THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. BBG is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Any party considering responding to this RFI ("Interested Party") is advised that BBG will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be borne solely by the Interested Party. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is released. In the event an RFP is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the FedBizOpps website for additional information. PROGRAM BACKGROUND. The Broadcasting Board of Governors ("BBG" or "Agency") is the independent federal agency responsible for all U.S. government and government- sponsored, non-military, international broadcasting. The day-to-day broadcasting activities are carried out by the BBG international broadcasters: the Voice of America (VOA), Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa (MBN), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio and TV Martí. (The Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti are elements of the BBG; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa are operated by three private, nonprofit corporations, respectively, each of which receives funding from the federal government in the form of annual grants administered by the BBG.) All Agency programming is intended for international audiences. Broadcasts are delivered in more than 59 languages and on a multitude of platforms including radio, television, the internet and via mobile phones. (More information about broadcasting activities is available at www.bbg.gov.) DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT Currently, each BBG broadcaster contracts directly with providers of news photographs, graphics, video and textual news wires. The Agency is seeking information from major media industry organizations regarding (a) their ability provide news photographs, graphics, video and/or textual news wires on a non-exclusive basis to all of the BBG broadcasters under one contract, and (b) the estimated cost of such a contract. The information below is provided to help Interested Parties to respond. The Agency's requirements are as follows: Photographs and Graphics The Agency's broadcasters require a comprehensive photo and graphics service consisting, without limitation, of unlimited photo and graphic images depicting local, national and international news events (and persons involved therein), politics, entertainment, sports, technology and health. The images must be available to the Agency's broadcasters on a searchable image database via the Internet on a 24/7 basis. Agency broadcasters use photographs and graphics to illustrate news stories on television and on the Internet, and use graphics and original interactive features on television and on the Internet. Video The Agency's broadcasters require comprehensive video news feeds, to include domestic (U.S.) news, international news, features and sports. Video feeds must include news stories from around the world (including, but not limited to, comprehensive news from the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and Africa) on all subjects (including, but not limited to, breaking news and feature stories). Video feeds must be available in various formats (including, but not limited to, complete reporter-voiced packages including, as appropriate, graphics and natural sound; raw, uncut footage of particular news events; and live feeds of breaking news). Video of events in Washington, D.C. (including hearings on Capitol Hill, briefings at the State Department and Pentagon, briefings and news conferences at the White House, Cabinet meetings and other U.S. official briefings/news conferences) and breaking news around the world is necessary. Providers of video must be able to transmit comprehensive lists of stories to be fed, as well as appropriate scripting and chyron information (such as live head-ins, narrative script, necessary identification for super information, and timing) for each story, in accordance with best practices in the broadcast industry. Video must be available to reporters and editors at VOA HQ in Washington, D.C.; at RFE/RL HQ in Prague; at RFA HQ in Washington, D.C.; at MBN/Radio Sawa HQ in Virginia; at OCB HQ in Miami, Florida, and at all domestic and foreign locations designated by the Agency. Audio The Agency's broadcasters require audio actuality content of news events in Washington, D.C., the United States, and the world. The audio content should be in the form of individual audio bites from newsmakers and other noteworthy people, radio reports, and live news events from beginning to end. The content should include hard news, politics and government, business, sports, entertainment, technology, health and medicine and lifestyle (collectively, "Audio Content"). Audio Content must be delivered in radio broadcast quality and follow accepted industry standards. Interested Parties should provide details about available methods of delivery. Audio Content must be available 24/7, and must include up-to-the-minute coverage of events, associated advisories, schedules of stories available, and scripts or transcripts as applicable. Textual News Wires BBG's broadcasters require textual news wires providing comprehensive international and U.S. news (including breaking news, business and financial news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, technology and political news) on a 24/7 basis. Providers must be able to transmit daily schedules and advisories of top scheduled international and national news events and to update these as events warrant. Agency broadcasters may reproduce wire stories directly (or in translation) on websites or may use the wire stories as source material for broadcasts on television, on the radio and/or online. BBG requires textual news wires in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Textual news wires must be available to reporters and editors at VOA HQ in Washington, D.C.; at RFE/RL HQ in Prague; at RFA HQ in Washington, D.C.; at MBN/Radio Sawa HQ in Virginia and at all domestic and foreign locations designated by the Agency. Geographic Restrictions The content described herein must be available for licensing on a worldwide basis, exclusive of the United States, for broadcast on all BBG media platforms, including but not limited to radio, television, the internet and mobile devices. Delivery System The content described herein must be available for delivery via primary and secondary (back-up) systems compatible with the Agency's content management systems and available for access by Agency broadcasters. Multiple delivery redundancies are required. Scope of License (additional information) All content must be available for translation into any language and transmission on any media delivery platform. REQUESTED INFORMATION Interested Parties should submit a comprehensive written Capabilities Statement, verifiable by the BBG, providing sufficient information to demonstrate capabilities responsive to this RFI. The Capabilities Statement should be no more than 15 pages long (not including the required cover letter and any table of contents and/or acronym list). Any proprietary information included in the Capabilities Statement must be clearly marked as such. Only such clearly marked proprietary information will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Interested Parties are encouraged to submit as little proprietary information as possible. The cover page of the Capabilities Statement must include the following information: company name; primary and secondary points of contact with title; telephone number, address, city, state, and country; and, if applicable, Federal Supply and/or Service Schedule information. The Capabilities Statement must address the following: 1. CORPORATE CAPABILITIES / PAST PERFORMANCE: Interested Parties should clearly describe their demonstrated experience in providing news photographs and graphics, news video and textual news wires on a 24/7 basis to multiple users around the world. Interested Parties should explain and detail their ability to provide coverage in languages in addition to English and their experience in providing coverage of breaking news. Interested Parties should also explain the procedures that they use to verify the truth of the information they report ("double-sourcing") before stories are transmitted. 2. BUDGET ESTIMATE: Interested Parties should provide a budget estimate for the provision to the Agency of a license for photographs and graphics, video and/or textual news wires in English, Spanish and Arabic, for use on multiple platforms, in multiple territories, as more fully described herein. Interested Parties may submit written questions regarding this RFI via email to Myria Carpenter, Contract Specialist, at
[email protected] by October 30, 2012. Email is only for the submission of questions Interested Parties should submit 4 (four) copies of their Capabilities Statement to: Broadcasting Board of Governors, Attention: Herman Shaw, Office of Contracts (CON), Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C St., SW., Room 4007, Washington, DC 20237. Responses must be received no later than 2 pm EST on November 16, 2012. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. NO oral, fax or email responses will be accepted. If it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government, Interested Parties responding to this Notice may be asked to provide follow-up information. A determination to compete or not to compete in a future procurement will be based on the responses to this RFI, and is solely within the discretion of the Government. This Notice is not a RFP, IFB, or RFQ.