Re: Plane beams broadcasts to Cuba

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Maybe we are talking past each other.  My understanding is that the
broadcasts interfere with the reception of Cuban media.

On Wed, May 28, 2003 at 08:26:42PM +0100, Paul Bullock wrote:
> Michael,
>
> Most cubans who have TV can easily get many US programmes and the 'soaps'
> are  widely viewed. Satelite reception is perfectly common. I suspect it may
> be the particular type of broadcast, the frequencies used for a start.  The
> reason for such  broadcasts and their content should be the FIRST question
> we should ask. I understand there are  various international agreements on
> these matters, and unlike the US government Cuba has an excellent record of
> maintaining its international agreements.
>
> Paul.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Eldred" <artefact@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <OPE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 4:49 PM
> Subject: Re: Plane beams broadcasts to Cuba
>
>
> > Cologne 28-May-2003
> >
> > Paul,
> > Why does the Cuban regime resort to such measures as jamming? Why is
> > this suppression of free speech necessary? Is the Cuban populace so
> > susceptible to US propaganda and the regime so lacking in firm support
> > amongst the population?
> >
> > I know from (former) East German friends how much they resented being
> > "shielded" from Western propaganda. It was illegal in East Germany to
> > watch West German TV or listen to West German radio. That does not say
> > much for real-existing socialism as long as it existed.
> >
> > Michael
> > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-  artefact text and translation _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
> > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- made by art  _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
> > http://www.webcom.com/artefact/ _-_-_-_-artefact@xxxxxxxxxx _-_
> > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Dr Michael Eldred -_-_-
> > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
> >
> >
> > Paul Bullock schrieb Tue, 27 May 2003 18:51:52 +0100:
> >
> > > Subject: Plane beams broadcasts to Cuba
> > >
> > > Plane beams broadcasts to Cuba
> > > BY TIM JOHNSON
> > > tjohnson@xxxxxxxxxx
> > >
> > > WASHINGTON - On orders from the White House, the Pentagon deployed a
> special airplane this week to beam the signals of Radio and TV Mart? to
> Cuba, using a technology that one administration official said ''breached
> the wall'' of Cuban jamming efforts.
> > >
> > > ''The political green light is on'' to make the controversial
> U.S.-operated stations more effective at reaching Cubans, said the senior
> official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
> > >
> > > An Air Force EC-130 plane conducted the transmissions between 6:30 p.m.
> and 10 p.m. Tuesday, several officials said. It operated within U.S.
> airspace, not passing into Cuban territory.
> > >
> > > Cuba acknowledged that the United States had altered its normal
> transmissions of the two stations, but said they were ineffective and hinted
> that the Castro government might retaliate.
> > >
> > > ''Those transmissions did not constitute a technical success to be proud
> of. Very few [Cubans] heard the noise,'' an editorial in the Communist Party
> newspaper Granma said.
> > >
> > > ''The government of the United States should not forget that Cuban radio
> might be heard on standard frequency in many American states,'' the
> editorial added.
> > >
> > > The statement appeared to suggest that Cuba might consider boosting the
> power of its own radio stations, a move that could disrupt the broadcasts of
> commercial radio stations in South Florida.
> > >
> > > Radio and TV Mart? have been controversial endeavors, popular with many
> Cuban Americans who want Cubans on the island to receive alternative sources
> of information. But the two stations have been plagued by morale problems.
> They get little congressional oversight and are generally seen as
> ineffective in penetrating the jamming by the Castro regime.
> > >
> > > Radio Mart? began broadcasting in 1985 on medium wave and short wave. In
> the past several years, criticism has soared that its programming had become
> stale -- sometimes lacking in elemental news judgment. In May 2002, Radio
> Mart? delayed a broadcast of a historic speech in Havana by former President
> Jimmy Carter calling for political change.
> > >
> > > On April 1, the White House replaced Radio Mart?'s chief, Salvador Lew,
> with another executive, Pedro Roig.
> > >
> > > Among recent changes to brighten the station's programming are
> broadcasts of Major League baseball games.
> > >
> > > A White House statement said the Tuesday night broadcasts ``used a
> transmission platform that we believe is not susceptible to Cuban jamming.
> We are currently evaluating the results of that transmission.''
> > >
> > > The administration did not say how often it would use the EC-130 plane
> to beam the radio and TV signals.
> > >
> > > ''We may not want to do it every day,'' the official said. ''We realize
> this puts some binds on the audience.'' But he said the administration will
> allot the money necessary to make the signals more effective on a constant
> basis.
> > >
> > > Both Radio and TV Mart? have transmitted from the Florida Keys. The TV
> Mart? signal is sent from a balloon tethered 10,000 feet above Cudjoe Key at
> a low angle toward Cuba that is easily blocked.
> > >
> > > The EC-130 aircraft used in the test Tuesday is the same type of
> aircraft that beamed signals to Iraqis during the war, a Pentagon official
> said.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >

--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx