Relating to the American Forces Network.

SA 2439. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by

[[Page S12536]]

him to the bill S. 1042, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2006 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
Forces, and for other purposes; as follows:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted, insert the
following:

SEC. __. AMERICAN FORCES NETWORK.

(a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
(1) The mission of the American Forces Radio and Television
Service (AFRTS) and its American Forces Network (AFN), a
worldwide radio and television broadcast network, is to
deliver command information by providing United States
military commanders overseas and at sea with a broadcast
media that effectively communicates information to personnel
under their commands, including information from the
Department of Defense, information from the Armed Forces, and
information unique to the theater and localities in which
such personnel are stationed or deployed.
(2) The American Forces Radio and Television Service and
the American Forces Network provide a ``touch of home'' to
members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees of the
Department of Defense, and their families stationed at bases
and at embassies and consulates in more than 179 countries,
as well as Navy, Coast Guard, and Military Sealift Command
ships at sea, by providing the same type and quality of radio
and television programming (including news, information,
sports, and entertainment) that would be available in the
continental United States. Additionally, the American Forces
Network plays an important role in enabling military
commanders to disseminate official information to members of
the Armed Forces and their families, thus making popularity
and acceptance key factors in ensuring effective
communication.
(3) It is American Forces Radio and Television Service and
American Forces Network policy that, except for the Pentagon
Channel service, programming is acquired from distributors of
the most popular television program airing in the continental
United States. Much of the programming is provided at no cost
to the United States Government. The remainder of the
programming is provided at less-than-market rates to cover
distributors' costs and obligations. Depending on the
audience segment or demographic targeted, programs that
perform well are acquired and scheduled to maximize audiences
for internal and command information exposure.
(4) American Forces Radio and Television Service and
American Forces Network select programming that represents a
cross-section of popular American radio and television,
tailored toward the worldwide audience of the American Forces
Radio and Television Service and the American Forces Network.
Schedules emulate programming practices in the United States,
and programs are aired in accordance with network broadcast
standards. Specifically, policy on programming seeks--
(A) to provide balance and diversity;
(B) to deliver a cross-section of popular programming;
(C) to target appropriate demographics; and
(D) to maintain network broadcast standards.
(5) The ``Voice Channel'', or radio programming, of the
American Forces Radio and Television Service and American
Forces Network is chosen to address requirements specified by
the military broadcasting services and the detachment
commanders of their affiliate radio stations. American Forces
Network Radio makes a best faith effort to obtain the top-
rated program of its sort at the time of selection, at no
cost to the United States Government. American Forces Network
Radio usually retains a scheduled program until it is no
longer produced, too few American Forces Network affiliates
choose to schedule the program locally, or a similar program
so thoroughly dominates its audience in the United States
that the American Forces Radio and Television Service
switches to this program to offer the higher rated show to
the overseas audience.
(6) American Forces Network Radio personnel review the
major trade publications to monitor announcements of new
programs, follow the ratings of established programs, and
keep aware of programming trends. When a program addressing a
need identified by a Military Broadcasting Service or an
American Forces Network affiliate becomes available to the
American Forces Network, or a program seems especially worthy
of consideration, American Forces Network Radio informs the
affiliates and supplies samples to gauge affiliate interest.
If affiliates commit to broadcasting the new show, American
Forces Network Radio seeks to schedule it.
(7) The managers of the American Forces Radio and
Television Service continually update their programming
options and, in November 2005, decided to include additional
programs that meet the criteria that American Forces Radio
and Television Service managers apply to such decisions, and
that, consistent with American Forces Radio and Television
Service and American Forces Network procedures, local
programmers at 33 locations around the globe decide which
programs actually are broadcast. American Forces Radio and
Television Service have consistently sought to provide a
broad, high quality range of choices for local station
managers.
(b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the men and women of the American Forces Radio and
Television Service and the Armed Forces Network should be
commended for providing a vital service to the military
community worldwide; and
(2) the programming mission, themes, and practices of the
Department of Defense with respect to its television and
radio programming have fairly and responsively fulfilled
their mission of providing a ``touch of home'' to members of
the Armed Forces and their families around the world and have
contributed immeasurably to high morale and quality of life
in the Armed Forces.
(c) Authority To Appoint Ombudsman as Intermediary.--The
Secretary of Defense may appoint an individual to serve as
ombudsman of the American Forces Network. Any ombudsman so
appointed shall act as an intermediary between the staff of
the American Forces Network and the Department of Defense,
military commanders, and listeners to the programming of the
American Forces Network.
______