Newspapers & Magazines
International
These days most international newspapers and magazines have a free online version, so obtaining a hard copy isn’t really necessary if you need to keep up with the latest news. Nevertheless, many people still prefer to sit by the pool and relax with a hard copy of their favourite publication.
Newspapers and magazines are sold at most supermarkets, pharmacies, and gas stations. Outlets with good selections include the Phoenix Centre in Hamilton, the Dockyard Pharmacy at Royal Naval Dockyard (King’s Wharf/Heritage Wharf), and Robertson’s Drug Store in St George. Many of the larger hotels in Bermuda provide international newspapers and magazines.
Local
The only daily (Monday – Saturday) local paper is the Royal Gazette. As well as news from Bermuda, the paper also covers international events. The letters page often makes for interesting reading on local issues. The newspaper also has an online version.
The other local newspaper is the Bermuda Sun. It comes out twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday, and dwells mainly on local matters. A shortened version can be found on their website.
Travel Books & Guidebooks
If you’re going to buy one book to help plan your trip to Bermuda we’d strongly recommend Bermuda by Moon Travel Guides. At the time of writing (August 2013) the latest edition is the 3rd edition. It was published in April 2012 and its ISBN is 9781612381428.
The guide was written by Rosemary Jones. It’s well written, comprehensive and is as up-to-date as a book can be. Many of the other travel guides written about Bermuda contain a lot of inaccurate information, hardly surprising given the time constraints imposed on visiting authors.
Rosemary is Bermudian and has spent most of her life on the island, including a spell working as a journalist for the Royal Gazette. She also wrote Bermuda : Five Centuries, probably one of the best books ever written about the history of the island. Her company, Brimstone Media, also design many of the exhibits on display at local museums. In short, she knows the island like the back of her hand and this is clearly demonstrated in the book.
One inherent fault of travel books is that some information will inevitably become dated. Restaurants and hotels open and close, new businesses are launched, and so on. It’s also impossible for them to publish details about current events and exhibitions, restaurant offers, etc.
One of the best publications for finding up-to-date information is This Week in Bermuda. It’s funded by advertisers so you won’t find too many critical reviews or negative comments about restaurants, hotels and other businesses. However, so long as you’re aware of this, it’s just about the best source for planning the finer details of your vacation.
Despite the title, a new issue is published every month. An issue typically contains a calendar of events for that month (covering not only big events, but also some smaller ones), a bar and nightlife section (includes happy hours, entertainment schedules etc.), a shopping guide, activities listing, an attractions guide (including opening times and admission prices), maps (Hamilton, St George, and Dockyard), bus timetables, details of art exhibitions, a golf guide, an article covering a certain aspect of the island’s history, and a restaurant section.
The guide has a lot of advertisements, but many of these can actually be quite useful when planning your trip. You can pick up a hard copy for free when you’re on the island and can also view a digital version on their website.
Television
If you came to Bermuda on vacation and intend to spend a lot of time watching television you need your head testing. Believe us, there are cheaper ways. However, those in need of a quick television fix need not despair. Bermuda has the main US networks on cable together with local stations which are affiliated with the major US players.
Local stations switch between locally produced shows and those on the networks. The local stations are:
- ZBM – Owned by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company – CBS affiliate
- ZFB – Owned by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company – ABC affiliate
- VSB – Owned by the Defontes Group – NBC affiliate
There are two cable TV companies on the island. World on Wireless (WOW) offer a range of channels including CNN, Bloomberg, TNT, CNBC, Disney, BET, National Geographic, Nickelodeon, Discovery, the Cartoon Network, BBC America, ESPN, TCM, VH1, and HBO. Bermuda CableVision also offers a big selection of channels.
Radio Stations
For a small community with a population of just over 64,000, Bermuda has a lot of radio stations. We often wonder exactly how many people could actually be listening to some of the less popular ones.
Radio stations in Bermuda include:
- 1160 AM – BBC World
- 1230 AM – Bermuda Spirit- Easy listening
- 1280 AM – Bible Broadcasting Network
- 1340 AM – ZBM-AM
- 1450 AM – 1450 AM Gold – Music from all ages, afternoon talk shows
- 89.1 FM – ZBM-FM
- 94.9 FM – Power 95 FM – Hip hop, reggae, R&B etc.
- 98.3 FM – Irie 98.3 FM – Reggae
- 100.1 FM – Government emergency channel
- 102.7 FM – Magic 102.7
- 103.3 FM – Vibe 103 FM – Owned by local reggae star Collie Budz
- 106.1 FM – Mix 106 FM – Modern hit music
- 107.5 FM – Hott 107.5 FM – Urban music