• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 04 / 10 / 2011

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By: Ray. Washington, Apr 9 (Prensa Latina) The elimination of 30 million USD annually for hostile radio and television broadcasts into Cuba would be welcomed by most people in the United States, according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.

The council, an organization that encourages rational, constructive policy on Latin America, said Friday that the so-called Radio and TV Marti should be at the top of the list for those who want to cut government spending.

The Republicans had no trouble cutting funds for National Public Radio (NPR) in mid-March, even though more than 27 million people in the country listen to its network of stations every week, the council noted.

Radio and TV Marti with their anti-Cuba broadcasts, however, are pet projects of conservatives, vestiges of the costly and futile programs of the Cold War.

The programs are run by the federal government through its Office of Cuba Broadcasting, based in Miami, Florida, which is supervised by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, a U.S. federal agency that carries out programs for foreign subversion.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting has spent a total of 500 million USD despite the fact that its programs have a scant number of listeners.