadcasting that differs in several key respects from the approach U.S. broadcasters use. Three of the most significant differences between the Board and the BBC are mission, organizational structure, and future operations. • The central mission of U.S. international broadcasting is geared toward reaching audiences that are underserved by available media voices. As a result, the United States does not broadcast to fully democratic nations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, or Germany. In contrast, the BBC's mission is much broader and includes reaching listeners in markets around the world, including media-rich countries such as the United States. • The organization of U.S. international broadcasting has evolved along • Finally, U.S. international broadcasting and certain component 122 U.S.C. §6208(g). 2 Cuba Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-114). Information on Board and British Broadcasting Corporation Operations Information on U.S. international broadcasting and BBC World Service operations is provided in table 5. The table is designed to provide summary data on U.S. and BBC broadcast operations and the table notes should be read carefully to understand the data on total budget costs, listening audience, and number of language services. This numerical data is not sufficient to draw conclusions about the relative efficiency and effectiveness of the two organizations. Additional factors such as the relative costs of reaching different target audiences, the different mixes of broadcast technology, and the nature of operating overheads would need to considered to arrive at valid conclusions. 1932 $255 milliona $151 million BBC World Service • British Foreign Office provides a list of broadcast languages and number of broadcast hours in each language. • A full-time BBC Director General and part-time governing board provide strategic guidance and oversight for the BBC World Service. • The World Service has a Chief Executive Officer and a senior management team that directs daily operations and develops strategic planning documents for review by the BBC's governing board and the Director General. • Regional language groups report to the Chief Executive Officer, who has the authority to reallocate resources, implement program changes, etc. • BBC World Service is organized as a corporation that receives an annual grant-in-aid from the British government. Information on Board and British Broadcasting Corporation Operations (Continued From Previous Page) Broadcasting mission U.S. International Broadcasting To broadcast unbiased information of international, • Broadcast missions for individual entities Radio Free Asia has an explicit sunset for its Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty operations are Radio/TV Marti is required to terminate operations when a democratically elected government takes power in Cuba. The Voice of America does not have an explicit sunset date for its operations. However, the core mission of U.S. international broadcasting to reach the "underserved suggests a diminished role for the Voice of America over time. Performance management Requirements under the 1993 Results Act, annual system language service review, and program reviews. Target audience Editorial policy Program content Views on competition Masses and elites Voice of America and Radio/TV Marti are required to carry daily U.S. government editorials. News of America, international news, regional news, and local news. Relative mix of content varies among U.S. broadcasters. For example, Voice of America generally carries less local content than a surrogate broadcaster. However, in Africa, Voice of America local content is relatively high since it serves as a surrogate broadcaster to several African nations. In areas of language duplication, some agency officials cited other U.S. broadcasters as key competitors. More broadly, agency officials indicated that they view other international broadcasters, most notably the BBC, as their competition. The BBC has adopted the "balanced scorecard" approach to performance management. This approach relies on the collection and analysis of detailed performance data in four areas (customer, finance, business processes, and learning and growth). The World Service segments its audience into four distinct groups according to their information needs. BBC World Service charter explicitly prohibits government editorials. International news, regional news, and local news. Relative mix of content adjusted on a country-bycountry basis based on the BBC's target audience goals and listener preferences. The BBC broadly defines its competition as including information providers from a wide spectrum, including other international broadcasters, Cable News Network, Internet portal providers such as Yahoo, etc. Information on Board and British Broadcasting Corporation Operations (Continued From Previous Page) Transmission operations U.S. International Broadcasting • International Broadcasting Bureau manages a BBC World Service The BBC privatized its transmission resources in * U.S. budget figures adjusted to remove approximately $53 million in television production costs for |