Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba: Background and Issues Through 1994

Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba: Background and Issues Through 1994

Order Code 94-636 F
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba:
Background and Issues Through 1994
Updated August 30, 1994
(name redacted)
Specialist in Foreign Policy and Trade
(name redacted)
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba:
Background and Issues Through 1994
Summary
Radio Marti first began broadcasting to Cuba in 1985 while TV Marti began
broadcasting in 1990. Both programs are within the Office of Cuba Broadcasting,
United States Information Agency (USIA). Almost since the beginning, U.S.
government broadcasting to Cuba has been controversial. Supporters say a source
of news independent of the Cuban government is important, especially in the post-
Cold War climate. They say there is less print and broadcast media available now to
Cubans than ever before. Critics of U.S. government broadcasting in Cuba say it has
too much Cuban-American focus, and not enough diverse opinions. They claim that
TV Marti broadcasts entertainment rather than news and editorials, and has low
viewership because of jamming by the Cuban government and early morning time
slots–3:30 am to 6:00 am. In addition, some lawmakers have expressed concern that
the nine-person Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting, which is appointed by the
President, with confirmation by the Senate, is not rotated as was stipulated by the
legislation that created it. Thus, in recent years, the value of maintaining Cuba
broadcasting as it currently exists has come into question.
In the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Act for FY1994 (P.L. 103-121),
Congress provided funding for Radio and TV Marti, but withheld a portion for each
until the USIA Director reported to Congress (not later than July 1, 1994) on the two
programs. In issuing the report, the USIA Director was to take into account the
findings and recommendations of the newly established Advisory Panel, which was
created to study the “purpose, policies, and practices of radio and television
broadcasting to Cuba.”
The Advisory Panel first met in December 1993 and submitted its two-volume
report in March 1994. On July 8, 1994, USIA Director Joseph Duffey submitted to
Congress his response to the Panel report. The Director made a determination that
the best interests of the United States are being served by maintaining TV
broadcasting to Cuba, that maintaining television broadcasting to Cuba is technically
sound and effective, and that TV Marti broadcasting is consistently being received by
a sufficient Cuban audience to warrant its continuation.
About the same time that the reports were submitted, the FY1995 budget
funding process for Cuba Broadcasting was underway. The Administration requested
$27.6 million for FY1995 appropriations for Cuba Broadcasting, an increase of 31.4
percent over the enacted FY1994 level. The House-passed bill recommended $8.6
million for Cuba Broadcasting, with no funding for TV Marti, while the Senate bill
recommended $24.8 million for both Radio and TV Marti. In the end, the Senate
version of the bill predominated when the issue was resolved in conference, and $24.8
million was appropriated for Cuba broadcasting. Debate on whether or how much to
fund Cuban broadcasting is likely to continue into the future as long as the U.S.
budget is constrained and the size of the Cuban viewing audience is in question.

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Establishment of Radio and TV Marti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Cuba Broadcasting as Part of
U.S. Government Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Congressional Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Politicization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Broadcast Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
TV Marti’s Broadcasting Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Congressional Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
FY1994 Funding and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
FY1995 Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Advisory Panel Report and
The USIA Director’s Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Advisory Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Broadcast Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Professional Standards for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting . . . . . . 15
Future of TV Marti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Table 1. Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting:
Current Membership, Term of Office, and Party Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 2. History of Appropriations for Cuba Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba:
Background and Issues Through 1994
Introduction
Since their inception, Radio and TV Marti have attracted much controversy. In
1991, one of the findings of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy was
that TV Marti was not cost-effective when compared with other public diplomacy
programs. In 1992, GAO questioned whether TV Marti met Voice of America
broadcast standards, as required by law.1 In 1992 and 1993, news articles criticized
the effectiveness of TV Marti in reaching the Cuban audience.2 In 1993, some
Members of Congress debated the value of continuing funding it. Subsequently, the
Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for FY1994 (P.L.
103-121) established an Advisory Panel on Radio and TV Marti to determine whether
the broadcasting of these entities: (1) consistently meets standards for quality and
objectivity established by law or by USIA, (2) is cost effective, (3) is being received
by the Cuban people on a daily basis, (4) and if TV Marti is technically sound and
effective and is consistently being received by a sufficient Cuban audience to warrant
its continuation. Furthermore, the Act stipulated that appropriations would be
withheld until 30 days after the Director makes reports after consulting with the
Advisory Panel on measures that the USIA is taking with respect to recommendations
of the Panel.
On December 21, 1993, the Director of the USIA, Joseph Duffey, announced
the formation of the three-member Panel. The Panel met for the first time on
December 28, 1993 and terminated in March 1994, as soon as the report was
submitted to Congress. Generally, the Advisory Panel concluded that both Radio and
TV Marti should be continued and streamlined. As required by the FY1994
appropriations law, USIA Director Joseph Duffey submitted a response to the
findings of the Advisory Panel in July 1994, as well as his determination that TV
Marti is technically sound and effective, is consistently being received by a sufficient
Cuban audience, and is in the best interest of the United States to maintain.
At about the same time, Congress was considering the President’s $27.6 million
budget request for Cuba Broadcasting for FY1995. The House approved $8.625
1 U.S. General Accounting Office. TV Marti Costs and Compliance with Broadcast
Standards and International Agreements. May 1992. GAO/NSIAD-92-199.
2 Hockstader, Lee. “Miami Likes TV Marti; Cuba Can’t See It.” Washington Post, April
16, 1992; Rohter, Larry. “Miami’s Cuban Exiles May Lose TV Station.” New York Times,
July 10, 1993.

