Goodbye, Broadcasting Board of Governors

Last week, an amendment buried deep in the text of the National Defense Authorization Act disbanded the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), putting in its place an executive directly appointed by the president of the United States. The idea of handing control of the agency to Donald Trump has left some in the media reeling: Politico wrote this week, “Trump is finally getting his Trump TV—financed by taxpayers to the tune of $800 million per year.” And a Washington Post headline blared, “A big change to U.S. broadcasting is coming—and it’s one Putin might admire.”

Brooke talks with Emily Metzgar, associate professor of journalism at the Media School at Indiana University, Bloomington, about just what the BBG does—and what this latest development might mean for the future of state-funded journalism.