§ 1465bb. Television broadcasting to Cuba

(a) Television broadcasting to Cuba

In order to carry out the purposes set forth in section 1465aa of this title and notwithstanding the limitation of section 1461 of this title with respect to the dissemination in the United States of information prepared for dissemination abroad to the extent such dissemination is inadvertent, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Agency” ^[1]) shall provide for the open communication of information and ideas through the use of television broadcasting to Cuba. Television broadcasting to Cuba shall serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of accurate, objective, and comprehensive news.

(b) Voice of America standards

Television broadcasting to Cuba under this subchapter shall be in accordance with all Voice of America standards to ensure the broadcast of programs which are objective, accurate, balanced, and which present a variety of views.

Any program of United States Government television broadcasts to Cuba authorized by this section shall be designated the “Television Marti Program”.

(d) Frequency assignment

(1) Subject to the Communications Act of 1934 [47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.], the Federal Communications Commission shall assign by order a suitable frequency to further the national interests expressed in this subchapter, except that no such assignment shall result in objectionable interference with the broadcasts of any domestic licensee.

(2) No Federal branch or agency shall compel an incumbent domestic licensee to change its frequency in order to eliminate objectionable interference caused by broadcasting of the Service.

(3) For purposes of section 305 of the Communications Act of 1934 [47 U.S.C. 305], a television broadcast station established for purposes of this subchapter shall be treated as a government station, but the Federal Communications Commission shall exercise the authority of the President under such section to assign a frequency to such station.

(e) Interference with domestic broadcasting

(1) Broadcasting by the Television Marti Service shall be conducted in accordance with such parameters as shall be prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission to preclude objectionable interference with the broadcasts of any domestic licensee. The Television Marti Service shall be governed by the same standards regarding objectionable interference as any domestic licensee. The Federal Communications Commission shall monitor the operations of television broadcasting to Cuba pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. If, on the basis of such monitoring or a complaint from any person, the Federal Communications Commission determines, in its discretion, that broadcasting by the Television Marti Service is causing objectionable interference with the transmission or reception of the broadcasts of a domestic licensee, the Federal Communications Commission shall direct the Television Marti Service to cease broadcasting and to eliminate the objectionable interference. Broadcasts by the Service shall not be resumed until the Federal Communications Commission finds that the objectionable interference has been eliminated and should not recur.

(2) The Federal Communications Commission shall take such actions as are necessary and appropriate to assist domestic licensees in overcoming the adverse effects of objectionable interference caused by broadcasting by the Television Marti Service. Such assistance may include the authorization of nondirectional increases in the effective radiated power of a domestic television station so that its coverage is equivalent to the maximum allowable for such facilities, to avoid any adverse effect on such stations of the broadcasts of the Television Marti Service.

(3) If the Federal Communications Commission directs the Television Marti Service to cease broadcasting pursuant to paragraph (1), the Commission shall, as soon as practicable, notify the appropriate committees of Congress of such action and the reasons therefor. The Federal Communications Commission shall continue to notify the appropriate committees of Congress of progress in eliminating the objectionable interference and shall assure that Congress is fully informed about the operation of the Television Marti Service.

(f) Monitoring of interference

The Federal Communications Commission shall continually monitor and periodically report to the appropriate committees of the Congress interference to domestic broadcast licensees—

(1) from the operation of Cuban television and radio stations; and

(2) from the operations of the television broadcasting to Cuba.

(g) Task force

It is the sense of the Congress that the President should establish a task force to analyze the level of interference from the operation of Cuban television and radio stations experienced by broadcasters in the United States and to seek a practical political and technical solution to this problem.

[1] So in original. Probably should be “ ‘Board’ ”.

U.S. Code

§ 1465bb. Television broadcasting to Cuba