Expressing the sense of the Senate on Armed Forces Radio and Television Service programming.

SA 3316. Mr. HARKIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2400, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2005 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Services, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place add the following:

Since it is the mission of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service to provide high-quality news, information and entertainment to US forces;

Since a key principle of Department of Defense internal information is to make available a free flow of general and military information without censorship or propaganda to the men and women of the Armed Forces and their dependents;

Since the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service seeks to represent in its programming what is seen and heard in the United States;

Since it is the policy of Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, as outlined in Department of Defense Regulation 5120.20R, to provide a free flow of political programming and public affairs programs selected to provide balance and diversity from available nationally recognized program sources: Therefore be it determined, That it is the sense of the Senate--

That the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service should strive to ensure that it fully serves its mission and listeners by seeking to present all sides of important public questions fairly and with balance by basing programming decisions for each of its news, public affairs and uninterrupted voice program services on a diversity of educational and informational needs, not only on commercial market share determinations.