GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

December 13, 2011

The Honorable Patrick Leahy

Chairman

The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

Committee on Appropriations 

United States Senate

The Honorable Kay Granger

Chairwoman

The Honorable Nita M. Lowey

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

Committee on Appropriations 

House of Representatives

Subject: Broadcasting Board of Governors Should Provide Additional Information to 

Congress Regarding Broadcasting to Cuba

For more than two decades, the U.S. government has broadcast news and information to 

Cuba via Radio Martí (and subsequently TV Martí) to promote freedom and democracy. 

Over this time period, Congress has provided more than $660 million to fund these 

efforts.

1 Radio and TV Martí is produced by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), a 

U.S. government entity overseen by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). In 

January 2009, we reported on the effectiveness of OCB broadcasts and found that due to 

limitations on audience research, decision makers lacked basic information to help 

assess the relative success or return on investment from each of OCB’s transmission 

methods.2 We also found that OCB’s broadcasts faced varying levels of jamming3

 

1

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is an independent federal agency responsible for overseeing all U.S. 

government-sponsored, nonmilitary, international broadcasting programs. For fiscal year 2012, BBG requested 

approximately $28.5 million for broadcasting to Cuba.

by the 

Cuban government. 

2

GAO, Broadcasting to Cuba: Actions Are Needed to Improve Strategy and Operations, GAO-09-127 (Washington, 

D.C.: Jan. 22, 2009).

3

Jamming refers to the deliberate use of radio noise or signals to prevent the listening to or viewing of broadcasts.

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548
Page 2 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

In the conference report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010,

4 the 

conferees directed BBG to submit a strategic plan for broadcasting to Cuba, and directed 

the plan contain information on six specific requirements. The conference report also 

directed GAO to conduct an assessment of that plan within 90 days of its issuance.5

BBG’s strategic plan was issued on August 26, 2011. To satisfy the congressional 

directive, this report examines the extent to which BBG’s strategic plan for broadcasting 

to Cuba includes the information required under the directive. 

To conduct this work, two GAO analysts independently assessed BBG’s strategic plan 

against the six requirements in the congressional directive in the conference report and 

met to reconcile the differences. A supervisor then reviewed and approved the results of 

the analysis. To determine the extent to which the plan addressed a requirement, we

considered whether the plan contained the information, but did not independently 

evaluate the quality of the information included in the plan. We determined a requirement

to be “fully addressed” if the plan contained information related to all components of the 

requirement. We determined a requirement was “partially addressed” if BBG's plan 

contained information related to at least one component of the requirement. In addition, 

we interviewed officials from BBG and OCB and reviewed previous GAO reports. 

We conducted this performance audit from September 2011 through December 2011, in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards 

require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to 

provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit 

objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objective.

BBG’s Strategic Plan for Broadcasting to Cuba Partially Addresses Congressional 

Directive

While BBG’s strategic plan for broadcasting to Cuba includes certain information called 

for in the congressional directive, such as an analysis of the current situation in Cuba, it 

does not include other information, such as the estimated audience size of Radio and TV 

Martí and the effectiveness of various transmission methods in increasing audience size. 

The conference report accompanying the Consolidation Appropriations Act, 2010, 

directed BBG to submit a strategic plan for broadcasting to Cuba, including information 

listed in table 1. 

 

4

Pub. L. No. 111-117.

5

H. Rept., No. 111-366, 111th Cong., 1st Sess., (Dec. 8, 2009), pp. 1450-1451.
Page 3 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Table 1: Information to be Included in BBG’s Strategic Plan for Cuba Broadcasting 

Information required by the congressional directive

An analysis of the current situation in Cuba and an allocation of resources that is consistent with the relative priority 

of broadcasting to Cuba as determined by the annual Language Service Review and other factors, including input 

from the Secretary of State on the relative United States interest of broadcasting to Cuba

The estimated size of the audiences in Cuba for Radio and TV Martí, and the sources and relative reliability of the 

data on which such estimates are based

The annual operating cost and total cost over the life of the contract of—any and all—types of TV transmission and 

the effectiveness of each in increasing such audience size

The principal obstacles of increasing such audience size

An analysis of other options for disseminating news and information to Cuba including DVDs, the Internet, and cell 

phones and other handheld electronic devices, and a report on the cost effectiveness of each

An analysis of the program efficiencies and effectiveness that can be achieved through shared resources and cost 

saving opportunities in radio and television production between Radio and TV Martí and the Voice of America

Source: H. Rept., No. 111-366, pp. 1450-1451. 