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million, about $19 million below the request and $12.4 million less than current
funding of $21 million; the House recommended no funding for TV Marti. The
Senate, however, set funding closer to the Administration request– at $24.8 million
for both Radio and TV Marti. In the end, the Senate version of the bill predominated
and $24.8 million was appropriated for Cuba broadcasting (P.L. 103-317).
This report provides a legislative history and funding levels for Cuba
Broadcasting. It discusses specific concerns some lawmakers have had with Radio
and TV Marti over the years, and presents the Panel’s recommendations and the
USIA Director’s response and determinations, as required by the FY1994
appropriations act.
Establishment of Radio and TV Marti
Since the early 1960s, U.S. policy toward Cuba has consisted largely of isolating
the island nation through a comprehensive trade embargo.3 When Fidel Castro came
to power in 1959 and began to build a Communist dictatorship, U.S.–Cuban relations
deteriorated sharply. The Kennedy Administration broke U.S. diplomatic relations
with Cuba in 1961 after Cuba demanded that U.S. Embassy staff be reduced to a
skeleton crew. The United States subsequently sponsored the ill-fated Bay of Pigs
invasion by anti-Castro Cubans in 1961, and in 1962 imposed a comprehensive trade
embargo on Cuba because of Castro’s expropriation, without compensation, of U.S.
properties in Cuba. Tensions peaked in October 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis
when the Soviet Union attempted to install offensive missile sites in Cuba.
In the early to mid-1970s, there was some movement toward normalization of
relations, but in the late 1970s, Cuba’s military involvement in Africa and its support
for revolutionary groups in the Caribbean Basin region halted any movement toward
improved relations. In the 1980s, U.S.-Cuban relations remained tense because of
Cuba’s support for revolutionary movements abroad.
It was in this environment that in late September 1983, Congress approved
specialized U.S. Voice of America (VOA) programming for Cuba with passage of the
Radio Broadcasting to Cuba Act (P.L. 98-111).4 According to the legislation, while
the VOA was already broadcasting to Cuba, “there is a need for broadcasts to Cuba
which provide news, commentary and other information about the events in Cuba and
elsewhere to promote the cause of freedom in Cuba.” As a result of the legislation,
Radio Marti – named for 19th century Cuban nationalist hero Jose Marti – began
broadcasting to Cuba on May 20, 1985.
3 For a discussion of U.S.-Cuban relations and current legislative action, see CRS Issue Brief
94005, Cuba: Issues for Congress, by (name redacted).
4 The measure, which was passed by the Senate on September 13, 1983 (voice vote) and by
the House on September 29 (302-109) was signed into law October 4, 1983. The Reagan
Administration had first requested the creation of specialized radio broadcasting for Cuba in
legislation introduced in 1981, but the final measure was approved only after nearly two years
of intense debate and significant compromise. For further details, see: U.S. Congress. House.
Committee on Foreign Affairs. Congress and Foreign Policy 1983. p. 55.

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In 1987, just two years after Radio Marti’s first broadcast, Congress approved
funding for a study on the feasibility of establishing a U.S. government television
service to Cuba in order to increase the free flow of information into that country.
Congress then authorized and provided money for startup operations and testing of
television broadcasting to Cuba in 1988 in the FY1989 State Department
appropriations measure (P.L. 100-459, H.R. 4782). In 1990, Congress authorized the
establishment of TV Marti when it approved the Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act
as part of the State Department authorization measure for FY1990 and FY1991 (P.L.
101-246, H.R. 3793). Television broadcasting to Cuba began in March 1990 on an
experimental basis and then began regular operations in August 1990. The broadcasts
originate in Washington and are transmitted to Cudjoe Key, Florida, by satellite. The
broadcasts are then beamed to Cuba after being uplinked to a transmitter in an
aerostat.
In order for the FY1990-FY1991 funding of TV Marti to go forward, the
legislation called for the President to determine that the testing of TV Marti
demonstrated television broadcasting to Cuba was feasible and would not cause
objectionable interference with the broadcasts of Cuban licenses. President Bush
made the required determination in August 1990 (Presidential Determination No. 90-
35) which allowed TV Marti to continue beyond its testing phase.
Under the legislation authorizing Radio Marti, a nine-member Advisory Board
for Cuba Broadcasting (originally called the Board for Radio Broadcasting) was
created. It has the task of reviewing the effectiveness of Radio and TV Marti and
making any recommendations it may consider necessary. The Board’s members are
appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, with not
more than five members of the same political party and with the President designating
one member of the Board to serve as chairperson. The Act stipulated that the initial
Board members were to stagger rotation off the Board in one, two or three years, as
designated. Thereafter, Board member terms would be three years. The legislation
also states that any board member whose term has expired may serve until the
President appoints a successor.
Cuba Broadcasting as Part of
U.S. Government Broadcasting
Currently, the United States government supports general broadcasting, such as
Voice of America (VOA), and surrogate broadcasting, such as Cuba Broadcasting
(Radio and TV Marti) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).5 RFE/RL
5 Government foreign broadcasting operations are divided into two basic types of services.
Both provide news and information. “Surrogate” broadcasting services usually target
countries where repressive governments prohibit the existence of a free and independent
media. “General” broadcasting services tend to emphasize information, perspectives, policies
and the culture of the broadcasting nation. Radio and TV Marti, Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty are examples of surrogate broadcasting; Voice of America is an example of general
broadcasting.

