Berkshire Hathaway-owned Miami ABC affiliate WPLG has announced it has been given permission to be the first local TV station in the U.S. to base a full time news crew in Cuba.
Starting Monday, Local 10 News Havana debuts in the station’s 6 p.m. newscast with reporter Hatzel Vela and photojournalist Brian Ely, who have moved to the communist country.
“We are very proud of the work that we’ve done in Cuba over the past few years,” said WPLG president Bert Medina. “This opportunity takes it to a whole new level. We are making this investment because the Cuba story is very important to our community.”
“Hatzel and Brian are free to cover the stories they choose to cover,” said WPLG vp of news Bill Pohovey. “In our many trips to Cuba we have reported without any government meddling and this new arrangement comes with no strings attached. The only request from the Cuban government was a promise that our coverage would be fair, and that’s something we deliver in all of our news coverage.”
