crs_reports: 94-636

Congressional Research Service reports with summaries, authors, and topic classifications.

This data as json

id title publish_date update_date status content_type authors topics summary pdf_url html_url
94-636 Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba: Background and Issues Through 1994 1994-08-30T04:00:00Z 2025-06-20T21:39:54Z Archived Reports Mark P. Sullivan   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.   https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RL/HTML/94-636.html

Links from other tables