Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73
§1465bb Television broadcasting to Cuba
Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - UNITED STATES INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V–B— - TELEVISION BROADCASTING TO CUBA › § 1465bb
Summary
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (called the Agency) must run television broadcasts to Cuba to share information and ideas and to be a steady, trustworthy news source. The shows must follow Voice of America rules so they are accurate, fair, and show different viewpoints. These U.S. government TV broadcasts will be called the "Television Marti Program." The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will pick a suitable broadcast frequency but must not cause harmful interference to U.S. stations. No U.S. agency can force an existing U.S. station to change its frequency. For legal purposes the Marti TV station is treated as a government station, and the FCC will assign its frequency. The FCC must set technical limits, watch the broadcasts, and stop Television Marti if it causes harmful interference. The FCC must help affected domestic stations fix problems, for example by allowing them to increase power within rules. If the FCC orders a stop, it must tell and update the proper Congressional committees. The FCC must also keep Congress informed about interference coming from Cuban stations and from the broadcasts to Cuba. Congress thinks the President should form a task force to study and find practical fixes.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §1465bb
Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)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” 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)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.
(c)Any program of United States Government television broadcasts to Cuba authorized by this section shall be designated the “Television Marti Program”.
(d)(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)(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). 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)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)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.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Repeal of Section Section repealed upon transmittal of determination by President under section 6063(c)(3) of this title that democratically elected government in Cuba is in power, see section 6037(c) of this title.
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Communications Act of 1934, referred to in subsec. (d)(1), is act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, which is classified principally to chapter 5 (§ 151 et seq.) of Title 47, Telecommunications. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 609 of Title 47 and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Television Broadcasting to Cuba Act which comprises this subchapter, and not as part of the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 which comprises this chapter.
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1325(1), substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “United States Information Agency”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–277, § 1325(2), in heading struck out “USIA” before “Television” and in text substituted “the ‘Television” for “ ‘USIA Television”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Broadcasting Board of Governors renamed United States Agency for Global Media pursuant to section 6204(a)(21) of this title. The renaming was effectuated by notice to congressional appropriations committees dated May 24, 2018, and became effective Aug. 22, 2018.
Effective Date
of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–277 effective Oct. 1, 1999, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 6531 of this title. Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103–7 (in which a report required under subsec. (f) of this section is listed on page 167), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 1465bb
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73