In response to the directive, BBG produced a strategic plan for broadcasting to Cuba and

submitted it to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in August 2011. We 

assessed BBG’s strategic plan and found it lacked key information. Of the six 

requirements in the directive, we found BBG’s strategic plan fully addressed one and 

partially addressed the remaining five. BBG cited challenges obtaining valid data on 

audience size in Cuba as the primary reason that several of the requirements could not 

be satisfied. The results of our analysis are included in table 2 below. (Our detailed 

evaluation of the information contained in BBG’s strategic plan can be found in enclosure 

1. For each requirement, enclosure 1 contains our assessment of the information 

contained in BBG’s strategic plan, as well as our prior observations related to each of the 

six requirements.) 
Page 4 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Table 2: GAO Assessment of BBG’s Strategic Plan for Broadcasting to Cuba

Information required BBG’s strategic plan Assessment

Current situation in and priority of broadcasting to 

Cuba as determined by the Language Service 

Review and input from the Department of State

• Includes information on the current media 

situation in Cuba and input from the 

Department of State

• Does not include information on the priority of 

broadcasting to Cuba as determined by the 

Language Service Review

◒

Estimated audience size of Radio and TV Martí

• Includes audience size estimates from 2008, 

but does not include current audience size

estimates, which the plan concludes are not 

feasible

◒

Annual operating and lifetime contract costs of TV 

transmission methods and the effectiveness of 

these methods in increasing audience size

• Includes annual operating costs

• Does not include total lifetime contract costs 

for TV transmission methods

• Does not analyze the effectiveness of TV 

transmission methods in increasing audience 

size

◒

Principal obstacles to increasing audience size for

Radio and TV Martí

• Includes information on the five principal

challenges faced by BBG, including Cuban 

government jamming and lack of open access 

to news within Cuba



Analysis and cost effectiveness of alternative 

transmission methods

• Includes discussion of alternative 

transmission methods such as the Internet 

and DVDs

• Does not include the cost effectiveness of the 

alternative transmission methods

◒

Analysis of program efficiencies, effectiveness,

and cost saving opportunities that can be 

achieved through shared resources between 

Radio and TV Martí and Voice of America 

• Includes a discussion of the types of 

efficiencies gained by sharing resources

• Includes a discussion of program 

effectiveness gained by sharing resources

• Does not include an analysis of the cost 

saving opportunities of such sharing

◒

 Fully addressed ◒ Partially addressed 

Source: GAO analysis of BBG’s strategic plan.

During the course of our audit, BBG provided us some of the required information it did 

not include in its strategic plan. For instance, BBG provided us with information on the 

priority of broadcasting to Cuba as determined by the Language Service Review. 

According to the 2009 Language Service Review, the development of a unified 

broadcasting plan for Latin America, including coordination between OCB and the Voice 

of America, is an area of strategic importance for BBG. BBG also provided us the lifetime 

costs of all contracts for TV Martí. We have included this information in our evaluation of 

the requirements found in enclosure 1.
Page 5 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

According to BBG officials, data necessary to fully address multiple requirements are not 

currently available. For instance, several of the requirements, such as the audience size 

of Radio and TV Martí and the cost effectiveness of various transmission methods, 

require BBG to have comprehensive information about its audience in Cuba, such as 

national audience size estimates. While BBG’s strategic plan includes results of a 

national survey to estimate the audience size of Radio and TV Martí in 2008, it does not 

include current audience size estimates because it concludes that such estimates are not 

feasible. From 2003 to 2008, BBG conducted telephone surveys of households in Cuba 

to estimate audience size. The results of these surveys estimated the weekly reach of 

Radio and TV Martí at less than 2 percent of Cuban adults in households with landline 

phones.

Lack of Valid Data on Audience Size Prevented BBG from Addressing Several 

Requirements

6 According to BBG officials, the 2008 survey results showed a sharp drop in the 

reach of all foreign broadcasters compared to previous years’ surveys, which they 

attributed to respondents’ fear of acknowledging their use of foreign media. BBG officials 

stated this concern raises questions regarding the validity of the audience size estimates

of the 2008 survey. As a result, since 2008, BBG has not conducted telephone surveys of 

Cubans to estimate the audience size of Radio and TV Martí.7 Consequently, BBG 

officials told us they cannot obtain valid data needed to address portions of the 

congressional directive related to audience size and cost effectiveness estimates. (For 

information on BBG’s efforts to obtain data on Radio and TV Martí since 2008 see 

enclosure 1.)

