Radio Martí celebrates 30 years and ponders their future

On May 20 of 2015, Radio Martí marked their 30th anniversary, broadcasting news and information to the island nation of Cuba. Radio Martí shared a historic timeline, photos and articles on www.martinoticias.com and aired special programming.

The Cuban government tries to jam Martí broadcast; while Radio Martí says it uses a combination of high-and low tech approaches to reach the Cuban citizens, including satellite, shortwave and AM radio. Other sources include online, flash drives, DVDs and mobile apps. The thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations has raised questions about Radio Martí's role in the future.
(Radio World)

Cuban Activist Antúnez Visits the Martís

                                                        Antúnez addresses the staff of the Martís

MIAMI- Jorge Luis García-Pérez, a human rights activist some have called "Cuba's Nelson Mandela," visited the Martís on August 13 to express his gratitude for the reliable and accurate news coverage the Miami broadcaster provides. García-Pérez, who is also known as Antúnez, is well known across Cuba for his peaceful protest of the Castro government. He was a political prisoner from 1990 to 2007.

"In the 17 years that I spent behind bars, Radio Martí was, at times, my 'everything'. It was my lifeline," Antúnez told the assembled staff and journalists. "I would listen to it on a small radio that was smuggled into my cell."

During his visit, Antúnez met with Office of Cuba Broadcasting Director Carlos García-Pérez and made guest appearances on Radio Martí's daily newscast as well as the daily magazine show Cuba al Dia (Cuba Daily). During his interview with Thomas Cardoso, Antúnez raised the issue of an "institutional racial divide" in Cuba, emphasizing that the majority of inmates inside Cuban jails are black because, he says, the Cuban government targets people of color.

Antúnez was arrested during a nonviolent demonstration in 1990. Today Antúnez heads one of the largest opposition groups on the island, "Frente Civico de la Resistencia Orlando Zapata Tamayo," (TheCivicResistance Front of OrlandoZapataTamayo). Since his release in 2007 Antúnez has lived under intense government surveillance and has been harassed and beaten by government agents.

After outbound travel restrictions were lifted in Cuba earlier this year, many dissidents, including Yoani Sánchez, Antonio Rodiles, Rosa Maria Payá and Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, have visited Martí headquarters to thank the staff and leadership for their support of a free media on the island.

Antúnez plans to travel throughout the United States raising awareness of Cuba's human rights situation.  

The Martís are operated by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, part of the independent U.S. government agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).


For more information on Radio and TV Martí, please contact Gina Barroso at 305-437-7153 or via email at gbarroso@bbg.gov.
(VOA)
(photo/bbg)

USA, Radio Marti - A13 Summer Schedule

Effective: 31 March - 26 October 2013

All times UTC

Spanish to Central America
0000-0100 6030ca 7365ca
0200-0300 6030ca 7365ca
0300-0400 6030ca 7365ca
0400-0500 6030ca 7405ca
0500-0600 6030ca 7405ca
0600-0700 6030ca 7405ca
0700-0800 5980ca 6030ca
0800-0900 5980ca 6030ca
0900-1000 5980ca 6030ca
1000-1100 6030ca 9805ca
1100-1200 7405ca 9805ca
1200-1300 7405ca 9805ca
1300-1400 7405ca 13820ca
1400-1500 11930ca 13820ca
1500-1600 11930ca 13820ca
1600-1700 11930ca 13820ca
1700-1800 11930ca 13820ca
1800-1900 11930ca 13820ca
1900-2000 11930ca 13820ca
2000-2100 9565ca 11930ca
2100-2200 9565ca 11930ca
2200-2300 9565ca 11930ca
2300-0000 9565ca 11930ca
(DX Mx/WWDXC Top Newx 1111) 10 Apr 2013

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

VOA and Radio Martí launch joint news program

The Voice of America and Radio Martí have launched a joint news program in Spanish called A fondo (In Depth). According to the VOA website, in a co-production of the Voice of America and Radio Martí, a team of journalists, correspondents and producers gathers to offer, from Monday to Friday, the main news that happened in Latin America and United States.

A fondo presents news, interviews and special reports of interest for the countries of the Latin American region. It is transmitted through the frequencies of the Voice of America and Radio Martí at 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Washington time (0100-0200 UTC), as well as on the Internet at www.voanoticias.com and www.martinoticias.com.
(Source: VOA website/R Netherlands Media Netowrk Weblog)