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Boca Raton-Based TransMedia Group Plans to Open First American PR Office in Cuba, But Firm Might Have Some Bridges to Repair First

Monday 20. April 2009 - TransMedia Founder Sees Obama Tide Moving Swiftly Toward Normalizing Relations, Although Firm Recently Stirred Negative Press Against Close Castro Ally, Hugo Chavez

The International PR firm TransMedia Group said today it plans to be the first U.S. public relations firm to open an office in Cuba, although it might have some bridge repair work to do first.

The firm recently issued a strongly-worded press release attacking one of Fidel Castro’s closest allies, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

TransMedia’s press release carried the headline Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez May Have Met His Match as Freedom Watch Founder Larry Klayman Throws Down The Legal Gauntlet, Charging Him With Crimes Against Humanity. The release provoked an international media stir and, according to Associated Press, caused Chavez to “laugh heartily as he read aloud a news report about the lawsuit during a summit meeting in Venezuela.”

TransMedia quickly inserted on its website www.transmediagroup.com: “TransMedia Release Tickles Chavez or is Venezuelan President Only Acting.”

TransMedia represents Klayman’s Washington, DC-based public interest group, Freedom Watch (www.freedomwatchusa.org).

In preparation for its hoped-for entry into Cuba, TransMedia reserved the domains: www.PRCuba.com; www.TransMediaCuba.com and www.CubaTransMedia.com.

“Only 90 miles from our shores, we see huge opportunities to expand our growing international public relations business by opening an office in nearby Cuba soon as it is legal to do so, which we expect will happen by 2010,” said TransMedia Group founder and CEO Thomas J. Madden.

“With our extremely productive Hispanic department led by Carla Pardo, we are in a perfect position to expand global operations to Cuba and from there serve clients throughout South America,” he added. Earlier this year, the bi-lingual firm conducted a PR blitz in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador for client Tom Monaghan’s Ave Maria University in Managua.

TransMedia Group serves clients worldwide from its headquarters in Boca Raton and from offices in New York and London. The firm also plans to open an office in Brussels, Belgium some time in 2010.

Over the years, TransMedia has represented many Israel-based organizations and has produced events for the Israeli government, promoting everything from foods from Israel to Israeli films at the Israel Film Festival in Miami.