In this letter to the editor, the author comments on Carter Ross’ popular story “VOA Is Shuttering Its Marianas Shortwave Site.” Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.
Dear Sir:
I read with great interest the article by T. Carter Ross in the current online edition of Radio World re: the shuttering of the VOA’s Marianas Shortwave radio site. Ross not only addresses the imminent closure of this site, but explains the site’s history and raison d’être.
In light of China’s expansionist efforts in that region of the world, to me it makes no sense to close a shortwave station that is not beholden to the machinations of the internet. The justification for its closure, according to the article, is that shortwave listeners are “migrating to other media,” as well as the costs to repair the station’s antennas that were destroyed in recent storms.
The VOA under its parent organization, the United States Agency for Global Media, would be better off fixing the antennas and transmitters to current standards and shutting down that worthless service to Cuba, Radio Marti. I am not mixing apples with oranges here since the Cubans get enough American Media directly out of Miami without the need for VOA. Just the advertising alone from those Miami AM stations is enough to get the so-called “American point of view” across to Cubans. They get it.
China is another issue entirely. China is not our friend. China is an adversary and a significant one at that.
Cuba collapsed a long time ago, having the worst economy in the Western Hemisphere with only Haiti as a close second. We should spend taxpayer money where it counts. Let’s keep those transmitters up and running in the Marianas and shut down the ones that make little or no sense at all.
Sincerely,
Lawrence M. Cohen
Utica, N.Y.
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