Pirate TV, Belize and the Cubs

[Terry]

Ran across an interesting story about the Chicago Cubs' popularity in Belize. All due to a pirate TV station.
Source: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-story-of-why-belize-is-full-of-chicago-cubs-fans

Quote from article:
"Why the Cubs—and why Belize? Like a lot of stories from this part of the world, it began with pirates. In this case, however, the outlaws were local TV impresarios, not swashbuckling Johnny Depp look-alikes. In the early ‘80s, there were no television stations in Belize, the only country in Central America whose official language is English. (Anyone with a set would use it to watch VHS tapes.) In 1981, however, Belize City business couple Arthur and Marie Hoare began transmitting the famous Chicago television channel WGN-TV via satellite, bringing programming to Belize. Channel 9, the Hoares' bootlegged Belize affiliate of WGN, brought Cubs and Bulls games into living rooms and bars throughout the country, sparking an interest in Chicago sports that has continued—with varying levels of enthusiasm—to this day."

[BoomboxDX]

Fascinating. Too bad the Cubs are getting slammed in the World Series, though.

Reminds me of Nashville's influence on reggae and ska music, because a lot of Jamaicans apparently listened to WSM at night.