WASHINGTON - November 23 - Today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced the launch of his "Spotlight on Spending" series to highlight actions Congress can take to reduce the deficit. The items Feingold is highlighting are included in his Control Spending Now Act, legislation made up of more than forty individual proposals to reduce the deficit by more than one half trillion dollars. The series will involve regularly highlighting one of the specific provisions in his bill to detail how it could help reduce the nation's deficit, which is currently $1.42 trillion. Among the more than 40 deficit-reducing provisions in Feingold's Control Spending Now Act are:

• $244.5 billion in deficit reduction by ending the Wall Street Bailout
• $50 billion in deficit reduction by allowing the reimportation of FDA-approved prescription drugs
• $4 billion in deficit reduction by cutting C-17 aircrafts the Department of Defense does not want
• $1.8 billion in deficit reduction by ending an IRS slush fund

The first featured provision is the elimination of the Radio and TV Martí program:

"SPOTLIGHT ON SPENDING" $300 Million for a Broadcast to Cuba That Nobody Tunes In To

Spotlight on Spending: Radio and TV Martí

Deficit Reduction: $300 million over ten years

"This relic of the Cold War attempts to broadcast radio and TV signals into Cuba that virtually no one tunes in to," Feingold said.  "Government studies show that Radio and TV Martí are riddled with problems, and fall short of journalistic standards.  As we progress toward a more modern and constructive relationship with Cuba, Radio and TV Martí no longer have any real diplomatic or fiscal purpose.  I plan to bring up this issue when the Senate takes up President Obama's recently announced nominees to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. "

What it is: Launched in 1983 under President Reagan with the intention of helping take down Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Radio Martí is a U.S.-funded, 24-hour radio program directed at Cuba. In 1990, TV Martí was established for the same purposes. Radio and TV Martí are operated by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) under the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees U.S. government broadcasting.

Why it is wasteful: The Radio and TV Martí programs are wasteful for reasons both operational and political.

A January 2009 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Radio and TV Martí broadcasts face jamming by the Cuban government. According to the GAO, the best available research suggests that the audience for Radio and TV Martí is small, and its effectiveness uncertain. BBG's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) also found that Radio Martí fails to meet certain journalistic standards, "particularly in the areas of balance and objectivity."

During a June 2009 hearing before a House Foreign Affairs Subcommitee, a GAO official testified that there is "limited information to help assess the relative success on a return of investment for each of the transmission methods." During the same hearing, John Nichols, a Professor of Communications and International Affairs at Penn State University testified that "...even if (Cubans) are opposed to the Castro government...they are going to look for more credible sources of information and entertainment."

The political environment has changed significantly since the inception of Radio and TV Martí, and President Obama's commitment to international diplomacy and dialogue offers a more effective way to engage with the people of Cuba. The Obama administration has already loosened restrictions on Cuban Americans' visits to Cuba, and the White House and Congress are considering easing travel restrictions and other ways to normalize relations.