BBG’s strategic plan contains a discussion of the efficiencies and effectiveness of sharing 

resources between OCB and Voice of America, but does not include the required 

analysis to identify the cost saving opportunities of doing so.

BBG Has Not Determined the Cost Savings of Resource Sharing Initiatives between 

OCB and Voice of America

8

 

6

According to BBG, at the time the 2008 survey was conducted approximately 20 percent of Cuban adults lived in 

households with published landline telephone numbers.

BBG’s strategic plan 

proposes that some Voice of America Latin America Division personnel should be moved 

from Washington, D.C., where they are currently located, to OCB offices in Miami, 

Florida, where Radio and TV Martí are produced. The strategic plan states sharing studio 

space and reporters in Miami would generate efficiencies; however, it does not estimate 

the amount of money that could be saved. Moreover, the strategic plan states that BBG 

7

In the absence of telephone surveys to estimate national audience size of Radio and TV Martí in Cuba, BBG officials 

told us they have (1) conducted phone surveys of Cuban households to measure the signal reception of TV Martí 

broadcasts, and (2) conducted surveys and focus groups among recently arrived Cuban immigrants to gather feedback 

on Radio and TV Martí. However, according to BBG, while such immigrant research offers insights into target 

audiences’ media preferences, they are not appropriate for estimating audience size since survey respondents are not 

drawn from a probability sample of the adult population of Cuba.

8

BBG broadcasts to Cuba via the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Voice of America. Voice of America also broadcasts 

to Latin America.
Page 6 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

has not estimated the one-time costs associated with relocating Voice of America

personnel to Miami. BBG officials told us this information was not included in the strategic 

plan because BBG has not yet produced a cost analysis of sharing resources between 

OCB and Voice of America. BBG officials noted BBG is considering completing such an 

analysis as a part of implementing the agency’s new strategic plan, which emphasizes 

agencywide integration. Without such an estimate, BBG and Congress may face 

challenges in assessing the levels of funding needed to effectively implement a strategy 

of shared resources between OCB and Voice of America. 

Conclusions

For more than two decades the United States has broadcast news and information to 

Cuba to promote democracy on the island. To assist Congress in its oversight of these 

activities, congressional conferees directed BBG to provide detailed information in its 

strategic plan. However, the plan submitted by BBG does not include some key 

information. While BBG faces challenges obtaining some of this information, such as 

estimates of audience size, BBG officials can develop and provide some information that 

could further assist Congress. In particular, BBG could provide an analysis of the cost 

savings opportunities of sharing resources between Radio and TV Martí and Voice of 

America’s Latin America Division, such as estimating the costs associated with moving 

staff from Washington, D.C., to Miami, Florida, and the savings associated with sharing 

production studios. Congress has expressed its desire to receive this type of information, 

which could assist in more effectively allocating resources for U.S. international 

broadcasting activities.

Recommendation for Executive Action

To ensure that Congress has information necessary to exercise its oversight 

responsibilities, we recommend that the Broadcasting Board of Governors report to 

Congress an analysis of the estimated costs and cost savings of sharing resources 

between the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Voice of America’s Latin America Division. 

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

We provided a draft of this report to BBG for review. BBG provided us written comments, 

which are included in enclosure 2. In its written comments, BBG concurred with our 

recommendation that it provide an analysis to Congress of the estimated costs and costs 

savings of sharing resources between the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Voice of 

America’s Latin America Division. BBG noted it will work to develop this information as 

part of its strategic planning process. BBG also provided technical comments, which we 

incorporated as appropriate.
Page 7 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

- - - - - 

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees and 

BBG. In addition, the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at 

http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me at 202-512-

3149 or gootnickd@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations 

and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. Jason Bair, Assistant 

Director; Debbie Chung; Martin De Alteriis; Ernie Jackson; Biza Repko; and Kira Self 

made key contributions to this report. 

