On 7 October 2009 House and Senate negotiators approved the conference version of the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill (HR 2647).
One Provision in the BIll authorizes $15 million in funding for the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ International Broadcasting Operations Fund (funding normally dealt with under the Foreign Operations Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Authorization bills) in order to “expand Farsi language programming and to provide for the dissemination of accurate and independent information to the Iranian people through radio, television, Internet, cellular telephone, short message service, and other communications.”
Specifically, the funding is to
- develop additional transmission capability for Radio Farda and the Persian News Network to counter ongoing efforts to jam transmissions, including through additional shortwave and mediumwave transmissions, satellite, and Internet mechanisms
- develop additional proxy server capability and anti-censorship software to counter efforts to block Radio Farda and Persian News Network Web sites
- develop technologies to counter efforts to block SMS text message exchange over cellular phone networks
- expand programme coverage and analysis by Radio Farda and the Persian News Network, including the development of broadcast platforms and programmes, on the television, radio and Internet, for enhanced interactivity with and among the people of Iran
- hire, on a permanent or short-term basis, additional staff for Radio Farda and the Persian News Network
- develop additional Internet-based, Farsi-language television programming, including a Farsi-language, Internet-based news channel.
(Source: APN Legistlative Roundup)
