Dominican Republic
The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC is an island nation in the Caribbean, to the west of Cuba. The western third of the same island is occupied by Haiti.
Profile
| Country Number (29?) | 1968? | FIRST (and THIRD?) WAVE |
| Region | Caribbean | |
| Television commenced | 1952 | |
| Colour System | 1969 | NTSC |
| Population | 1966 | 4 million |
| TV Sets | 1968 | 85,000 |
| Language/s | Spanish | Dubbed |
Television Stations / Channels
The Dominican Republic began its television service in 1952.
In 1968, there were two television providers: the Educational station Radio Television Dominica, which operated channels 2,4,9, and Rahintel Television, which had channels 7 and 11.
In the 1980s, there were seven broadcasters.
Language/s
The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. It is the only Caribbean country that would have broadcast the series in that language.
DOCTOR WHO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Dominican Republic may have been the 29th country to screen Doctor Who, and the fifth in the Caribbean. There is a very high level of uncertainty as to its qualifications.
BBC Records
The Dominican Republic is not listed in The Seventies, or The Handbook.
In DWM, the Dominican Republic is identified in 10 story Archives: A, B, C, E, F, K, L, N, Q, R. The year of sale is given as 1966 and 1968.
The Eighties - THE LOST CHAPTERS records a sale of "(7)" stories (by 10 February 1987) to Dominica. It is assumed that this is actually Dominican Republic rather than the small island nation of Dominica which did not have a television service before 1987.
However, as covered below, there is some uncertainty as to the accuracy of these records.
Stories bought and broadcast
WILLIAM HARTNELL
As far as can be determined, the Dominican Republic may have purchased the standard package of twelve stories, 56 episodes that played in other Spanish-language countries in the 1960s.
- See SPANISH TITLES for our table showing the Spanish package.
The Dominican Republic therefore may have acquired the standard package of GROUP A, B, C and D of the William Hartnell stories dubbed into Spanish.
The programme was supplied as 16mm black and white film prints with Spanish soundtracks.
Origin of the Prints?
Dominican Republic may have received its prints of the Hartnell stories from Mexico or Venezuela.
Fate of the Prints?
On the assumption that it ever received them, Dominican Republic may have sent its prints of the Hartnell stories to Chile.
TOM BAKER?
Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago were sold a package of eleven Tom Baker stories in late 1985 – part of a package sold to nine Caribbean countries (see Caribbean sales for more on this). If the reference in The Eighties does indeed mean Dominican Republic, they could have bought the same or a smaller package of Baker stories (NTSC with Spanish dubs) on offer at the time.
But there is some uncertainty as to whether the series ever did screen on the island.
Transmission
TV listings
WILLIAM HARTNELL
TOM BAKER?
We have checked several Dominican Republican newspapers, covering 1968 to 1970, and 1980 to 1988, but have not found any listings for "Dr Misterio".
One newspaper, El Caribe, regularly had full daily listings for channels 2,4,9, but only irregular listings for the Rahintel channels. The RTD stations had quite detailed listings information. But the Rahintel coverage was often very basic, giving only the type of programme – such "Cartoones Animados", "Programa Vivo" (Live Programme), "Película" (Movie), "Telenovela en Video Tape" (Telemovie on video tape) – rather than actual series titles.
In the 1980s, the papers gave listings for all seven stations and their channels, but there was no sign of "Dr Misterio" in any of them.
So - if "Dr Misterio" did indeed screen in the Dominican Republic in the late 1960s, it may have done so on one of the Rahintel stations. And if it did screen in the 1980s, despite our covering a wide date-range of newspapers, it has completely slipped under our radar...
Fate of the Prints
Dominican Republic may have sent its prints of the Hartnell stories to Chile.
