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Last Updated: Tuesday, 1 November 2005, 14:04 GMT
'Latin CNN' broadcasts first news
A Telesur news anchor rehearses for a live news broadcast in Caracas, Venezuela
Telesur can be seen in more than 20 countries
The new pan-Latin American TV channel Telesur, backed by the Venezuelan government, has started broadcasting a full schedule of news bulletins.

Telesur began its news coverage with reports about planned protests against President George W Bush at the Americas summit in Argentina this week.

The channel says it will offer an alternative to US networks such as CNN.

But critics says it is a propaganda tool for the left-wing Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez.

Three other governments - Argentina, Cuba and Uruguay - also have a stake in the channel, which can be seen in more than 20 countries.

In its first news bulletin from Caracas, Telesur also reported on Venezuela's offer to supply cheap fuel to crisis-stricken Haiti.

In July, the US House of Representatives voted to enable the Bush administration to begin broadcasting its own TV signals to Venezuela.

The American plan is intended to counter what it called anti-US propaganda.


BBC NEWS: VIDEO AND AUDIO
See the programmes available on Telesur




SEE ALSO:
First broadcast for Latin channel
24 Jul 05 |  Americas
Venezuela sets up 'CNN rival'
28 Jun 05 |  Americas
CNN Latin rival launches network
25 May 05 |  Americas


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