Feingold Calls For Phasing Out TV, Radio Marti Broadcasts To Cuba

[Scurrilous]

Source: Multichannel News

<snip>

"Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) said Tuesday (May 4) the government's continued funding of TV and Radio Marti was a waste and that it could and should save $300 million over 10 years by getting rid of it.

The broadcasts, overseen by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, were launched in 1983 under President Ronald Reagan to deliver news and information to Cuba, but have been routinely criticized as ineffective.

Feingold was reacting to a report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released May 3, that concluded the service did not follow generally accepted journalistic standards, reached a minuscule audience, and was "haunted" by charges of cronyism and malfeasance.

The report concluded in the lead of its executive summary that "Radio and TV Marti, the U.S. Government's broadcasters to Cuba, continue to fail in their efforts to influence Cuban society, politics, and policy."

Read more: http://www.multichannel.com/article/452213-Feingold_Calls_For_Phasing_Out_TV_Radio_Marti_Broadcasts_To_Cuba.php

---

US Senate panel urges overhaul of broadcasts to Cuba

<snip>

"US government-backed radio and television broadcasts into Cuba reach a tiny audience there and suffer from poor editorial standards, a US Senate Committee said in a scathing report released Monday.

Founded to give Cubans accurate, unbiased news programming, Radio Marti and TV Marti "have failed to make any discernable inroads into Cuban society or to influence the Cuban Government," said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The panel's report, dated April 29, notes that US government-sponsored research has found that less than two percent of Cubans listen to Radio Marti, and "claims that TV Marti has any stable viewership are suspect."

The panel, led by Democratic Senator John Kerry, sharply criticized the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) that oversees both outlets has having "failed to adhere to generally accepted journalistic standards."

"Both internal and external investigations have criticized OCB for broadcasting unsubstantiated reports from Cuba as legitimate news stories, for using offensive and incendiary language in news broadcasts, and for a lack of timeliness in news reporting," the committee said.

And "interviews with recently arrived Cuban immigrants show that among those who were familiar with the broadcasts, only a small minority thought they were 'objective.'"

more

[ck4829]

1. Now for the embargo, that probably costs literally tons of money and it's useless

[NJmaverick]

2. Agreed, ending the embargo would help our nation's economy

[fascisthunter]

3. not for the shit brain capitalists who think the World should do things their way

or else

[Dulcinea]

4. Not a bad idea.

Radio & TV Marti are just throwing good money after bad.

As for the embargo, lift that too. We need the money for jobs & health care!

[Judi Lynn]

5. Good Congressional Democrats have been trying for YEARS to get these two pork black holes

removed from the tax burden on U.S. taxpayers.

An article from 2007:

Posted on Sun, Jun. 24, 2007
Congressman revives Radio, TV Martí debate
A U.S. congressman -- frequently critical of U.S policies on Cuba -- promises congressional hearings on the anti-Castro, government-funded Radio and TV Martí.

BY TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE
[e-mail]

U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt renewed his call for congressional hearings to examine the funding and content of Radio and TV Martí, visiting Miami during a week that included a passionate debate in Washington over federal funding of programs pushing for democracy in Cuba.

The Massachusetts Democrat has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's policy toward Cuba, and advocates loosening the trade embargo and travel restrictions to the island.

''If we truly embrace freedom, we have to do it in a way that makes a difference,'' said Delahunt.

He said an examination of Radio and TV Martí's operations and finances are part of an overall need to revamp attitudes toward U.S.-Cuba relations.

~snip~
''With regard to transparency, it's good to show these are important and effective programs,'' said Díaz-Balart, who said he hoped the review will help Radio and TV Martí improve their broadcasts. ``But with regard to Mr. Delahunt, he has become one of the most constant advocates of the same position shared by the Cuban dictatorship.''

Added Díaz-Balart: ``He really has become predictable in his extremism.''

More: http://havanajournal.com/politics/entry/another-stupid-comment-from-lincoln-diaz-balart/

http://i.realone.com.nyud.net:8090/assets/rn/img/3/4/9/0/13900943-13900945-large.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/3047/2299762910_24fe2087cd.jpg http://cache.daylife.com.nyud.net:8090/imageserve/09eK7pN2wca1p/520x.jpg

Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Here's how Cuban "exile" Republican Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart handed Democratic Congressman, David Skaggs, from Colorado his ass when Skaggs, acting to curtail stupid excesses in the budget, attempted to get TV Marti, which is so much nonsense, axed:

Dealing from principle --- ex-Representative Skaggs

However, in 1993, former Representative David Skaggs (D-CO), in an attempt to trim unnecessary budgetary spending targeted for the Martis, was able to convince his House brethren to block funding for the two operations --- a measure which did not meet the same success in the Senate, where it was inevitably defeated. Skaggs paid a high price for his bold move, and came under withering fire from anti-Havana hardliners. Marti’s congressional supporters, led by none other than treasury plunderer Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart responded with a stark warning that revenge would be exacted on those who might threaten the continuation of the Marti operation, making an example of Skaggs by attempting to slash federal funding for projects in his home district. However, Skaggs refused to give up the fight, and he continued his campaign against the project, in particular its television component, until he retired in 1998. Skaggs admitted, "You know that if you kick the Cuba issue, you're going to have a bad day.” As a result of his personal experience, the Miami New Times reported in a November 12, 1998 article that Skaggs bitterly expressed outrage at the “corruption of United States policy that is inherent in our Cuba policy,” explaining, “by corruption I mean the untoward influence of a relatively small segment of the population in Florida and the money that small segment of the population brings to bear, and how it distorts the policy choices this government makes.”