David Gootnick

Director, International Affairs and Trade
Enclosure 1

Page 8 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic Plan

The following pages assess the six requirements of BBG’s strategic plan for broadcasting 

to Cuba.
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan 

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 9 

December 2011 

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan partially addresses the current situation in and 

priority of broadcasting to Cuba. While it contains information on the 

current situation in Cuba and input from the Department of State, the 

plan does not contain information on the relative priority of broadcasting 

to Cuba as determined by the annual LSR.

BBG’s strategic plan includes information about the current situation in 

Cuba. The plan notes that the media environment in Cuba is tightly 

controlled by the government. It cites, for example, prohibitions in the 

Cuban constitution against private media ownership and strict laws 

regulating journalists on the island. The plan also contains a list of 

television and radio channels available to Cubans on the island with 

content controlled by the Cuban government.

BBG’s strategic plan includes information from the Secretary of State and 

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs attesting to 

the importance of democracy in the Americas and free flow of information 

to Cuba, respectively. (See the following figure.) Moreover, officials from 

BBG told us that a number of Department of State officials reviewed 

BBG’s plan.

Political and Media Environment in Cuba

While BBG officials told us that Cuba broadcasting is a priority, BBG’s 

strategic plan does not contain information on the relative priority of 

broadcasting to Cuba as determined by the annual LSR. However, during 

the course of our audit, BBG provided us information on priorities in the 

LSR. The LSR is designed, in part, to evaluate the need for strategically 

allocating funds on the basis of priority and impact. The 2009 LSR states 

that an area of strategic importance is the development of a unified 

broadcasting plan for Latin America, including coordination between OCB 

and Voice of America. 

Congressional Directive

The conference report 

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed 

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan, including information 

on:

• an analysis of the current 

situation in Cuba and an 

allocation of resources that is 

consistent with the relative 

priority of broadcasting to Cuba 

as determined by the annual 

Language Service Review 

(LSR) and other factors, 

including input from the 

Secretary of State on the 

relative United States interest 

of broadcasting to Cuba. 

Prior GAO Observations

We have previously reported that 

the Office of Cuba Broadcasting 

(OCB) faces increasing competition 

from domestic and international 

broadcasters, and that OCB could 

do more to address these 

challenges. For instance, while 

OCB had gathered information 

relating to its competitors, as of our 

last review in 2009, OCB had not 

compiled comprehensive 

information regarding the number, 

nature, and quality of other radio 

and television programming 

available to Cuban listeners and 

viewers. Since our last report, OCB 

has surveyed Cuban immigrants 

who recently arrived in the United 

States to gather feedback on their 

media habits.

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Current Situation in and Priority of Broadcasting to Cuba
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 10

December 2011

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan partially addresses the estimated size of audiences 

for Radio and TV Martí and the sources and reliability of such estimates.

The plan states that it uses multiple sources of data on media use in 

Cuba, but that valid national estimates of audience size for U.S. 

broadcasting to Cuba are not currently feasible. From 2003 to 2008, BBG 

conducted telephone surveys of Cuban households to estimate audience 

size. The results of these surveys estimated the weekly audience of 

Radio and TV Martí at less than 2 percent of Cuban adults in households 

with landline phones. According to BBG officials, the 2008 survey results 

showed a sharp drop in the reach of all foreign broadcasters compared to 

previous years’ surveys, which they attributed to respondents’ fear of 

acknowledging their use of foreign media. BBG officials stated this 

concern raises questions regarding the validity of the audience size 

estimates of the 2008 surveys. As a result, BBG has not conducted 

telephone surveys of Cuban households to estimate the audience size of

Radio and TV Martí since 2008.

Alternatively, BBG has conducted surveys of Cubans who recently 

arrived in the United States in order to gather feedback on their media 

preferences. In 2010, 661 immigrants were interviewed within 6 months 

of their departure from Cuba. According to these surveys, 40 percent of 

respondents reported hearing Radio Martí and 6 percent of respondents 

reported seeing TV Martí at least once a week on average during their 

last year on the island. However, according to BBG, while these surveys 

offer insights into respondents’ media preferences and the effectiveness 

of various ways of delivering content from Radio and TV Martí, they are 

not appropriate for estimating national audience size since survey 

respondents are not drawn from a probability sample of the adult 

population of Cuba. Moreover, according to BBG officials, rates of 

viewing and listening may be higher among Cubans from circumstances 

that led them to emigrate to the United States than among other Cubans. 

