On April 7, the Washington Times wrote, nomination of the nation’s top public diplomacy official is being held up in the Senate over concerns about anti-American bias in the Voice of America’s broadcasts for Iran.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Okla. R, has put a hold on the confirmation of James Glassman, whom Mr. Bush nominated in December and who went before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in late January, administration and congressional officials said.
Mr. Coburn has sought for years to obtain English transcripts of Farsi-language U.S. government broadcasts from the body in charge of those programs, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). Mr. Glassman is BBG chairman.

In his requests, the senator has cited reports of mismanagement of VOA’s Persian service that has allowed anti-American content to creep into broadcasts. He also has expressed concerns that the service gives too much time to guests with pro-Iranian views.

“VOA has not been aggressive enough in promoting values of individual liberty and freedom in its Persian broadcasts,” said an aide to Mr. Coburn, who declined to give his name.