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is independent of a U.S. government agency,6 while Cuba Broadcasting has always
been within USIA’s Bureau of Broadcasting. Figure 1 shows how Radio and TV
Marti, under the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, organizationally fit into the larger
picture of U.S. government international broadcasting. (For more information on
U.S. government international broadcasting, see CRS Report 94-29, International
Broadcasting: Consolidation of U.S. Radio Services.)
Figure 1. Components of U.S. Government
International Broadcasting
U.S.
Govern-
ment
Board for
United States Information Agency
International
Broadcasting
Bureau of Broadcasting
RFE/RL, Inc.
Office of
Office
Office of
Television
of
Cuba
Radio Free
Radio
(Worldnet)
Radio
Broadcasting
Europe
Liberty
(VOA)
Radio Marti
Radio
and
Free
TV Marti
Afghani-
stan
6 The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (P.L. 103-236)
requires that RFE/RL be privatized by December 31, 1999, and that after September 30, 1995
Government grants can be made to RFE/RL only if its governing board is the Board of
Governors, not the current governing body, Board for International Broadcasting (BIB).

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Congressional Concerns
Over the years Members of Congress have debated the merits of the United
States broadcasting to Cuba. Congressional concerns about Radio and TV Marti
have included the following: politicization of the Advisory Board for Cuba
Broadcasting; meeting VOA broadcast standards; and audience size and accessibility
of TV Marti broadcasts to Cubans.
Politicization
Concerns about politicization at Radio and TV Marti have centered around the
role of the Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting and its controversial chairman,
Jorge Mas Canosa. Many are concerned about the lack of turnover of the Board
members and the chairman, as was intended by the originating legislation. As
illustrated in Table 1, the terms of all Board members, including the chairman, will
have expired by the end of October 1994. Some critics claim that the lack of turnover
is due to a lack of willingness on the part of past and current Administrations to
change the composition of the Board. They say that the conservative Mas Canosa has
attempted to use his influence to gain control of the radio station so that it could be
used to propagate the views of the Cuban American National Foundation, a Cuban
exile organization founded by Mas Canosa in 1981. Some have argued further that
Mas Canosa is using his position to promote himself as the next Cuban leader after
Castro.
Former Radio Marti Director Ernesto Betancourt maintains that he was ousted
from his position in 1990 because of his alleged opposition to TV Marti and because
Mas Canosa claimed to have lost control of Radio Marti.7 In a 1994 statement,
Betancourt stated that his ouster “opened the floodgates for the politicization of the
station, dragging it into exile politics and seriously weakening its editorial integrity.”8
Mas Canosa maintains that he has never tried to use Radio Marti for personal or
foundation propaganda.9 At the time, a USIA spokesman stated that Betancourt was
being reassigned to fill a critical need for the position of director of a USIA research
office, a position which Betancourt declined.10
Betancourt urges abolishing the Advisory Board contending that it has “lost the
trust of Congress,” has been “caught in a conflict of interest and has become part of
the problem and not of the solution.” Betancourt asserts that “these stations should
7 Parker, Laura. “Radio Marti Director Ousted as Exiles Discuss Returning to Cuba.”
Washington Post. March 13, 1990. p. A3.
8 Report of the Advisory Panel on Radio Marti and TV Marti. Volume 2, Statements to the
Panel, March 1994 [hereafter cited as Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2]. Statement of
Ernesto Betancourt.
9 Parker, Laura. “Radio Marti Director Ousted as Exiles Discuss Returning to Cuba.”
Washington Post. March 13, 1990. p. A3.
10 Price, Joyce. “Troika to Head Radio Marti after Director is Reassigned.” Washington
Times. March 19, 1990. p. A5.

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not be platforms for a political afterlife in post-Castro Cuba.” If the Advisory Board
were not abolished, he recommends that it should at least be renewed with a broader
representation, “including members of, but not dominated by, the Cuban-American
community,” with “no figure politically active among exile groups.”11
Another concern expressed by some observers is for the Board’s membership to
be more balanced, with a broad gamut of Cuban American viewpoints represented.
The current membership of the Advisory Board consists of five Republicans, three
Democrats and one Independent. It has been chaired by Mas Canosa since its
establishment. Many seem to concur that more diverse views are needed. Some
believe that Mas Canosa should rotate off the Board entirely; some believe he should
resign the chairmanship of the Advisory Board, but still remain as a Board member
because of his experience.12
Table 1. Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting:
Current Membership, Term of Office, and Party Affiliation
Date
Term
Party
Member
Appointed or
Length
Expiration
Affiliation
Reappointed
(Years)
Jorge Mas Canosa
10/15/86a
3
08/12/89
R
(Chairman)
Clair Burgener
12/02/91
3
10/27/94
R
Jose Costa
11/21/91b
3
10/27/94
R
Christopher Coursen
06/18/91
3
10/27/93
R
William Geoghegan
03/25/91
3
10/27/92
D
Joseph Glennon
11/21/91c
3
10/27/94
R
Majorie Kampelman
10/28/88d
3
12/20/91
D
Salvador Lew
03/11/92
2
03/10/94
I
Charles Tyroler
11/21/91
1
10/27/92
D
R=Republican, D=Democrat, I=Independent
a Mr. Mas Canosa has served as Chairman since he was confirmed by the Senate on August 8, 1984.
b Mr. Costa has served on the Board since he was confirmed by the Senate on October 10, 1988.
c Mr. Glennon has served on the Board since he was confirmed by the Senate on October 25, 1985.
d Ms. Kampelman has served on the Board since she was confirmed by the Senate on December 19,
1987.
Sources: Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting, June 1994. Dates of original Senate confirmation
were obtained from the Congressional Record.
11 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement of Ernesto Betancourt.
12 For example, see statement of Carlos Alberto Montaner in Advisory Panel Report, Volume
2.