According to BBG, it is presently unable to obtain valid estimates of 

audience size in Cuba. (See the following figure.)

Data Sources and Relative Reliability

Congressional Directive

The conference report 

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed 

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan, including information 

on:

• the estimated size of audiences 

in Cuba for Radio and TV 

Martí, and the sources and 

relative reliability of the data on 

which such estimates are 

based. 

Prior GAO Observations

We previously reported in 2009 

that significant challenges exist to 

conducting valid audience research 

in Cuba due, in part, to the U.S. 

government’s lack of access to 

Cuba. Despite these limitations, we 

reported that the Office of Cuba 

Broadcasting conducted a variety 

of research efforts to obtain 

information on Radio and TV 

Martí’s audience size and 

characteristics, including telephone 

surveys of Cuban households and 

surveys of recently arrived Cuban 

immigrants. We reported that 

despite the lack of reliable 

nationally representative data, BBG 

had determined that telephone 

surveys of Cuban households were 

among the best available methods 

of estimating audience size for 

Radio and TV Martí. These 

telephone surveys of Cuban 

households indicated that audience 

size was small, with less than 2 

percent of respondents indicating 

they had tuned in to Radio or TV 

Martí during the past week. 

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Estimated Size of Audiences for Radio and TV Martí and 

the Reliability of Such Estimates
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan 

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 11

December 2011

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan partially addresses the annual operating and lifetime 

contract cost for all television transmissions and the effectiveness of each in 

increasing audience size. The plan includes the annual operating cost for 

each transmission method but not the lifetime cost for each related contract. 

The plan also does not address the effectiveness of each transmission 

method in increasing audience size.

TV Martí uses three types of transmission methods: (1) an over-the-air 

broadcast via an airplane (AeroMartí); (2) satellites operated by HISPASAT, 

DirecTV, and New Skies; and (3) the Internet. Aeromartí, which broadcasts 

12.5 hours per week, is the most expensive transmission method, costing 

about $2.5 million in fiscal year 2011. During our audit, BBG provided the 

lifetime contract cost of each television transmission method, which we have 

included in the following table, along with the method’s annual operating 

cost.

Television Transmissions’ Annual Operating and Lifetime Contract Cost 

Transmission method Date 

established

Annual operating 

costa Lifetime contract cost

AeroMartí

a

2006 b $2,553,808 $28,797,065

DirecTV satellite 2006 $481,271 $2,101,150

HISPASAT satellite 2003 $366,550 $3,596,308

New Skies satellite 1990 $160,650 $8,888,997

Source: GAO analysis of BBG data. 

c

a

Annual operating costs estimated based on fiscal year 2011 costs. Lifetime contract costs 

calculated from date established through the end of fiscal year 2011, unless otherwise noted.

b

Annual operating cost includes air services and fuel. Lifetime contract cost includes all contracts 

associated with AeroMartí for development and air services from 2006 through January 2012.

c

According to BBG’s plan, the effectiveness of television transmissions to 

Cuba can be measured by formal audience surveys. However, due to 

concerns regarding the validity of audience size estimates from such 

surveys, BBG has not conducted a phone survey to estimate audience size 

in Cuba since 2008. The plan notes that BBG is using alternative means of 

obtaining information on media preferences by surveying recent arrivals from 

Cuba. These recent arrivals most often reported viewing TV Martí via 

DirecTV and DVDs; however, these results cannot be used to estimate 

audience size. BBG has also collected information on the signal reception of 

TV Martí, which is an issue due to government jamming. A 2010 BBG phone 

survey of Cuban households in AeroMartí’s broadcast area reported that

about 5 percent of households were likely or very likely to be able to see TV 

Martí via AeroMartí. However, this survey also does not estimate audience 

size. Currently, BBG does not have the data necessary to determine the cost 

effectiveness of each transmission method in increasing audience size.

Includes the cost of multiple contracts from 1990 through March 2011, supporting broadcasts for 

various U.S. agencies. Lifetime contract cost is estimated based on the proportion of OCB’s usage of 

the satellite service. 

Congressional Directive

The conference report

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan for broadcasting to 

Cuba, including information on: 

• the annual operating cost (and 

total cost over the life of the 

contract) of—any and all—

types of television transmission 

and the effectiveness of each 

in increasing such audience 

size. 

