The Cuban Institute of Radio and Television ( es, Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión; ICRT) is the government agency responsible for the control of radio and television broadcasters in Cuba.

History

Cuba was one of the first countries in the Americas to have radio and television service. In 1922, under the cooperation of the US-based International Telephone and Telegraph, the first radio station in the country (2LC) began broadcasts on 22 August. However, the first regular broadcasts were made by the PWX on 10 October, with the issuance of a speech by President

Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso Alfredo de Zayas y Alfonso (February 21, 1861 – April 11, 1934), usually known as Alfredo de Zayas under Spanish naming customs and also known as Alfredo Zayas, was a Cuban lawyer, poet and political figure. He served as prosecutor, judge, ma ...

. The radio stations in the country were developed by private initiatives, and its programming was initially based on news and entertainment. The popularity of radio led to the development and launch of television stations. The first years of television in Cuba were marked by a climate of competitiveness between two Cuban businessmen who were backed by US companies, Gaspar Pumarejo by DuMont and Goar Mestre by

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. Mestre started construction of a building called ''Radio Center'', inspired by the Radio City in New York, while Gaspar Pumarejo tried to develop a television studio in his own home in his quest to be the first in establishing a TV station. Pumarejo's channel 4 (Unión Radio Televisión) was the first TV channel to start broadcasts in the island; it began broadcasting on 24 October 1950 with an address by President

Carlos Prío Socarrás Carlos Manuel Prío Socarrás (July 14, 1903 – April 5, 1977) was a Cuban politician. He served as the President of Cuba from 1948 until he was deposed by a military coup led by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before new e ...

from the Presidential Palace. Mestre began broadcasts on Channel 6 (CMQ) on 18 December of that year, and both networks would develop a program format similar to their radio brethren, in addition to live sports and special events. On 18 February 1953, Channel 2 (Telemundo) began its broadcasts. With the advent of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in co ...

in 1959, the new government applied a series of measures that transformed all national media.

Radio Rebelde Radio Rebelde (English: Rebel Radio) is a Cuban Spanish-language radio station. It broadcasts 24 hours a day with a varied program of national and international music hits of the moment, news reports and live sport events. The station was set up ...

, the first radio station developed under the revolution, started broadcasting on 24 February. During the early years of the revolution there was a division between the mainstream media in Cuba, created with private capital and oriented against the new political situation and a series of small radio stations whose editorial line was in favor of the new government, which organized an "Independent Front of Free Broadcasters" ( es, Frente Independiente de Emisoras Libres). These radio stations were recognized as official by the new government. The government would develop a Bureau of Broadcasting, attached to the Ministry of Communications and under the political leadership of the

Communist Party of Cuba The Communist Party of Cuba ( es, Partido Comunista de Cuba, PCC) is the sole ruling party of Cuba. It was founded on 3 October 1965 as the successor to the United Party of the Cuban Socialist Revolution, which was in turn made up of the 26 ...

. Private television stations were expropriated; Mestre's channel 6 was taken over by the state in 1960. Radio stations and television channels in the country were completely put under state control on 24 May 1962 under the management of the newly established Cuban Broadcasting Institute. Under the new broadcasting system, all media were to meet a set of values established by the government to strengthen the political process in the country, some names of TV and radio stations were changed, and the coverage of the TV and radio services were extended to reach the whole country. In 1975, the agency changed its name to the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television.

Channels

Radio

The ICRT has several nationwide radio stations: *

* Radio Progreso * Radio Taíno * Radio Reloj * CMBF Radio Musical Nacional * Radio Enciclopedia Related:
Cuban Radio Official Website in english

Cuban Radio Official Website in spanish
The ICRT also has several regional radio stations and Radio Havana Cuba, an international broadcaster.

Television

Cuba has five national television channels, which are known for airing various kinds of locally produced programming (soap operas, recitals, documentaries and comedy programs), but these networks also have begun airing foreign children and family-focused programming, even from the United States. *

Cubavisión Cubavision is a Cuban television channel owned by the Cuban government Cuba has had a socialist political system since 1959 based on the "one state – one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a Marxist–Leninist state. Th ...

(founded in 1950) * Tele Rebelde (founded in 1968) *

Canal Educativo Canal Educativo is a Cuban television channel devoted to educational programming. Operated by the ICRT, it began operations on 9 May 2002. History Prior to the establishment of Canal Educativo, there was no designated home for educational progr ...

(founded 2001) *

Canal Educativo 2 Canal Educativo is a Cuban television channel devoted to educational programming. Operated by the ICRT, it began operations on 9 May 2002. History Prior to the establishment of Canal Educativo, there was no designated home for educational progr ...

(founded in 2004) * Multivisión (founded in 2008) * Canal Caribe (founded in 2017; Cuba's first Digital-only channel) The institute also includes a network of provincial channels;

Cubavision International Cubavision International ( es, Cubavisión Internacional) is a Cuban free-to-air television channel run by Cuba's national broadcaster, Cuban Institute of Radio and Television. There is also a national channel called Cubavisión with different c ...

, which broadcasts via a number of satellite services; and the Cuban Television Information System (''Sistema Informativo de la Televisión Cubana''), the national producer of all TV news programs aired on the ICRT stations as well as of important state events.

References

External links