June 26, 1987

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Regional Agreement for the Medium Frequency Broadcasting Service in Region 2, with annexes, and a Final Protocol (containing a statement of reservation made by the United States), signed on behalf of the United States at Rio de Janeiro on December 19, 1981. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Agreement.

The Agreement establishes a Plan of frequency assignments and associated procedures designed to enable the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) member countries of Region 2 (essentially, the Western Hemisphere) to protect each other's radio broadcasting services in the medium frequency band (535 - 1605 kHz, commonly known as AM radio) from mutually caused objectionable interference. It is the result of two sessions of a Regional Administrative Radio Conference held in 1980 at Buenos Aires, and in 1981 at Rio de Janeiro, under the auspices of the ITU. The Regional Agreement will replace the 1950 North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) and the 1968 U.S.-Mexico agreement as the basic agreement among North American countries to maintain an orderly development of their AM radio services. The Agreement, with one exception noted below, is consistent with the proposals of and positions taken by the United States at the 1981 conference.

Given the level of objectionable interference to U.S. stations from various countries in the Region (particularly Cuba), the United States, at the time of signature, submitted a statement (No. 14) on this subject for inclusion in a Final Protocol to the Agreement. The statement, with reasons, is given in the report of the Department of State.

I believe that the United States should become a party to this Agreement, which has the potential to improve the utilization of medium frequency broadcasting services in the Western Hemisphere, and it is my hope that the Senate will take early action on this matter and give its advice and consent to ratification of the Agreement, with annexes, and a Final Protocol (containing a statement of reservation made by the United States).

Ronald Reagan
The White House,
June 26, 1987.

 

Date
06/26/1987