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Time To Pull Plug On TV Marti

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2007

Few people are watching TV Marti and fewer people seem to care. So it's time to shut down the expensive broadcaster and find fresh ways to reach Cubans with America's message of freedom.

Congress created the government-run station in 1989 with hopes that its democratic message would encourage and educate Cubans stuck under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Named for independence fighter Jose Marti, the television station was modeled after Radio Free Europe from the Cold War-era.

But in nearly two decades, TV Marti has failed to reach a wide audience, no matter its format. The Cuban government jams the signal, disrupting the picture and muffling the sound. The station also broadcasts when most people are asleep, between the hours of 3 a.m and 8 a.m.

For its effort, Radio Marti costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $20 million a year.

Today Cubans have access to Miami's commercial stations through contraband satellites. And even though the Internet is in few homes, businesses are rapidly going online. You can bet it won't be long before average Cubans have unlimited access to information about the world. Castro can't keep them cloistered forever.

Some in South Florida argue that TV Marti should survive to help the Cuban people after Castro's passing. But unlike its sweeping counterpart, Radio Marti, TV Marti is no longer necessary.

Congress should pull the plug on TV Marti.

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