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Broadcast Standards
Closely related to the question of politicization of Cuba Broadcasting is the issue
of broadcasting standards of Radio and TV Marti. Some of the concerns that have
been raised by observers and by some Members of Congress include: broadcasting
too much Cuban-American news, too much entertainment and not enough news, a
lack of editorials offering a wide variety of views, and a lack of on-air corrections of
broadcasting errors.
In May 1992, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report on TV
Marti’s compliance with broadcast standards.13 As part of the study, the GAO
employed three consultants to watch broadcasts and assess program quality and
compliance with Voice of America standards that broadcasts be objective, accurate,
balanced, and present a variety of views. According to the report, two of the three
consultants “believed that the broadcasts related to Cuba and the Cuban-American
community lacked balance and did not meet established Voice of America standards.
The other consultant believed that the broadcasts generally met the standards but that
improvements were needed.” In addition, the report noted that “TV Marti’s in-house
critics also observed that some broadcasts might not meet standards.” GAO
recommended that the USIA Director instruct VOA to institute procedures to ensure
that TV Marti’s broadcasts meet established VOA standards. With regard to Radio
Marti, in October 1992, GAO staff met with officials of USIA’s Bureau of
Broadcasting about allegations that Radio Marti broadcasts did not meet VOA
standards and suggested that the Bureau consider establishing an external review
committee. In order to implement the GAO recommendations, the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting established External Review Panels to review Radio and TV Marti’s
news and programming. Concern has surfaced, however, regarding the objectivity of
the External Review Panels, since they are selected by the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting.
A long-time Radio Marti staff member, J. Richard Planas, recently stated “that
there is significant politicization of news and information within Radio Marti to the
extent that we may need to consider if Radio Marti is doing both the Cuban people
and U.S. foreign policy a disservice.” According to Planas, Radio Marti editorial
“guidelines are routinely ignored in deliberate attempts to favor a specific political
agenda.” The agenda consists of: stressing commentaries that are critical and derisive
of the Cuban regime, while downplaying favorable evaluations and statements of
support toward Cuba; stressing the “hard line” policy toward Cuba while downplaying
criticism of the U.S. embargo or views favoring negotiations with Castro; presenting
favorable aspects of Cuban American political leaders who support the “hard line”
policy while downplaying or even censoring criticism of these leaders; emphasizing
the deficiencies of the Cuban regime while de-emphasizing its accomplishments; and
favoring broadcasts of opinions and views about, or calls for, the imminent fall of the
Cuban regime. 14
13 U.S. General Accounting Office. TV Marti, Costs and Compliance with Broadcast
Standards and International Agreements. May 1992. GAO/NSIAD-92-199.
14 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement of J. Richard Planas.

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Former Director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Antonio Navarro, maintains
that over the past three years “Radio Marti has drastically increased the volume of
news and information as well as the diversity of responsible opinions in its
programming” and that “no one person, organization or viewpoint dominates or
controls any aspect of Radio or TV Marti.”15
In early June, because of the numerous allegations regarding the management of
the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the
House Government Operations Committee’s Legislation and National Security
Subcommittee, wrote to USIA Director Duffey. Representative Conyers expressed
concerns about: alleged political bias which is reportedly undermining the accuracy
and objectivity of broadcasts to Cuba; alleged retaliation against employees in the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting who have criticized this political bias; and alleged
cronyism whereby new employees have been hired not for their expertise, but because
of their connections to influential individuals.16 Depending on Director Duffey’s
response to Representatives Conyers letter (which was requested by June 20, 1994,
but reportedly has not yet been received), the Subcommittee may hold hearings to
investigate the allegations.17
TV Marti’s Broadcasting Audience
Another fundamental concern for many observers, including Members of
Congress, is whether TV Marti is actually being viewed in Cuba. Two reasons for
low viewership are (1) the ratification by both the United States and Cuba of the
International Telecommunications Convention which requires that TV stations be
established so as not to interfere with other nations’ broadcasts. To comply with this
treaty, U.S. broadcasts in Cuba must be scheduled from 3:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.; and
(2) the constant and effective jamming of the broadcasts by the Cuban government.
A 1991 report issued by the President’s Task Force on U.S. government
International Broadcasting noted that TV Marti is impeded “because it is forced to
broadcast during a time period when there are few viewers.” The Task Force report
recommended that “the U.S. government should view this as a matter of high priority
and should act with vigor to try to gain better broadcast hours,” but also asserted that
“if it is not possible to change and extend the hours of broadcasting to reach a larger
audience, the service should be terminated.”18 In March 1994, the Chairman of the
Task Force, John Hughes, stated that the Task Force probably had the same views as
in the 1991 report, and characterized the 1991 report as concluding “that it was
15 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement of Antonio Navarro.
16 Letter from Representative John Conyers, Jr., to USIA Director Joseph Duffey, June 7,
1994.
17 Television conversation with Representative Conyers’ staff, July 28, 1994.
18 U.S. Department of State. The Report of the President’s Task Force on U.S. Government
International Broadcasting. December 1991. p. 15.

