[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H2912]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HAITIAN TELEVISION NETWORK DEBUTS

  (Mr. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to 
Members and to our Nation of an important point in television history 
that took place on Friday, March 28, 2003. The Haitian Television 
Network of America went on the air in Miami, Florida. The Haitian 
Television Network is the first Creole and French language 24-hour-a-
day station in the Nation. We were very proud, based on the fact that 
it is in Miami.
  After years of programming on public access stations on cable, the 
president of the station, Claude Mancuso, has succeeded in his vision 
of reaching a broader audience. Mr. Mancuso has also worked within the 
Haitian community in providing Haitian programming. This is very 
important to our Haitian-Americans, that their Haitian culture, 
religion and history is daily programmed throughout south Florida and 
throughout the Nation. News, sports, movies, sitcoms and documentary 
programs for children are going to be able to help our Nation grow and 
understand one another. The Haitian-American population is estimated 
nationally at over 2 million, with over 700,000 Haitian-Americans 
residing in the State of Florida, with 500,000 in south Florida. I 
commend the Haitian Television Network for achieving its goal of being 
able to be a 24-hour station and look forward to many years of 
programming.

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