President Obama nominated on November 18 a slate for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, reports Variety. The Broadcasting Board is responsible for all USG nonmilitary, international broadcasting, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio and TV Marti and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Al-Hurra television and radio Sawa).

Former Time editor and CNN CEO Walter Isaacson is nominated to chair the Board. The other Democratic nominees are Michael Lynton, Susan McCue, and Michael P. Meehan. The Republican nominees are Victor H. Ashe, Dennis Mulhaupt, S. Enders Wimbush and President George W. Bush's former press secretary, Dana Perino. Perino is a regular contributor to Fox News.

The Obama administration and Fox News have openly feuded for several months, according to The Hill. The White House has accused Fox of injecting opinion into its news coverage of the administration.

President Obama declared, “I am grateful that these distinguished individuals will be a part of this vital agency that has done so much to promote freedom and democracy around the world. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” according to The White House Briefing Room.

Four seats on the Board have been vacant for some time, spanning from one year to nearly four years, while the terms of the seated Governors expired between three and five years ago, remarks Matt Armstrong, author of Mountain Runner Blog. “For all the lip service to the urgency to communicate with the world, the Board has been long neglected,” he says.

While Armstrong highlights that the change is welcomed, he stresses that more change is needed and remarks, “The Chairman must become a full-time position in order to fully support and champion the needs of US Government broadcasting.” The nominees have to be confirmed by the Senate before taking office.