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pointless and wasteful to continue TV Marti’s operations, unless the viewing audience
in Cuba could be substantially expanded.”19
In large part because of the viewership problems, the U.S. Advisory Commission
on Public Diplomacy20 stated in a 1991 report “that TV Marti is not cost-effective at
the present time when compared with other public diplomacy programs of proven
value.”21 In 1993, the Commission reiterated its statement that TV Marti was not
cost effective, and recommended that “it should be shut down and its resources
directed to productive public diplomacy activities.” The report noted that despite
sizeable funding, “consistent and effective Cuban jamming has resulted in only trace
audiences for TV Marti’s programs.”22
Congressional Funding
Every two years, Congress authorizes appropriations for State Department,
USIA and broadcasting entities, including the Office of Cuba Broadcasting within the
USIA as part of the Foreign Relations Authorizations Act. Annually, Congress passes
appropriations for USIA within the Commerce, Justice, State and Related
Appropriations Act. Figure 2 illustrates the funding level of Radio and TV Marti
compared to funding for other U.S. government-funded international broadcasts.
Because of congressional concerns about Cuba Broadcasting, there have been
attempts by some Members to cut back or curtail funding for either one or both
broadcasting operations. Nevertheless, until FY1994 both programs have been
funded at levels similar to those requested by the Administration. Table 2 shows the
historical record of congressional appropriations for Cuba Broadcasting, including the
number of positions funded. Table 3 shows the actual Radio and TV Marti
expenditures.
19 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement of John Hughes, Chairman, The President’s
Task Force on U.S. Government International Broadcasting.
20 As set forth in the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act, P.L.80-402, the seven-
member commission is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, to represent the public interest, to formulate and recommend policies and programs
for USIA, and to appraise the effectiveness of USIA policies and programs.
21 U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. 1991 Report. p. 42.
22 U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. 1993 Report. pp. 36, 44.

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Figure 2. Funds Available for U.S. Government International Radio
and Television Broadcasting in 1993
(in millions) *
*
Funds for U.S. government international broadcasting in FY1993 total $844 million. Amounts
reflect FY1993 appropriations plus carryover balances. The ratio of radio to television is $800
million to $44 million – or 18 to 1.
Source: U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy 1993 Annual Report, p. 43.
Table 2. History of Appropriations for Cuba Broadcasting
Fiscal Years
Funds ($ in thousands)
Domestic Positions
1984
$10,000
178
1985
8,500
187
1986
10,240
187
1987
12,759
185
1988
12,759
181
1989*
18,675
184
1990*
28,428
320
1991
31,069
320
1992
38,988
320
1993
28,531
317
1994
21,000
288
1995
24,809
262
* The figures shown for FY1989 and FY1990 include funds appropriated for the TV Marti
program as transfers from the Radio Construction account – FY1989=$7,500,000 and
FY1990=$15,891,000.
Source: USIA, Program and Budget in Brief, various years, USIA Congressional
Presentation, FY1995, and Congressional Record, June 27, 1994.

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Table 3. Annual Obligations for Radio and TV Marti*
(actual obligations in $ millions)
Fiscal Years
Radio Marti
Television Marti
1984
3.382
–
1985
14.823
–
1986
11.473
–
1987
12.880
–
1988
11.900
–
1989
12.778
1.464
1990
12.481
10.662
1991
15.538
16.641
1992
16.628
16.515
1993
15.892
12.658
1994
14.000
7.000
1995
13.167
11.642
Total
154.942
76.582
* Obligations are defined as an order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar
transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future
period.
Source: Office of the Comptroller, U.S. Information Agency, March 1, 1994.
FY1994 Funding and Conditions
In the Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of
FY1994 (P.L. 103-121, signed into law October, 27, 1993), Congress withheld $7.5
million for the two programs pending a report by the Advisory Panel on Radio and
TV Marti, also established by the 1994 law. The Panel was created to study “the
purposes, policies, and practices of radio and television broadcasting to Cuba.” The
legislation called for the Advisory Panel to issue a report containing a statement of its
findings and conclusions and containing specific findings and recommendations with
respect to: whether such broadcasting consistently meets the standards for quality and
objectivity established by law or by USIA; whether such broadcasting is cost effective;
the extent to which such broadcasting is already being received by the Cuban people
on a daily basis from credible sources; and whether TV Marti broadcasting is
technically sound and effective and is consistently being received by a sufficient Cuban
audience to warrant its continuation.
The law called for the USIA Director to submit a report to Congress, not later
than July 1, 1994, on “his recommendations as to whether TV Marti broadcasting is

CRS-12
technically sound and effective and is consistently being received by a sufficient Cuban
audience to warrant its continuation and whether the interests of the United States are
better served by maintaining television broadcasting to Cuba, by terminating television
broadcasting to Cuba and strengthening radio broadcasting to Cuba or by funding
other activities related to promoting democracy in Cuba authorized by law.” In
formulating the report, the USIA Director was to consult with the Board for
International Broadcasting and take into account any relevant recommendations of
the Advisory Panel.
The law withholds $5 million for Radio Marti until 30 days after the USIA
Director reports to Congress (not later than July 1, 1994) on what specific measures
the USIA is taking with respect to the recommendations of the Advisory Panel. With
regard to TV Marti, the law withholds $2.5 million until after the USIA Director
submits his report. After that time, funds shall only be available for the orderly
termination of television broadcasting to Cuba unless the Director of USIA
determines, in his report to Congress, “that maintaining television broadcasting to
Cuba is technically sound and effective, is consistently being received by a sufficient
Cuban audience to warrant its continuation, and is in the best interests of the United
States.” (See discussion below for the results of the Advisory Panel study and USIA
determination.)
FY1995 Funding
In the Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of
FY1995 (P.L. 103-317, signed into law August 26, 1994), Congress appropriated
$24.809 million for Radio and TV Marti, overcoming a House attempt to eliminate
funding for TV Marti and substantially reducing funding for Radio Marti. The
Administration had requested a funding level of $27.609 million for the two programs,
with $15.167 for Radio Marti and $12.442 million for TV Marti.
On June 27, 1994, the House passed the Commerce, Justice, State and Related
Agencies Appropriations for FY1995, H.R. 4603, which eliminated funds for TV
Marti and provided $8.625 million for Radio Marti, 43% less than the budget request
of $15.167 million. According to the House Appropriations Committee report to the
bill (H.Rept. 103-552): “In light of the findings of the Advisory Panel on Radio and
TV Marti that at the present time TV Marti cannot be considered cost effective, and
the Committee not being inclined to fund in any way broadcasting enhancements to
make TV Marti cost effective, the Committee is denying funding for TV Marti for
fiscal year 1995.”
With regard to the cutback in funding for Radio Marti, the House Appropriations
Committee stated that “it intends that Radio Broadcasting to Cuba reduce its
operations by approximately one-third to bring its resources more in line with
commercial radio stations in the United States.” The Committee noted that the
amount recommended for Radio Marti funding is “84 percent more than the average
for a private sector commercial radio station.” The Committee further stated that it
“recognizes the value of providing news and information to the people of Cuba that
is balanced” and “urges” the USIA Director “to ensure that Radio Marti’s broadcasts
meet these criteria and that they comply fully with established Voice of America
broadcast quality standards.”

