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The media of Cuba consist of several different types of media: television, radio, newspapers, and internet. The Cuban media are tightly controlled by the Cuban government led by the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the past five decades. The PCC strictly censors news, information and commentary, restricts dissemination of foreign publications to tourist hotels. Journalists must operate within the confines of laws against anti-government propaganda and the insulting of officials which carry penalties of up to three years in prison. Private ownership of broadcast media is prohibited, and the government owns all mainstream media outlets.

Radio and Television

Radio and Television before the Cuban Revolution

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. 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 RCA Victor. 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 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.

Radio and Television during and after the Cuban Revolution

With the advent of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the new government applied a series of measures that transformed all national media. Radio Rebelde, 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" (Spanish: 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. 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.

Newspapers and Magazines

Granma regularly features speeches by Raúl Castro and other leaders of the Cuban government, including former President Fidel Castro's column, 'Reflexiones de Fidel' (Fidel's Reflections), official announcements of the Cuban government, popular sketches highlighting the history of Cuba's revolutionary struggle from the 19th to the 21st century, developments in Latin America and world politics, steps by Cuba's workers and farmers to defend and advance the socialist revolution, and developments in industry, agriculture, science, the arts, and sports in Cuba today.

The Prensa Latina was founded shortly after the Cuban Revolution. The agency was founded at the initiative of Ernesto Che Guevara similarly to Agencia Latina founded by Juan Perón in Argentina, to spread government ideology and neutralize American propaganda.

The written press began in Cuba in 1764 with La Gazeta, followed by the Papel Periódico de La Habana (Havana Periodical Paper) in 1790. Cuba currently has several newspapers, including the following:

National Circulation

Name	Circulation	Founded
Granma	Daily (except on Sundays)	October 4, 1965
Juventud Rebelde	Daily (except on Mondays)	October 21, 1965
Trabajadores	Weekly	June 6, 1970

Provincial Circulation

Name	Province	Circulation	Founded
Tribuna de La Habana	Havana	Weekly	October 7, 1980
Guerrillero	Pinar del Río	Weekly	July 6, 1960
El Artemiseño	Artemisa	Weekly	January 11, 2011
Mayabeque	Mayabeque	Weekly	January 11, 2011
Girón	Matanzas	Weekly	December 5, 1961
5 de septiembre	Cienfuegos	Weekly	September 5, 1961
Vanguardia	Villa Clara	Weekly	August 9, 1962
Escambray	Sancti Spíritus	Weekly	January 4, 1979
Invasor	Ciego de Ávila	Weekly	July 26, 1979
Adelante	Camagüey	Weekly	January 12, 1959
Periódico 26	Las Tunas	Weekly	July 26, 1978
Ahora!	Holguín	Weekly	November 19, 1962
La Demajagua	Granma	Weekly	October 10, 1977
Sierra Maestra	Santiago de Cuba	Weekly	September 7, 1957
Venceremos	Guantánamo	Weekly	July 25, 1962
Victoria	Isla de la Juventud	Weekly	February 20, 1967

The Church's role in the press

Although the press is publicly owned, magazines and bulletins owned by the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations are also published and available to any Cuban citizen. In Havana, the Catholic Church publishes magazines such as Palabra Nueva and Espacio Laical monthly. In the diocese of Pinar del Río, Vitral is published bimonthly. These magazines and bulletins include religious instruction and news from the church.  The bulletin with the highest circulation is Vida cristiana published weekly in Havana; it reaches the majority of Catholics in the country. Today, the Church seeks to expand to different forms of media such as television and radio which it currently has no access.

Internet

Main Article: Internet in Cuba

Cuba has on of the lowest Internet circulation rates in the Western hemisphere. Cuban Internet is characterized by a low number of connections, limited bandwidth, censorship and high cost. The Internet in Cuba stagnated since its introduction in 1996 due to several factors:

• a lack of funding due to the devastation of Cuba’s economy after the fall of the Soviet Union
• the U.S. embargo which delayed construction infrastructure and made equipment expensive and difficult to obtain
• tight government restrictions which identified the Internet as a tool for subversion of the the Cuban Revolution

Starting in 2007 this situation began to improve—Internet remains illegal in private homes but government owned internet cafes offer Internet access. 118 cybercafes operate in Cuba.  In 2015, the government opened the first public wifi hotspots in 35 public locations and reduced prices and increased speeds for Internet access in cybercafes.