Summary: Originating out of Washington, D.C., TV Marti broadcasts a mix of news on Cuba and Cuban-American issues to the Havana area. This report examines TV Marti's (1) costs since inception, including the value of support services provided by other agencies; (2) compliance with Voice of America broadcast standards; and (3) compliance with international agreements. Two of the three consultants GAO employed to watch broadcasts expressed concern that the program content lacked balance and did not meet established Voice of America standards. Both of TV Marti's in-house critics also observed that some broadcasts might not meet standards. A monitoring agency has reported that TV Marti broadcasts interfere with Cuban broadcasts and do not comply with radio regulations requiring countries to broadcast only within their national boundaries in frequencies associated with AM and FM radio and television. TV Marti's recent expansion of its daily broadcasts has led to further Cuban complaints and counterbroadcasting into the United States.
