TV Marti Dispute Sails on During ITU Radio Regulations Board Meeting
GENEVA - The U.S. and Cuba traded barbs over the decades-old TV and Radio Marti broadcasting saga in late filings for the ITU Radio Regulations Board meeting this week. Cuba wants a letter from the U.S. saying TV transmissions from a tethered balloon antenna won’t resume, it said, citing a case involving 497 MHz. Cuba also wants U.S. action on broadcasts adversely affecting TV stations operating at 509 MHz.
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Cuba wants to keep the case on 497 MHz open and to add a further alleged violation of the radio regulations to its list of complaints, namely operation of a broadcasting station by an aircraft stationed over the sea, outside national territories.
But nothing new warrants reopening the case, the U.S. said in a letter signed by David Gross, the U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy. Cuba’s complaints are with broadcasts that took place within U.S. airspace, the U.S. said. The U.S. interprets the radio regulations to mean international waters outside of national territories, according to the response.
Cuba also doubts whether the U.S. administration answered the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau request for technical characteristics of transmissions at 530 kHz, as indicated in the last RRB summary of decisions. Cuba has no recorded assignments in the Master International Frequency Register, so it can’t claim harmful interference, the U.S. said.
Harmful interference affecting Cuba’s radiocommunication services at 213 MHz has been systematic since 2004, dating back to 1990, Cuba said, saying the RRB confirmed the interference in December 1990. Although transmissions recently stopped, the case should be kept open due to the U.S. intention to continue them, Cuba said, citing a GAO report called “Broadcasting To Cuba.” The report said new aircraft will transmit TV to Cuba on 213 MHz, Cuba said.
The U.S. administration also transmits daily from aircraft on 509 MHz, Cuba said. The service areas of three registered Cuban TV stations are affected for about four hours per day, Cuba said. The U.S. administration didn’t reply to a September 15, 2006, Radiocommunication Bureau request for information on action taken to eliminate the interference, Cuba said. The two aircraft are operating over the sea in an area between 60 km and 140 km off Florida’s keys, Cuba said, calling for immediate and appropriate action from the U.S.
Complaints of interference on both 213 and 509 MHz need to be considered in a broader context, the U.S. said. Cuba has done nothing to resolve U.S. complaints of interference with its broadcasting operations in the high frequencies, ignoring its violations of the international Radio Regulations even as it protests alleged U.S. infringements, the U.S. said. “The United States believes that the Cuban Administration should cease its intentional jamming efforts which seek to restrict freedom of expression and the free flow of information, ideas and knowledge in Cuba that are essential to a democratic society,” the U.S. said.