FIRST OFF . . .

High-powered Cuban radio transmissions knocked two radio stations in Iowa and Utah almost entirely off the air for six hours Tuesday night, prompting the Federal Communications Commission to alert the State Department on Wednesday. The interference--apparent retaliation for the Voice of America’s U.S. Radio Marti broadcasts to Cuba--was aimed at WHO-AM in Des Moines, the station where President Reagan once worked as a sportscaster, and KSL-AM in Salt Lake City, an FCC spokesman said. The Cuban relay of Radio Taino, with a mixture of English and Spanish-language programming broadcasting on 1040 and 1160 kilohertz, lasted from at least 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. (PDT).