AGREEMENT OF MAY 19, 1992
(excerpts)
Agreement of May 19, 1992 between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the United States of America for the Promotion of German-American Understanding in the field of Broadcasting and for the Conducting of Exchange Programs for Broadcast Professionals:
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the United States of America:
— recognizing the accomplishments of RIAS Berlin over the past forty-five years as a transatlantic bridge dedicated to truth and democracy and its symbolism as an outstanding example of American-German cooperation,
— guided by the wish to maintain the journalistic heritage and the transatlantic tradition of this respected, successful institution and to pass them to new generations of journalists, and
— desiring to promote and deepen the mutual understanding between the people of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America through a greater exchange of broadcast journalists and professionals, as well as through promoting and honoring broadcast productions and other accomplishments in the field of journalism,
— have agreed to establish a commission to be known as the RIAS Berlin Commission, to be located in Berlin. The Commission shall be recognized by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the United States of America as a binational organization.
The purposes of the Commission shall be to:
- promote the exchange of persons and information in the field of broadcast journalism between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America;
- support radio and television productions which contribute to the mutual understanding between the people of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America;
- provide financial support for the occasional transatlantic transmission of broadcast productions which further this mutual understanding in an outstanding way, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations; and
- award an annual prize each to the radio production and to the television production which best contribute to the mutual understanding between the people of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America and have not been promoted by funds of the Commission.
In carrying out its purposes, the Commission shall give special consideration to those productions and activities which, in the tradition of RIAS, address the unique circumstances and needs of the states which comprised the former German Democratic Republic.
The Commission shall consist of ten members, five of whom shall be German citizens and five of whom shall be American citizens. In addition the Minister of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Chief of the Diplomatic Mission of the United States of America shall be Honorary Chairmen of the Commission.