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DATE=2/5/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245165 TITLE=U-S / CUBA BROADCASTING (L ONLY) BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN DATELINE=MIAMI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: U-S GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT BROADCAST RADIO AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS TO CUBA HAVE OFFICIALLY OPENED A NEW STUDIO COMPLEX IN MIAMI. SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT WAS ONE OF MANY DIGNITARIES AT FRIDAY'S INAUGURAL CEREMONY FOR THE FACILITY, [THE OFFICE OF CUBA BROADCASTING,] WHICH HOUSES RADIO AND T-V MARTI. V-O-A'S MICHAEL BOWMAN REPORTS, THE REBIRTH OF THE MARTI ORGANIZATIONS COMES AMID PERSISTENT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF U-S - BASED BROADCASTING TO CUBA. TEXT: SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT SAYS RADIO AND T-V MARTI CONTINUE TO FULFIL AN IMPORTANT MISSION: PROVIDING THE CUBAN PEOPLE WITH UNBIASED, ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. FLANKED BY THE OVERSEERS OF U-S INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING -- INCLUDING V-O-A DIRECTOR EVELYN LIEBERMAN -- MS. ALBRIGHT SAID DICTATORS SUCH AS CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO SEEK TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN ORDER TO STAY IN POWER. /// FIRST ALBRIGHT ACT /// THEY WANT TO KEEP A STRANGLE HOLD ON THE FLOW OF INFORMATION SO THAT THEIR MYTHS ARE BELIEVED, THEIR BLUNDERS CONCEALED AND THEIR PEOPLE KEPT IN DARKNESS. RADIO AND T-V MARTI EXIST TO GIVE THE PEOPLE OF CUBA WHAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS DESERVED BUT LONG BEEN DENIED: BROADCASTING THAT IS FAIR AND INDEPENDENT, BROADCASTING THAT CONVEYS NOT LIES, BUT FACTS. /// END ACT /// RADIO MARTI WAS BORN DURING FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN'S ADMINISTRATION, IN THE 1980'S. T-V MARTI WAS ADDED YEARS LATER, WHEN FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH WAS IN OFFICE. BOTH HAD BEEN HEADQUARTERED IN WASHINGTON, BUT RELOCATED TO MIAMI TO BE CLOSER TO THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT HAS STRONGLY OBJECTED TO BOTH RADIO AND T-V MARTI, ARGUING THE BROADCASTS ARE AN INVASION OF NATIONAL AIRWAVES AND A VIOLATION OF CUBAN SOVEREIGNTY. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF T-V MARTI, CUBA HAS STEPPED UP ITS JAMMING OF ALL PROGRAMS ORIGINATING FROM THE OFFICE OF CUBA BROADCASTING. INTERNATIONAL REPORTERS VISITING CUBA -- AS WELL AS "RAFTERS" WHO HAVE FLED THE ISLAND -- SAY IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO SEE OR HEAR MARTI PROGRAMS IN MANY PARTS OF CUBA. DESPITE THE JAMMING, CONGRESSWOMAN ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN [PRON: ROSS-'LEH-TIH-NEN], A CUBAN-AMERICAN WHOSE DISTRICT ENCOMPASSES PART OF MIAMI, SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT FOR RADIO AND T-V MARTI TO CONTINUE BROADCASTING TO CUBA. /// ROS-LEHTINEN ACT /// IT'S PRECISELY BECAUSE THERE IS JAMMING THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE BROADCASTING TO CUBA, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE LEVEL OF RESISTANCE THE DICTATOR [CASTRO] HAS TO FREE THOUGHT, TO EXPRESSIONS OF LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY. /// END ACT /// LAST YEAR, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION APPROVED DIRECT, HUMANITARIAN-AID FLIGHTS TO CUBA FROM THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS MEASURES TO ALLOW CUBAN-AMERICANS TO SEND MONEY TO THEIR RELATIVES STILL LIVING ON THE ISLAND. CURRENTLY, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS CONSIDERING INCREASED CULTURAL EXCHANGES WITH CUBA, INCLUDING A POSSIBLE TRIP BY A U-S MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM TO PLAY IN HAVANA. SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT SAYS THE GOAL IS TO HELP THE CUBAN PEOPLE, NOT THE GOVERNMENT OF FIDEL CASTRO. /// REST OPT /// /// SECOND ALBRIGHT ACT /// WE HAVE TAKEN MEASURES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE WITHOUT STRENGTHENING THE REPRESSIVE AND BACKWARD-LOOKING REGIME IN HAVANA. WE HAVE SOUGHT TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR CUBANS TO BE IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND EASIER FOR THE CUBAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO HELP THOSE WHO STAYED BEHIND. // END ACT // THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE PEOPLE-TO- PEOPLE CONTACT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CUBA HAS DRAWN OBJECTIONS FROM SOME ELEMENTS OF MIAMI'S CUBAN EXILE COMMUNITY. MIGUEL SAAVEDRA [PRON: SAH-'VAY-DRAH], LEADER OF AN EXILE GROUP CALLED "VIGILIA MAMBISA" [PRON: VEE-'JEE-LEE-AH MAHM-'BEE-SAH] LED A PROTEST FRIDAY OUTSIDE THE GATES OF THE NEW RADIO AND T-V MARTI STUDIOS. /// SAAVEDRA ACT IN SPANISH - ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER TEXT /// MR. SAAVEDRA SAYS HE CAME TO TELL SECRETARY ALBRIGHT, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTORS OF RADIO MARTI AND T-V MARTI, THAT HE REJECTS THEM. HE SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS ATTEMPTING TO INITIATE A DIALOGUE WITH FIDEL CASTRO, A MAN HE DESCRIBES AS AN ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CUBAN PEOPLE. THE DIRECTOR OF RADIO AND T-V MARTI, HERMINIO SAN ROMAN, SAYS PROTESTS DO NOT BOTHER HIM. /// SAN ROMAN ACT /// THIS IS AMERICA. AND THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND A REPRESSIVE SYSTEM LIKE THAT OF FIDEL CASTRO. I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST. /// END ACT /// MR. SAN ROMAN SAYS, REGARDLESS OF HOW U-S POLICY TOWARD CUBA EVOLVES IN THE FUTURE, RADIO AND T-V MARTI WILL CONTINUE BEAMING NEWS AND INFORMATION TO THE ISLAND. HE SAYS HE HOPES NEW RELAY STATIONS WILL BE SET UP IN LOCATIONS AROUND THE CARIBBEAN, TO BOOST SIGNALS AND COUNTERACT THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPTS AT JAMMING. (SIGNED) NEB/MCB/WTW 05-Feb-99 4:24 PM EST (2124 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .