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Is Cuba Interfering With U.S. Broadcasts?

WOR's Tom Ray says a Cuban station on 710 kHz is shooting a powerful nighttime signal up the eastern seaboard and interfering with his New York AM station and possibly others.

From last week’s “The Leslie Report”

WOR‘s Tom Ray says a Cuban station on 710 kHz is shooting a powerful nighttime signal up the eastern seaboard and interfering with his New York AM station and possibly others.

The Cuban station is broadcasting American music, with a Spanish-speaking DJ and no ID, says Tom, who is also a Radio World contributor.

How does he know where the signal originates? The FCC used monitoring stations around the country, and located the source of the transmitter in Cuba, according to Ray. In Utica, N.Y., this Cuban station had a local-grade signal. An FCC source told Tom he estimated the station is pushing at least 500,000 watts (and possibly up to a million) up the coast. Ray also believes the agency’s hands are tied on this one by the State Department.

We recently reported that the State Department had purchased time on Miami’s WQAM(AM) to air American propaganda, in Spanish. “The majority of WQAM’s 50 kW at night goes directly toward Cuba. So this 710 signal is in retaliation for the propaganda being sent towards Cuba on 710 from Miami — in my humble opinion — being paid for by my tax dollars and causing grief for my employer and bad will for our listeners,” said Ray, who works for Buckley Broadcasting.

WOR is looking to hear from stations that may be similarly affected so they can combine efforts to talk to regulators and possibly get some relief from the interference.

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