Introduction. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and this part apply to all records of The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). As a general policy BBG follows a balanced approach in administering the FOIA. We recognize the right of public access to information in the Agency's possession, but we also seek to protect the integrity of the Agency's internal processes. This policy calls for the fullest possible disclosure of records consistent with those requirements of administrative necessity and confidentiality which are recognized by the FOIA.

Definitions:

Access Appeal Committee or Committee means the Committee delegated by the Agency Head for making final agency determinations regarding appeals from the initial denial of records under the FOIA.

Agency or BBG means the Broadcasting Board of Governors. It includes all parts of the BBG in the U.S. and its worldwide operations.

Commercial use, when referring to a request, means that the request is from, or on behalf of, one who seeks information for a use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or of a person on whose behalf the request is made. Whether a request is for a commercial use depends on the purpose of the request and how the records will be used. The identity of the requester (individual, non-profit corporation, for-profit corporation), or the nature of the records, while in some cases indicative of that purpose or use, is not necessarily determinative. When a request is made by a representative of the news media, the request shall be deemed to be for a non-commercial use.

Department means any executive department, military department, government corporation, government controlled corporation, any independent regulatory agency, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Federal Government. A private organization is not a department even if it is performing work under contract with the Government or is receiving Federal financial assistance. Grantee and contractor records are not subject to the FOIA unless they are in the possession and control of the BBG.

Duplication means the process of making a copy of a record and sending it to the requester, to the extent necessary to respond to the request. Such copies include paper copy, microform, audiovisual materials, and magnetic tapes, cards and discs.

Educational institution means a preschool, elementary or secondary school, institution of undergraduate or graduate higher education, or institution of professional or vocational education.

FOIA means the Freedom of Information Act, section 552 of title 5, United States Code, as amended.

Freedom of Information Officer means the BBG official who has been delegated the authority to release or withhold records and assess, waive, or reduce fees in response to FOIA requests.

Non-commercial scientific institution means an institution that is not operated substantially for the purposes of furthering its own or someone else's business, trade, or profit interests, and that is operated for purposes of conducting scientific research whose results are not intended to promote any particular product or industry.

Records (and any other term used in this section in reference to information) include any information that would be an agency record subject to the requirements of this section when maintained by the Agency in any format, including an electronic format. Records also include any handwritten, typed or printed documents (such as memoranda, books, brochures, studies, writings, drafts, letters, transcripts, and minutes) and documentary material in other forms (such as punchcards, magnetic tapes, cards, or discs; paper tapes; audio or video recordings, maps, photographs, slides, microfilm, and motion pictures). It does not include objects or articles such as exhibits, models, equipment, and duplication machines or audiovisual processing materials. Reports does not include books, magazines, pamphlets, or other reference material in formally organized and officially designated BBG libraries, where such materials are available under the rules of the particular library.

Representative of the news media means a person actively gathering news for an entity organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. News means information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public. News media entities include television and radio broadcasters, publishers of periodicals (to the extent they publish “news”) who make their products available for purchase or subscription by the general public, and entities that may disseminate news through other media (e.g., electronic dissemination of text). Freelance journalists shall be considered representatives of a news media entity if they can show a solid basis for expecting publication through such an entity. A publication contract or a requester's past publication record may show such a basis.

Request means asking in writing for records whether or not the request refers specifically to the FOIA.

Review means examining the records to determine which portions, if any, may be released, and any other processing that is necessary to prepare the records for release. It includes only the first examination and processing of the requested documents for purposes of determining whether a specific exemption applies to a particular record or portion of a record.

Search means looking for records or portions of records responsive to a request. It includes reading and interpreting a request, and also page-by-page and line-by-line examination to identify responsive portions of a document. However, it does not include line-by-line examination where merely duplicating the entire page would be a less expensive and quicker way to comply with the request.