Not only does the overwhelming influence of the Miami anti-Castro power brokers impede any attempt to reduce funding for the programs, but their political firepower also has diluted efforts which should have been made to reform these broadcasting agencies. According to Lawrence Grossman, former president of NBC News, he, along with several other journalists and academics, were asked by former CBS News president David Burke, who in the mid-1990s had the job of overseeing Radio and TV Marti, to report on the project’s accuracy, professionalism and sense of fairness. The group then proceeded to pose the theoretical question, what would happen “if {they} concluded that the influential chairman of the President’s Advisory Broadcasting Board for Cuban Broadcasting, Jorge Mas Canosa, should resign?” The response they received was “no way” --- there was an upcoming election and Congressional candidates heavily dependent on the Cuban-exile vote would be unwilling to risk provoking the hostility of such a powerful group. As a result, Grossman and his colleagues declined the offer, and the potentially revealing document was never executed. Grossman concluded, “{TV Marti} is a folly imposed on us by politically powerful Cuban exile groups that neither party wants to offend.”

http://cubajournal.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html

http://www.w3w3.com.nyud.net:8090/2005_Events/09H/05-09-08_SFTP/a04.David%20Skaggs,JMorgese,JoeWaz,RollandJohnson,DGillmor.jpg

David Skaggs, in the group, is the man on the left. Say "goodbye" to this fine Congressman
who had to leave office, after acts of revenge by Diaz-Balart and the Miami right-wing CANF,
due to his attempt to cut off TV Marti pork the right-wing "exiles" insist upon controlling,
at our great expense.

[karynnj]

7. Senator Kerry as chair of the SFRC used his position to do that long needed investigation

Here is the PDF from the SFRC's site - http://foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/56157.pdf

[karynnj]

6. Kerry has had a hold on those funds since last month and initiated this investigation that backs

this.

Four months after a USAID subcontractor was arrested in Cuba for distributing telecommunications equipment, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has put a temporary hold on U.S. Cuba democracy assistance programs, aides confirm, while the State Department conducts a review of the programs and the committee investigates their effectiveness.

The review of the programs comes as Cheryl Mills, chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, met with Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on the sidelines of the Haiti donors’ conference in New York last week. In her discussion with Rodriguez, Mills raised the case of a Maryland-based USAID subcontractor, Alan P. Gross, who was detained in Cuba in December and has been held since then without charge. Gross was distributing telecommunications equipment to Cuba’s Jewish community on a USAID subcontract meant to promote Cuban democracy and civil society efforts.

“Sen. Kerry does have a temporary hold on these programs while Secretary Clinton and the State Department undertake a review of these programs and while the committee investigates whether they’re effectively accomplishing our shared goal,” said Fred Jones, Senate Foreign Relations Committee spokesman, on Monday.

“We all want democratic change in Cuba,” Jones continued. “The question is whether American taxpayers are getting progress towards that goal. Sen. Kerry is providing the State Department and USAID a list of questions on the policies, purposes, costs, benefits and modalities of the programs. With assurances that these programs have eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse, this review will not be prolonged.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0410/Kerry_holds_Cuban_democracy_assistance_programs.html?showall

Another article speaks of Berman, who heads the House foreign policy committee, and Kerry holding up the funds.

US funding of Cuba democracy work draws scrutiny

MIAMI — Lawmakers in Washington are pushing the White House to take another look at a Bush-era shift in U.S. aid for Cuba to private contractors instead of nonprofit groups.

Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Rep. Howard Berman of California temporarily blocked the renewal of about $45 million in aid last month. The two Democrats want the Obama administration and the State Department to answer their concerns about fraud and mismanagement in the program.

Cuba has made some gains in terms of access to cell phones and the Internet. But critics of the U.S. aid policy say that would have happened even without the money being sent through contractors.

http://blog.taragana.com/politics/2010/04/08/lawmakers-want-state-department-to-rethink-cuba-aid-programs-shift-to-private-contractors-27416



Nice FP article on the report that led to Feindgold's call here:

The U.S. government-sponsored television and radio stations aimed at bringing objective news into communist Cuba aren't doing the job and need new leadership and direction, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In a new report by the committee's majority staff, led by John Kerry, D-MA, lawmakers are calling out Radio Marti and TV Marti, both of which are funded by Congress, for a lack of quality programming and for failing to uphold the standards of a free and fair journalistic enterprise.

"Radio Marti was created in 1983 to support the Cuban people in their quest for ‘accurate, unbiased, and consistently reliable' news and entertainment; TV Marti followed in 1990. Unfortunately, listeners and viewers never received the kind of high quality programming that was originally intended," Kerry wrote in a letter accompanying the report. "Problems with adherence to traditional journalistic standards, miniscule audience size, Cuban Government jamming, and allegations of cronyism have dogged the program since its creation."
<snip>
"Radio and TV Marti have been more about employing embargo proponents, paralyzing US-Cuban relations and perpetuating an anachronistic Cold War standoff than they have been about furthering American interests or triggering change in Cuba," said Steve Clemons, foreign policy head at the New America Foundation, "Barack Obama voted against these programs in the Senate because he said they 'don't work' and it's commendable that the Senator Kerry and his team are shining a spotlight on the corruption and incompetence embedded in these programs."

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/05/03/senate_committee_slams_cuba_broadcasts

[EFerrari]

8. John Kerry is one of the very few statesmen in the Senate.

He does his job and he does it well, cameras or no cameras.

[happygoluckytoyou]

9. could much better use the funds for RFA (Radio Free Arizona)