Apr 18, 2007 5:57 pm US/Eastern
TV Martí Executive Is Sentenced
DOWNTOWN MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A former executive at a U.S.-funded anti-Castro TV station who pleaded guilty to accepting more than $100,000 in kickbacks was sentenced Wednesday to two years and three months in prison, prosecutors said.
A federal judge also ordered Jose M. Miranda to pay $8,000 in fines. Miranda's prison term will be followed by three years probation. Miranda was fired from the station after he pleaded guilty in February.
The U.S. government seeks to beam Radio and TV Marti into Cuba to provide an alternative to the government-run media. Miranda was the director of programming for TV Marti between 1999 and 2004 and earned $103,000 from the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which oversees the station. During that time, he accepted at least $112,000 from Perfect Image Film and Video Productions. According to in-court statements, the owner of Perfect Image agreed Miranda would receive about half the money the company received from TV Marti.
"It's unfortunate that something like this happens, but when it comes to taxpayers dollars there is no tolerance for that kind of behavior," said Alberto Mascaro, chief of staff for the broadcasting office.
A message left for Miranda's attorney, John Wylie, was not returned Wednesday.
Critics of TV Marti say it is a waste of federal money because the station's programming barely reaches any of the islanders, because of the Cuban governments efforts to jam the signal.
Last December the station's management announced that they would be selling some of its programming to the local Miami affiliate of TV Azteca, a Spanish language station, in an effort to reach more residents in the island. It's unknown exactly how many Cubans receive over-the-air broadcasts from the states using clandestine antenna installations in their home.
TV Marti's older sister station, Radio Marti, historically has been more successful in broadcasting to the island through both shortwave and AM signals
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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