May 3, 2010 - Four customers of Online Video Service, Inc. (OVS) ranked among the top eight U.S. federal government agencies for the "innovative" Open Government Plans they published on April 7, 2010, according to an audit released today from the nonprofit transparency advocacy group OpenTheGovernment.org.

The OVS customers recognized in the audit include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (#1), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (#2), U.S. Department of Transportation (#6) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (#7).  Among other factors, these agencies' plans all included an emphasis on live webcasting of public meetings and rule-making proceedings.

“We are delighted to see our customers among those federal agencies with the top ranked Open Government Plans,” commented OVS Chief Executive Officer Tim Treanor.  "This recognition is a testament not only to the openness they have pioneered to date, but also to their clear commitments to transparency, collaboration and participation going forward."

The OpenTheGovernment.org study highlighted eight federal agencies as having the "Strongest" plans, followed by 16 "Middle Ground" and five "Weakest" plans.  It was conducted by volunteers from nonprofit groups, academia, and other advocacy organizations who have experience working with federal agencies and evaluating information policies. The full audit is available at http://sites.google.com/site/opengovtplans, and the final rankings are at http://sites.google.com/site/opengovtplans/home/final-rankings-1. 

"We've always known that customers of ours like the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission bring an exemplary dedication to openness," remarked OVS Vice President for Business Development Joshua Folk.  "It's no surprise that an independent audit would applaud them publicly for meeting and exceeding the requirements of the Administration's Open Government Directive." 

The White House issued the Open Government Directive (OGD) in December 2009, calling on all federal agencies to prepare and publish open government plans by April 7.  Among other things, the OGD required each of them in the run-up to publishing a plan to solicit public input on how to be more open and accountable.  During February and March 2010, live webcasting emerged as one of the top ideas suggested by members of the public, as evidenced by online voting results. The full text and details about the OGD can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open-government-directive.

In a statement issued by OpenTheGovernment.org, some of the agencies with top rankings - such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - received "bonus points" for creating "plans that serve as models for other agencies by going beyond all OGD requirements." 

Evaluations were carried out by volunteers from the following coalition members: American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, Center for Democracy and Technology, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, OMB Watch, OpenTheGovernment.org, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Project on Government Oversight, Sunlight Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, faculty and students at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies, and a volunteer, Ted Smith.

About OpenTheGovernment.org
OpenTheGovernment.org is a coalition transcending party lines of more than 65 consumer and good government groups, librarians, environmentalists, labor, journalists, and others – focused on pushing back governmental secrecy and promoting openness. The coalition includes progressives, libertarians, and conservatives. More information is available at www.openthegovernment.org. 

About Online Video Service
Online Video Service is a recognized leader in open government solutions for U.S. federal and state government customers. Since 1999, OVS has built a proven track record for reliably and securely delivering live and on-demand public proceedings and events to key audiences through its Open Government Platform^TM and Event Webcasting division. The company understands its government customers’ unique needs to communicate effectively with stakeholders such as policy makers, businesses, voters and the news media. Find out why customers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the U.S. Department of Transportation rely on Online Video Service – visit www.onlinevideoservice.com.