With the United States engaged in Iraq, Afghanistan, and
the war on terrorism, Congress and the Bush Administration have created a U.S.
government-sponsored Arabic-language television station to bolster U.S. public diplomacy efforts
in the Middle East. Supporters of this initiative have asserted that there is a receptive audience for
U.S. television, which could counterbalance negative perceptions of U.S. policy that are commonly
found in the Arab media. Critics maintain that the Arab media market is already saturated with
Western stations and that U.S. public diplomacy funds would be more effectively used in other
programs. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, "the government has begun some promising
initiatives in television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and Afghanistan. These
efforts are beginning to reach large audiences. The Broadcasting Board of Governors has asked for
much larger resources. It should get them." The Administration has requested $79 million for
FY2006, a figure that incorporates operations for the satellite television network Al-Hurra (Arabic
for "the free one"), which began broadcasting in February 2004. For more information on U.S. public
diplomacy in the Middle East, see CRS Report RL31889, The Al-Jazeera News Network:
Opportunity or Challenge for U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East? This report will be updated
periodically.