[HCDX] Report: TV, Radio Marti Reach In Cuba 'Improving'

["Zacharias Liangas " <greekdx@xxxxxxxxx>]

Report: TV, Radio Marti Reach In Cuba 'Improving'
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_171220345.html
(CBS4) WASHINGTON The U.S. government's anti-Castro radio and 
TV stations have improved significantly in recent years after allegations 
of corruption and mismanagement, according to a draft State 
Department review of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.

The report obtained on the eve of a congressional debate over future 
Cuba-related funding cites a boost in TV Marti's signals reaching Cuba, 
but it bases those conclusions on anecdotal evidence not included in 
the report, not on independent facts.

"We're very pleased. I think it reflects the hard work that's being done 
here," said Alberto Mascaro, chief of staff for the Cuba broadcasting 
office, "and more importantly it reflects the hard work of our 
employees."

A spokeswoman for the State Department's inspector general's office, 
which conducted the review, said the agency would not comment on a 
report that had not yet been released.

Details of the report were first published in Wednesday's edition of CBS 
4 news partner The Miami Herald.

Radio and TV Marti are requesting about $34 million in next year's 
budget, down from $38 million they received last year. The Bush 
administration also requested $46 million for other Cuba-related 
programs to promote political change on the island, but a House bill 
likely headed to the floor this week slashed that to $9 million.

That makes money for the Marti stations all the more important for 
those who support the current U.S. policy toward Cuba, which has been 
under an American trade embargo for more than 40 years. The U.S. 
transmissions were designed to offer an alternative to the tightly 
controlled Cuban media.

Critics, including U.S. Reps. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Bill Delahunt, D-
Mass., have long accused the network of airing one-sided broadcasts 
and giving jobs to political allies. They also maintain the TV broadcasts 
are a waste of money because they have long been jammed by Fidel 
Castro's government.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including evaluating 
whether Marti programs recently carried on South Florida TV and radio 
stations reach Cubans. It also urged tighter security and better quality 
control to make sure Marti employees follow Voice of America 
standards.

Finally, the review urged the Cuba broadcasting office to create a long-
term plan for providing programming in a post-Castro Cuba, as well as 
how to compete now with the "Telesur" satellite broadcast, funded by 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government.

The review lauded the broadcasting office's use of a Gulfstream jet to 
beam signals into Cuba, saying it could be replicated in other parts of 
the world where governments attempt to block U.S. broadcasts.

The Cuba broadcasting office's deployment cost $10 million in 2006, 
and it plans to add another plane later this year. Both aircraft should 
cost about $6 million annually.

Although in past years, similar reviews of the stations included listener 
and viewer data, the recent audit, conducted from January through 
March, did not.

Mascaro said conducting accurate surveys of Cuban listening and 
viewing patterns is next to impossible in the communist nation.

dg

http://zlgr.multiply.com (raidio monitoring site plus audio clips )
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/302315/ (Litohoro) 321199/Tinos 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachgr    pictures upload 
.
on my main : www.geocities.com/zliangas 
-tty-px.html : test of various TTY programs
-ethics.htm    : greek ethics , days and institutions 
-frape.htm: the greek way of cofee !!! 
Zacharias Liangas , Thessaloniki Greece 
greekdx @ otenet dot gr  ---  
Pesawat penerima: ICOM R75 , Lowe HF150 , Degen 1102,1103,108,
Tecsun PL200/550, Chibo c300/c979, Yupi 7000 
Antenna: 16m hor, 2x16 m V invert, 1m australian loop 


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