CONGRESSIONAL FY 2022 BUDGET JUSTIFICATION Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 1 Summary Charts ........................................................................................................................7 Legislative Proposals ................................................................................................................9 Voice of America (VOA) .........................................................................................................13 Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) ....................................................................................27 International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) ........................................................................31 Technology, Services, and Innovation (TSI) ....................................................................35 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) .................................................................. 39 Radio Free Asia (RFA) ............................................................................................................ 47 Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) ..........................................................53 Open Technology Fund (OTF) .............................................................................................61 Broadcasting Capital Improvements (BCI) .................................................................... 69 Performance Budget Information ......................................................................................75 Appendix A: Budget Charts ................................................................................................ 131 Appendix B: Broadcast Hours ...........................................................................................145 Cover images from USAGM coverage, clockwise from top left: VOA Turkish’s Mehtap Colak Yilmaz reporting from the Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, DC.; MBN reporter on the scene; RFA Uyghur Service’s Gulchehra Hoja; RFE/RL cameraman Andrey Rabchyk. FY 2022 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION | Table of Contents i (page left intentionally blank) ii Executive Summary As Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 approaches, the international media environment is awash with unprecedented levels of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda on topics affecting public health, humanitarian challenges, and political crises. America’s adversaries understand the power and effectiveness of speaking to global audiences and they are making investments that greatly outpace our own. Much of their effort is designed to sow false narratives about American policies and weaken our country’s standing worldwide. In the face of these global threats, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is building on successes in key markets with its two federal networks — the Voice of America (VOA) and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) — and its four non- federal entities — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and the Open Technology Fund (OTF). USAGM’s networks reached a record weekly audience of 354 million people last year, providing news and information on radio, television, internet, social media, and mobile platforms. USAGM is one of the largest media organizations in the world and our brands are some of the most recognized and respected in key foreign markets, including China, Russia, and Iran. Our programming ranges from vital, fact-based information on the COVID-19 pandemic to government corruption that local news outlets are unable or unwilling to cover. In combination with our global reach, the trust that USAGM’s audiences place in the information we provide — and how USAGM informs their opinions on current events — is critical to combatting the deception and falsehoods spread by authoritarian regimes and violent non-state actors. Accurate and truthful news and information has never seen the volume and complexity of challenges around the world, and USAGM pushes back with content that is fact-based, engaging, and relevant to global audiences. The President’s Request of $810 million will enable USAGM to continue its vital mission in strategically important markets around the world. FY 2022 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION | Executive Summary 1 East and Southeast Asia In East and Southeast Asia, VOA and RFA have provided fact-based, objective MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA reporting in the face of China’s increasingly antagonistic narrative on American- Data from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Chinese relations and shed light on humanitarian crises in theJordan, region. Kuwait, Lebanon, For Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, example, in “The Dragon’s Tail”31.7 programming, MILLION VOA will examineQatar, Saudi China’s Arabia, Tunisia, role Turkey, UAE, Yemen. Reflects in large infrastructure projects in other countries and the potentialaudiences for that MBN theseand VOA. projects will undermine longstanding relationships with the United States and its allies. In-depth coverage like this has helped to increase VOA’s Mandarin Service website views by 47 percent over the prior year. Additionally, RFA will continue to cover humanitarianNEAR crisesEAST, SOUTH as they AND develop CENTRAL in the ASIA, region, EURASIA building Data from Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, on its groundbreaking disclosure of the mistreatment andAzerbaijan, mass Bangladesh, detention Belarus, of Bosnia, the Uyghur population and its expanding coverage of the unrestCrimea, Estonia, in Myanmar. Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan,RFA’s 67.0 MILLION Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Burmese Service has emerged as a valuable source of independentNagorno-Karabakh, news, Pakistan, growing Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the percent of the population consuming its content fromUzbekistan. 6.2 percent Reflects audiences in 2018 for RFE/RL to 24.9 percent in 2020. and VOA. EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA Data from Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam. Reflects 115.0 MILLION audiences for RFA and VOA. Near East, South and CentralSUB-SAHARAN Asia, AFRICA Eurasia Data from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Central In Russia, South and Central Asia, and Eastern Europe,African RFE/RL Republic, and Cote d’Ivoire,VOA Democraticwill Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, continue to achieve impact70.9 through investigative MILLION reporting,Kenya, Liberia, exposing Madagascar, corruption, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, malfeasance, and misconduct. South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Reflects audiences for VOA. ■ For example, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service serves as a media leader in Ukraine, frequently conducting high-profile interviews that are picked up across Ukraine’s top media outlets and airing its award-winning investigative programLATIN “Schemes: AMERICA Corruption in Details” to help root out Data from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and expose corruption in Ukraine. Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 69.6 MILLION Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. Reflects audiences for OCB and VOA. 2 ■ The RFE/RL and VOA joint venture, Current Time, continues to thrive as a source of Russian-language content, offering expert insights, fact-checks, infographics, and explainers on regional and international current events. As one of many examples of the role that USAGM has played in providing vital, truthful reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic to its audiences, VOA’s Russian Service produced a special video series debunking conspiracy theories and showing how doctors, nurses, patients, and teachers weathered the pandemic. ■ VOA and RFE/RL continue to partner on the multi-platform network VOA365 to reach Farsi-speakers in Iran and beyond. Although criminalized by Iran’s regime, VOA365 provides an unbiased alternative to state media critical of the United States electoral process. The network carried an eight hour live election night special, which had a record-setting 4.2 million views andMIDDLE 775,000 EAST interactions AND NORTH on AFRICA VOA Persian’s Instagram alone. The network’s special four hour 2021 United StatesData from presidential Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, inauguration coverage had nearly 3.5 million video viewsJordan, Kuwait, on Instagram. Lebanon, Libya, In Morocco, Palestinian Territories, addition, RFE/RL’s Farda31.7 (translated MILLION to “Tomorrow” Qatar,in Persian) Saudi Arabia, is Tunisia,a leader Turkey, UAE, Yemen. Reflects on digital platforms. Despite being officially blockedaudiences within for MBNIran, and VOA.Farda received 165 million visits to its websites and news app, as well as 477 million video views across social media networks in FY 2020. NEAR EAST, SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA, EURASIA Data from Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia, Crimea, Estonia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, 67.0 MILLION Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nagorno-Karabakh, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. Reflects audiences for RFE/RL and VOA. EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA Middle East and North Africa Data from Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam. Reflects From the aftermath of the 115.0catastrophic explosion MILLION in Beirutaudiences to the for renewed