Director defends Radio and TV Martí

Pedro Roig , director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting which runs Radio and TV Martí, has written a piece defending the stations against what he calls ‘a tirade’ by a Cuban exile in Florida. Writing in the Miami Herald, Mr Roig says that ‘The statement that Radio Martí has canceled programs where opponents of the regime participated is false’ and ‘Another falsehood is to proclaim that Televisión Martí has canceled its newscasts.’

Mr Roig says that “When I took over as director of Radio and TV Martí, the only way we could broadcast to the island was using an aerostatic balloon anchored in the Florida Keys. We have come a long way since then, significantly expanding the platforms used to beam the signal of Televisión Martí to the island.

“We now employ four broadcast platforms: The Direct TV satellite (Channel 8); the Hispasat Spanish satellite; the “Aero Martí’” aircraft, which flies over the Florida Keys transmitting simultaneously in VHF (Channel 13) and UHF (Channel 20); and our digital webpage martinoticias.com, available to those Cubans with secret Internet access that’s banned by the government.”
(R netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Additional story at Miami Herald:
Radio TV Mrti Fight for Freedom
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/03/1509269/radio-tv-marti-fight-for-freedom.html.

What does the future hold for US broadcasting to Cuba ?

The new Spanish news program being produced jointly by the Voice of America and Radio Martí has raised questions about the future of US broadcasts to Cuba. Opinions in Washington are split as to whether ‘A Fondo’ marks the beginning of the end of Radio Martí as a seaparate entity, or is simply a way to try and be more efficient.

The Miami Herald has looked into this story in some detail. It quotes Alberto Mascaro, a Miami native and former Office of Cuban Broadcasting executive, who recently took the helm of VOA’s Spanish-language service in Washington. He says the cooperation is not about politics but about the best use of resources. Mr Mascaro insists both organizations adhere to the same standards and serve important but distinct missions.

The newspaper points out that the Office of Cuban Broadcasting faces budget cuts. Last year it was forced to lay off more than 20 staffers. While larger VOA’s 2011 budget request of $206.8 million is up slightly over previous years, Cuban broadcasting’s request of $29.2 million is down about $4 million from 2007
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

U.S. broadcast to Cuba get stronger
http://www.miamiherald.com/581/story/1472809.html