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There is a special T.V. channel called
the Sun channel or Canal del Sol which has
limited English programming. A number of
hotels offer satellite television from the
U.S. for their guests. They show programs
such as CNN, HBO, ESPN, Cinemax and MTV.
With a satellite dish you can pick programs
from all over the world. Very soon, RCA's
Direct T.V. or another satellite company
will be offering service to Cuba just as
in the rest of Latin America. In case you
don't know, these satellite systems are
very good because they use a dish about
30 inches wide and pick up about 150 channels.
We have an American friend who lives on
his yacht at the Hemingway Marina. He has
a satellite system and claims he can get
almost every available station.
Actually, many people can pick up television
stations from Miami-weather permitting-with
an ordinary antenna if they live near Havana.
Cuba Visión and Tele Rebelde
are the country's official Spanish television
networks. These stations show old American
and European films, science and culture,
soaps and cartoons. Since sports are very
popular, a lot of games are broadcast. If
you speak Spanish you can view the programs
they offer.
Cuba has a couple of national radio stations.
Radio Taino is the main station which
broadcasts throughout the country in Spanish
and English 24-hours a day on AM frequency.
Radio Reloj is a 24 hour news station.
English language radio stations can also
be heard from the southern United States,
Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
and Venezuela.
Newspapers and Books
The main national daily Spanish newspaper
is the Granma. It is the official
newspaper of Cuba is printed in five languages
and can be accessed at: http://www.granma.cu/. For tourist oriented information
in Spanish-English read the Cartelera
magazine which covers many local activities.
In most hotels catering to tourists, you
can buy USA Today, New York Times,
The International Herald Tribune,
Newsweek and Miami Herald.
The hotel Havana Libre stocks most
of these publications. There is also a selection
of magazines and other reading materials
in English.
Cable news network or CNN was recently
given a special license to open a news bureau
in Havana. Ted Turner gave Cuba the right
to show CNN on Cuban television, so it was
only logical CNN would be the first news
bureau to be approved. Nine other news groups
were also granted licenses: ABC News, CBS
news, The Miami Herald, The Associated Press,
Dow Jones & Company, The Chicago Tribune,
The Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Univision
and possibly The New York Times.
Despite being a country of avid readers,
only a few bookstores stock titles in English.
Once the country opens up to the global
economy, the number of bookstores stocking
books in English will increase. Someday
there may even be branches of large international
bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble
or Borders in Havana.
The International Bookstore on Calle
Obispo No 526 and Librería Bella
Havana in Havana has a small selection
of English books. Moderna Poesía
(La Habana Vieja, Obispo 526 at Bernaza
Tel: 62-2189) is another good bookstore.
There are also a couple of hard currency
shops that sell books.
Other bookstores are: Ateneo in
Vedado between 12th and 14th Tel: 36-9009;
El Siglo de Las Luces in Centro Habana,
Neptuno 521 at Aguila; Fernando
Ortiz in Vedado, Calle L and 27th Tel:
32-9653; Luis Rogelio Nogueras in
Centro Habana, Galiuano 467 Tel: 63-8110;
1 Palacio del Segundo Cabo in La
Habana Vieja, O'Reilly 4, at Tacón Tel:
62-8091, Librería Cervantes which
specializes in used books, Librería Casa
de las Américas and Librería Centenario.
There are even occasional book fairs where
a few second hand books in English may be
found.
Havana also has many public libraries.
La Biblioteca Nacional José Martí
(at Plaza de la Revolución in Vedado
Tel: 79-6091) is Havana's main public library.
Other libraries are: Biblioteca Pública
Provincial Rubén Villena, Biblioteca
Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (The
National Science and Technology Library,
located in the former Capitol Building,
Tel: 60-3411), Biblioteca del Instituto
de Literatura y Liguística (Institute
of Literature and Linguistics Library) Tel:
74-504), Biblioteca Memorial Juan Marinello
(Juan Marinello Memorial Library, in Nuevo
Vedado Tel: 34-912) and the Biblioteca
José Antonio Echevarría (Vedado Tel:
32-358) featuring books by Latin American
authors. However, at present you are really
better off shopping for reading materials
in English abroad or trading books with
other English speaking expatriates. If you
are fluent in Spanish you have nothing to
worry about since there are many materials
available.
There is annual Havana Book Fair held in
February which is a book lovers' paradise.
While on the subject of books the name
of José Martí inevitably comes up. He was
Cuba's most famous writer and revolutionary
leader in the country's Second War of Independence
during the 1800's. Martí wrote many poems,
essays and plays. He died in a battle fighting
for his beliefs.
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