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On July 22, 1994, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 4603, which would
provide $24.809 million for Radio and TV Marti, about 10% less than the
Administration’s request. The Senate Appropriations Committee stated in its report
to the bill (Senate Report 103-309) that it “unequivocally rejects the House bill’s
action to eliminate funding for TV Marti,” and “believes that TV Marti is an integral
part of the United States’ effort to get objective news, commentary, and other
uncensored information directly to the Cuban people.” The Committee recommended
providing $1.2 million to convert TV Marti from VHF to UHF, as called for by the
Advisory Panel, and noted that its overall funding level for Radio and TV Marti
“reflects efficiencies in the Cuban broadcasting services.”
An amendment offered on the Senate floor by Senator Baucus to eliminate TV
Marti generated debate on whether or not TV Marti is cost-effective. It was
ultimately withdrawn, however, after Senator Mack introduced a perfecting
amendment that, instead of eliminating funds for TV Marti, would have condemned
the Cuban government for the deliberate sinking of a tugboat filled with Cubans
(including many women and children) trying to escape Cuba.
In the end, the Senate predominated in conference on H.R. 4603 with regard to
Cuba broadcasting, and Congress appropriated $24.809 million for both programs.
Advisory Panel Report and
The USIA Director’s Response
The report of the Advisory Panel on Radio Marti and TV Marti, issued in March
1994, “concluded that despite the obstacles, interference and shortcomings which
have hampered both Radio and TV Marti, the United States interest is served by their
continuing to air.” Nevertheless, the Advisory Panel made 14 specific
recommendations for streamlining operations, reforming supervisory structures of the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and improving U.S. broadcasts to Cuba. (See Appendix
for a listing of the 14 recommendations along with the USIA Director’s responses to
the recommendation.)
The July 1994 response of the USIA Director to the Advisory Panel report
agreed with most of the Panel’s recommendations. USIA Director Duffy agreed with
the Panel that Radio Marti has an important role as a “unique source of trustworthy,
uncensored information for significant numbers of Cubans,” and he stated that USIA
has already begun to put into effect many of the Panel’s recommendations which “will
help bring greater professionalism, diversification, and balance to Radio Marti’s
programming.” With regard to TV Marti, the USIA Director agreed with the Panel’s
recommendation that it continue, and asserted that while Cuban jamming of the
broadcasts and its inconvenient early morning broadcast hours have kept audiences
small, “it does seen clear, however, that a significant number of Cuban citizens have
attempted to tune in to these broadcasts and are interested in their content.”
According to the USIA Director, his response was written after “careful
consideration” of the Panel report and after consultation with an Executive Branch
Interagency Working Group on U.S.-Cuban policy. The Director also asserted that

CRS-14
his findings were “guided by statements of the President and legislative actions by the
United States Congress.”
Some Members of Congress expressed concern that the Advisory Panel was
created to review specific operational issues of radio and television broadcasting to
Cuba and therefore went beyond its mandate in issuing its recommendations.
Representative David Skaggs noted in a statement submitted to the Advisory Panel
that “Congress has specifically directed the Panel to scrutinize Radio and TV Marti
with regards to program quality and objectivity, cost-effectiveness, and the extent to
which news and information is already available in Cuba on a daily basis through
commercial broadcast sources,” as well as “whether TV Marti is technically sound
and effective and is consistently being received by a sufficient Cuban audience to
warrant its continuation.” He expressed concern that the recommendations of TV
Marti supporters to make TV Marti more resistant to jamming – like converting from
VHF to UHF –“ignore the overriding questions of feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and
legality that remain.”23
Other Members maintain that the Advisory Panel was correct in taking a broad
interpretation of its mandate, and point out that the legislation establishing the Panel
called for it to study the “purposes, policies and practices of radio and television
broadcasting to Cuba.” As noted by Senator Ernest Hollings in a letter to the
Advisory Panel, “it was never our intent to have the Advisory Panel conduct solely
a narrow, technical review of these programs.”24 In testimony before the Advisory
Panel, Representative Robert Torricelli asserted that “Congress not only expected a
report on the technical effectiveness of broadcasting to Cuba, but also an evaluation
of the overall effectiveness of these two institutions as vehicles to promote democracy
in Cuba.”25
Advisory Board. The Panel report had two recommendations regarding the
Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting. First, the Panel recommended that the
chairperson and the members of the Advisory Board be rotated every three years, and
the USIA Director endorsed this recommendation in his response. USIA Director
Duffey noted that there has not been significant turnover of the Board. He noted that
under three Administration just 14 people have served on the nine-member Board, but
the Director also pointed out that the terms of all the Board’s members will be up this
year.
The second Panel recommendation regarding the Advisory Board was that it
should be a consultative body not involved in day-to-day broadcasting operations or
in the recruitment or promotion of personnel. The USIA Director supported this
recommendation to limit the scope of the Advisory Board and noted that the Board
already has a legislative mandate to work through appropriate channels. The
legislation provides that the Board is to review the effectiveness of Radio and TV
23 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement of Representative David E. Skaggs.
24 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Letter of Senator Ernest Hollings to the Advisory Panel.
25 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Testimony of Representative Robert G. Torricelli.

