Radio Havana Cuba

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Radio Havana Cuba
Image:Radio Havana Cuba.jpg
Type Radio network
Country Flag of Cuba Cuba
Availability International
Owner Government of Cuba
Key people Luis López López (General Director), Pedro Otero Cabañas (Chief Editor)
Launch date May 1, 1961
Website http://www.rhc.cu/

Radio Havana Cuba (Spanish: Radio Habana Cuba, RHC) is the official international broadcasting station of Cuba.

Contents

[edit] Early History (1960s-1980s)

Although RHC was officially inaugurated in May, 1961, the idea of an international Cuban radio station was born in the Sierra Maestra mountains during the final stage of the fight against Fulgencio Batista. After the creation of Radio Rebelde by Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in February, 1958, the leadership of the guerrilla movement began to analyze the possibility of creating a radio station after achieving final victory. This station would be able to communicate news about the Cuban Revolution to countries around the world.

During the Cold War, RHC relayed propaganda broadcasts from North Vietnam and North Korea, and the USSR, as well as its original programming. It was not clear where the broadcasts "relayed" from North Vietnam actually originiated. In the 1960s, Radio Havana Cuba broadcast "Radio Free Dixie" aimed at African-Americans struggling against segregation and Jim Crow in the southern United States.

At times in the 1980s, in order to protest the Reagan administration's Cuba policy and its instigation of the anti-Castro Radio Martí program from the Voice of America, Radio Habana Cuba broadcast briefly on mediumwave frequencies at a greatly boosted power allowing the station to be heard on American AM radios and overwhelming local American AM stations broadcasting on that frequency, including clear channel station WHO in Des Moines, Iowa on 1040 kHz. RHC no longer transmits on medium waves (see schedule at RHC's Web site), even though Radio Martí still transmits from the United States to Cuba on 1180 kHz.

[edit] Current broadcasting

Located on Havana's Avenida Infanta, the offices of Radio Havana Cuba share a facility with two other renowned national stations that have contributed greatly to the history of Cuban radio broadcasting: Radio Progreso and CMBF, Radio Musical Nacional. Currently, RHC broadcasts in nine languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Quechua, Guarani, Creole and Esperanto, 24 hours a day, with a varied programming that includes news, music and features.

In 2004, RHC and related mediumwave transmitters, such as Radio Rebelde, broadcast speeches by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as well as Castro.

It was off the air temporarily in late August 2004 due to damage caused by Hurricane Charley.

RHC broadcasts Cuban popular music frequently, as well as radio hobbyist tips from announcer Arnie Coro.

Numbers station monitors have noted that on occasion RHC interval signals have been heard at the beginning or end of intelligence-related transmissions.

[edit] Interval signal

The station's interval signal is the tune La Bayamesa.

[edit] RHC Output (1950-1996)

For a comparison of RHC to other broadcasters see

Output of RHC compared to other broadcasters (1950-1996).
Output of RHC compared to other broadcasters (1950-1996).


[edit] External links

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