Prior GAO Observations

We previously reported that 

assessing the relative success of 

different transmission methods by 

the Office of Cuba Broadcasting 

(OCB) is challenging due to 

jamming by the Cuban government

and difficulty in obtaining valid 

audience data. As such, we 

recommended that BBG conduct 

an analysis of the relative success 

and return on investment of 

broadcasting to Cuba, showing the 

cost, nature of the audience, and 

challenges related to each of the 

transmission methods. Since 

2009, BBG has taken some steps 

to address this recommendation. 

For instance, on surveys it 

administers to Cuban immigrants 

who recently arrived in the United 

States, BBG has included 

questions to capture information on 

the transmission method they used

most frequently to view TV Martí 

while in Cuba. BBG has also 

conducted a telephone survey of 

Cuban households to test how well 

Cubans were able to tune in on 

their television and see TV Martí

while AeroMartí was transmitting.

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Operating Costs and Effectiveness of Television 

Transmissions in Increasing Audience Size
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan 

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 12

December 2011

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan addresses the principal obstacles to increasing the 

audience size of Radio and TV Martí. The plan contains a section citing 

five principal challenges BBG faces in broadcasting to Cuba, including: 

• establishment of means of transmission to consistently “break 

through” Cuban government jamming, censorship, and regulation; 

• lack of open access to news sources within Cuba;

• harassment of independent journalists by the Cuban government; 

• limited access to the Internet within Cuba; and

• inability to conduct valid audience research through on-the-ground 

surveys in Cuba to determine BBG program impact. 

BBG officials cited jamming by the Cuban government as the top 

obstacle they face. Jamming refers to the deliberate use of radio noise or 

signals to prevent the listening to or viewing of broadcasts. (See the 

following figure for examples of TV Martí despite Cuban jamming efforts.)

Photographs of Reported Reception of TV Martí in Cuba

Note: These photographs, provided by an organization that reports on Cuban affairs, reportedly 

depict evidence of Cubans’ ability to watch TV Martí despite Cuban jamming efforts. The TV Martí

logo can be seen in the bottom right-hand corner.

In an effort to overcome jamming, OCB broadcasts Radio and TV Martí

through multiple transmission delivery methods. OCB broadcasts radio 

through shortwave, AM, satellite television, and the Internet. OCB 

broadcasts TV Martí through satellite television, an over-the-air 

transmission via an airplane (AeroMartí), and the Internet. Additionally, 

BBG and OCB officials told us that they are testing the broadcasting of 

radio via AeroMartí through the use of FM radio transmitters. OCB also 

provides news and information to Cuba via alternative media, such as 

DVDs and SMS text messaging.

Congressional Directive

The conference report 

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed 

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan, including information 

on:

• the principal obstacles to 

increasing the audience size of 

Radio and TV Martí. 

Prior GAO Observations

We have previously reported that 

the Cuban government’s jamming 

of certain signals presented a 

challenge to the Office of Cuba 

Broadcasting (OCB). At the time 

of our last review in 2009, the 

International Broadcasting Bureau 

(IBB) and OCB were working to 

better understand and quantify 

the extent of Cuban jamming and 

its impact on the technical 

reception of Radio and TV Martí 

broadcasts. However, we 

reported that despite these

efforts, IBB and OCB lacked 

reliable data on the number, 

location, type, and effectiveness 

of Cuban jamming equipment. As 

a result of this lack of information, 

we concluded that it was unclear 

how much of the radio and 

television signals could be heard 

and seen in Cuba.

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Principal Obstacles to Increasing the Audience Size of 

Radio and TV Martí
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan 

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 13 

December 2011

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan partially addresses other options for disseminating 

news and information to Cuba and the cost effectiveness of each. While 

the BBG plan discusses alternative methods OCB uses to disseminate 

news and information to Cuba, it does not include a report on the cost 

effectiveness of each of these options. 

BBG’s plan discusses three alternative transmission methods OCB uses 

to disseminate news and information to Cuba including the Internet, 

mobile phones, and file sharing. See the following figure for more 

information on each transmission method. 