CRS-15
Marti and make recommendations to the President and to Director and Associate
Director for Broadcasting of USIA.
Broadcast Standards. The Panel report made numerous recommendations to
improve the broadcast standards of Radio and TV Marti. These included: clarifying
editorial decision-making; broadcasting daily editorials; broadcasting corrections;
working to balance broadcasts (with a view toward concentrating on news and
information and adjusting the amount of programming devoted to the Cuban
American community); changing the current practice of having the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting select the members of External Review Panels and the material they
select to review; producing video reports; and broadcasting news on satellite at prime
time. The USIA Director’s report to Congress responded in detail about how the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting is implementing the broadcast standard
recommendations of the Advisory Panel (see Appendix).
Professional Standards for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting .The Panel
made a recommendation to review the Office of Cuba Broadcasting’s personnel
recruitment and supervision standards to ensure that appropriate professional
standards are met consistently. In response, the USIA Director reported that the
Bureau of Broadcasting was taking measures to ensure professional standards.
Director Duffey pointed out that the measures being implemented originated from a
1993 review conducted by the USIA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) that was
released in May 1994.26
Future of TV Marti. The Panel concluded that TV Marti’s broadcasts are
technically sound and contain essential information not otherwise available to the
Cuban people. The Panel reported “Cuban jamming prevents those broadcasts from
being received by any substantial number of Cubans,” and as a result, “TV Marti
cannot now be considered cost-effective” by the usual economic criteria.
Nevertheless, the Panel asserted that “the Cuban people have an ardent desire and a
genuine need to receive the programming produced by TV Marti,” and therefore
recommended that TV Marti be converted from the current VHF to UHF
transmission. This would require funding, but would allow broadcasting throughout
the day, and would be more difficult for the Cuban government to jam. While the
Panel did acknowledge that many Cubans do not own TVs with UHF reception
capability, more and more TVs in Cuba are coming from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,
26 The OIG review examined allegations that 10 Radio Marti employees were unqualified for
their positions or biased in favor of Cuban Marxists and Socialists, and an allegation that
Radio Marti’s news director could not speak fluent English, as required for the position. With
regard to the 10 employees, the OIG report determined that they were qualified, and pointed
out that an External Review Panel had recently reported that Radio Marti programming was
generally well presented and relevant to the Cuban audience. Nevertheless, the OIG found
that the process of selecting broadcasts for review should be improved. With regard to the
news director, the OIG verified the allegation that the news director could not speak fluent
English and found that the news director’s appointments were inconsistent with the Office of
Cuba Broadcasting’s excepted service personnel policies. Consequently, OIG recommended
that written policies be established for all excepted service personnel actions, and that the
news director’s appointments be reviewed.

CRS-16
China, and Europe. Therefore, future viewership would be expected to increase with
UHF transmission.
The Panel suggested that eliminating TV Marti would send a message to the
Cuban government and people that the United States is not committed to democracy
and human rights promotion. Furthermore, the Panel asserted that in the event of a
crisis or upheaval in Cuba’s future, it would be important to have TV Marti available
as a news source. Research presented to the Panel indicated that at moments of
severe crisis, people turn to television first. In the event of a crisis, if TV Marti were
not already operating, it would take several months or more to begin operations.
In a dissenting view, Chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting,
Daniel Mica, stated to the Advisory Panel “that TV Marti is an experiment that should
be shelved for the time being,” but suggested that broadcasts to Cuba could be
resumed in the future “when there is a greater chance for technical success, assuming
such resumption is still warranted by U.S. foreign policy concerns.”27 Several other
witnesses to the Advisory Panel, while favoring the concept of television broadcasting
to Cuba, believe that the station should be shut down unless there are changes to
increase viewership.
In his July 1994 response to the Advisory Panel report, USIA Director Duffy
strongly supported TV Marti, maintaining that the best interests of the United States
are being served by its continuation. The Director also maintained that television
broadcasting to Cuba is technically sound and effective, and that it is consistently
being received by a sufficient Cuban audience to warrant its continuation. In
justifying his finding about a sufficient Cuban audience, Director Duffey cited a
December 1993 USIA Office of Research survey of Cubans visiting the U.S. Interests
Section in Havana. The survey showed that while 4 percent of the Cubans surveyed
reported regularly watching the signal for more than five minutes, 38 percent reported
attempting to tune in. According to Duffey, “TV Marti’s inability to reach larger
audiences in Cuba is not the result of any deficiency on the part of TV Marti, but
rather the political decision on the part of the Cuban regime to deny the Cuban people
access to free news and information.”
27 Advisory Panel Report, Volume 2. Statement by Daniel A. Mica, Chairman of the Board
for International Broadcasting.

CRS-17
Appendix
The Advisory Panel made 14 specific recommendations to which the USIA
Director responded:28
(1) Down-size management–The Panel questioned the need to spend more than
$1 million to compensate officials who supervise, but never become involved in the
actual broadcasts. The Director stated that the Office of Cuba Broadcasting has
proposed reducing management and production costs that will result in a $4 million
saving by the end of FY1995. Supervisory positions are being reduced by 20 percent
in Radio and TV Marti, he said.
(2) Review personnel management–The Panel recommended personnel
recruitment standards be consistently met. Especially of concern to the Panel was that
those in charge of news and programs be fluent in both Spanish and English.
According to the Director, measures to improve personnel standards are currently
underway.
(3) Clarify editorial decision-making–The Panel recommended that the Office
of Cuba Broadcasting simplify its cumbersome editorial guidelines and provide for a
single, official line of authority for editorial decisions. The Director stated that he has
established a single line of authority for editorial decisionmaking.
(4) Broadcast daily editorials–The Panel encouraged the addition of editorials
on both Radio and TV Marti, asserting that such editorials would help to build a
sturdier wall between news and policy. The Director responded by saying that
editorial decisions are currently made in a daily meeting in the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting. Mr. Duffey stated he is reviewing the possibility of strengthening
VOA’s editorial production on Cuba and U.S.-Latin American relations for use by
the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
(5) Broadcast corrections–The Panel urged daily corrections that would
enhance the credibility of the broadcasts. The Director’s response stated that
corrections will be broadcast as soon as possible after the error is discovered,
usually within the same or next broadcast cycle.
(6) Balance programming–The Panel expressed the belief that a reduction of
entertainment programming and Cuban-American news would enhance the balance
of both Radio and TV Marti broadcasts. Director Duffey stated that Director of the
Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Richard Lobo, already has introduced programming
changes to achieve greater balance. The VOA Handbook establishes requirements
regarding balanced reporting that will be applied to the Office of Cuba
Broadcasting. He went on to say that in the past three years, Radio and TV Marti
have increased the amount of news and informative programming, the proportion of
28 Report of the Advisory Panel on Radio Marti and TV Marti, Volume 1, Findings and
Conclusions, March 1994 [hereafter cited as Advisory Panel Report, Volume 1]; and USIA
Director’s Response to the Report of the Advisory Panel on Radio Marti and TV Marti, July
8, 1994.

CRS-18
news from and about Cuba, and participation in programs by Cubans living on the
island.
(7) Modify external review procedures–The Panel disagreed with the current
practice that the Office of Cuba Broadcasting selects the External Review Panels and
the materials they review. The Director stated that the USIA is currently reviewing
its process for program selection for the Radio Marti External Review Panel and is
developing a plan of action to be completed by September 30, 1994 to ensure
independence. The Director said that current methods for selection of External
Review Panels were approved by the Bureau of Broadcasting and USIA, and satisfy
criticism made by the General Accounting Office.
(8) Reduce live radio broadcasting–The Panel recommended that Radio Marti
could reduce costs and editorial error without significantly limiting the information
made available to listeners by reducing the current 24 hour schedule of live
broadcasting to 18 hours. The Director corrected the statement that Radio Marti
broadcasts live for 24 hours each day. He stated that live broadcasting is limited to
seven hours a day with the exception of brief hourly newscasts from 5:00 a.m. to
2:15 a.m. the following day. The rest of the time consists of pre-recorded
broadcasting.
(9) Convert TV Marti to UHF–The Panel asserted that TV Marti should
convert to UHF transmission to allow for broadcasting during prime time and to
increase the difficulty in jamming by the Cuban government. Researching this concept
would require about one year, according to the Panel. The Director believed that
more research on converting TV Marti to UHF is necessary before investing in it.
If research concludes that transferring to UHF would make a significant positive
difference in the effectiveness of TV Marti, the Director advised asking Congress for
support at that time.
(10) Reduce TV Marti broadcasting during transition to UHF–Such a
reduction in broadcasting would keep the TV in operation, but reduce costs while
researching the transition to UHF. The Director responded by stating that if this
recommendation was made for cost savings, the impact would be small. Currently
TV Marti repeats a half hour newscast three times daily. The difference if changed
to repeating a fifteen minute newscast four times daily would be negligible, he said.
He went on to say that contrary to some perceptions, TV Marti broadcasts are almost
exclusively news and information.
(11) Produce video reports–During the transition to UHF, TV Marti should
explore the possibility of producing videotape documentaries and features for
distribution in Cuba. Mr. Duffey stated that TV Marti’s Programs Department is
currently producing and has produced several documentaries for broadcast on TV
Marti. He cautions that the Cuban recipients of these tapes run a risk of prosecution
under the Enemy Propaganda Act of the Cuban Government.
(12) Broadcast news at prime time–The Panel encouraged TV Marti to
consider broadcasting its hour of newscast on satellite during prime time. The
Director is currently exploring the possibility of this scheduling change with USIA’s
Telecommunications Directorate.

CRS-19
(13) Rotate chairperson and members of the Advisory Board for Cuba
Broadcasting–The Panel recommended that the chairperson and the members of the
Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting be rotated every three years, as was originally
intended in the legislation. The Director agreed with this recommendation, saying
that there has not been significant turnover of the Board under the past three
Administrations.
(14) Limit scope of the Advisory Board–The Panel expressed the belief that
the Advisory Board should have consultative and not broadcasting functions, nor be
involved in recruitment or promotion of personnel functions. The Director stated he
expects the Board to follow its mandate and implement it through the appropriate
channels. According to the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba legislation, the Advisory
Board for Cuba Broadcasting “shall review the effectiveness of the activities carried
out under the act and the Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act and shall make such
recommendations to the President and the Broadcasting Board of Governors as it
may consider necessary.”

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