Alternative Transmission Methods 

According to BBG officials, BBG cannot provide estimates on audience 

size for each method given its inability to conduct reliable surveys in 

Cuba. BBG does conduct surveys and focus groups among recently 

arrived immigrants from Cuba, which provide BBG information on the use 

of alternative transmission methods. The means of viewing most often 

reported in 2010 surveys by those immigrants who had seen TV Martí in 

Cuba were DirecTV and DVDs. However, neither these surveys nor 

focus groups can be used to estimate the audience size for each method, 

because the respondents are not drawn from probability samples of the 

adult population in Cuba. Since BBG does not have valid audience size 

estimates for each of the alternative methods it uses to disseminate 

information, it is unable to report on their cost effectiveness.

Congressional Directive

The conference report 

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan for broadcasting to 

Cuba, including:

• an analysis of other options for 

disseminating news and 

information to Cuba including 

DVDs, the Internet, and cell 

phones and other handheld 

electronic devices, and a report 

on the cost effectiveness of 

each. 

Prior GAO Observations

We reported in 2009 that U.S. 

officials suggested that the 

transmission methods used to 

broadcast to Cuba—including an 

over-the-air broadcast using an 

airplane (AeroMartí), satellite

television, shortwave or medium 

wave radio, and the Internet—may 

not be the most cost-effective way 

to reach a Cuban audience. We 

noted that an official from the U.S. 

Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, 

stated that the most successful 

distribution of TV Martí has been 

via DVD (rather than satellite or 

over-the-air AeroMartí broadcasts) 

and suggested that there could be 

avenues for others to increase the 

distributions of DVDs throughout 

Cuban society. We also 

recommended that BBG conduct 

an analysis of the relative success 

and return on investment of 

broadcasting to Cuba, showing the 

cost, nature of the audience, and 

challenges related to each of the 

Office of Cuba Broadcasting’s 

(OCB) transmission methods.

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Other Options for Disseminating News and Information to 

Cuba and the Cost Effectiveness of Each
Enclosure 1: Assessments of the Six Requirements of BBG’s Strategic 

Plan 

GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy Page 14

December 2011

GAO Assessment

BBG’s strategic plan partially addresses program efficiencies, 

effectiveness, and cost savings that can be achieved by sharing

resources between the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) and Voice of 

America (VOA). While BBG’s strategic plan identifies opportunities for 

OCB and VOA to share resources to maximize their programs’ efficiency 

and effectiveness, it does not include an analysis showing the potential 

cost savings associated with each proposed initiative. 

The strategic plan proposes restructuring VOA’s Latin America Division 

and OCB to produce programming for Cuban and other audiences in 

Latin America. To do so, BBG plans to relocate portions of VOA’s Latin 

America Division from its current headquarters in Washington, D.C., to 

OCB headquarters in Miami, Florida. The plan notes that OCB’s facility in 

Miami would serve as the base of BBG operations hemisphere wide.

According to an OCB official, the OCB facility in Miami has office and 

studio space available for use by relocated VOA personnel. (See the 

following figure.)

Restructuring of VOA’s Latin America Division and OCB 

According to BBG’s plan, once relocated, VOA’s Latin America Division 

and OCB will combine regional newsrooms, share field resources (such 

as local reporters), integrate production units, and streamline network 

management. Together, OCB and VOA’s Latin America Division have 

about 150 professional staff. VOA’s Latin America Division will maintain a 

small Washington, D.C., office, which will continue to report on U.S. 

politics. 

While this restructuring may result in cost savings, the strategic plan 

does not include cost savings estimates. BBG officials told us that BBG 

has not conducted an analysis to determine potential cost savings 

associated with this restructuring. Moreover, the strategic plan notes that

BBG has yet to determine the extent of the one-time costs associated 

with this restructuring.

Congressional Directive

The conference report 

accompanying the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2010, directed

the Broadcasting Board of 

Governors (BBG) to submit a 

strategic plan for broadcasting to 

Cuba, including: 

• an analysis of the program 

efficiencies and effectiveness 

that can be achieved through 

shared resources and cost 

saving opportunities in radio 

and television production 

between Radio and TV Martí

and Voice of America. 

Prior GAO Observations

GAO has not conducted prior work 

on this issue. 

Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Efficiencies, Effectiveness, and Cost Savings that Can Be 

Achieved by Resource Sharing between the Office of Cuba 

Broadcasting and Voice of America
Enclosure 2

Page 15 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

Comments from the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Enclosure 2

Page 16 GAO-12-243R Cuba Broadcasting Strategy

(320873)
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