Inés Aleida Sánchez Guarde de Revuelta (11 June 1931 – 7 April 2023) was a Cuban-Costa Rican journalist. She was the host of the television program ''Teleclub'', a position she has held since its premiere in 1963. She was recognized by

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the longest-serving presenter of an educational television program.

Biography

Inés Sánchez was born in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

on 11 June 1931. She studied journalism and audiovisual production, and made some appearances on radio and television. Due to censorship after the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...

, she emigrated to Costa Rica with her husband and eldest daughter in 1961. Sánchez initially worked for Radio Monumetal's news program, and later joined ''Las Estrellas se reúnen''. She became the host of ''Teleclub'', an educational television program which debuted on 8 February 1963. It was aimed at stay-at-home parents, with segments on cooking, sewing, health, nutrition, and beauty, as well as news. According to Sánchez, ''Teleclub'' succeeded because it met the need for a family-oriented program which Costa Rican television had been lacking. It was first broadcast on Canal 4, then moved to

Teletica Televisora de Costa Rica S.A., known as Teletica is a Costa Rican television broadcaster, founded in 1958. It operates Teletica Canal 7, XperTV Canal 33, and, since 1991 (partially since 2018), CableTica (now called Liberty). History In October ...

Canal 7, followed by

Repretel Representaciones Televisivas (Televised Representations) S.A., commonly known as Repretel or Grupo Repretel is a Costa Rican media company, founded by Remigio Gonzalez, that came into competition with Teletica and Canal9. Repretel owns Costa Rica ...

Canal 6, Canal 2, Canal 4 until 2002, and Canal 13 until 2015. It is currently broadcast by Televisora de Costa Rica on Teletica XPERTV Canal 33. On 21 January 2002, the program was interrupted when Sánchez suffered a life-threatening

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. She recovered and returned to hosting on 2 May. As of 2010, more than 13,000 hours of ''Teleclub'' had been broadcast.

Personal life and death

Sánchez had three daughters and four grandchildren. Her husband, Ernesto Revuelta Milán, died in 2011. Sánchez died on 7 April 2023, at the age of 91.

Awards and recognition

In August 2005, Inés Sánchez was presented with a recognition from the government of Japan for her dissemination of Japanese culture through ''Teleclub'' segments on

ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The tradition dates back to Heian period, when floral offerings were made at altars. Later, flower arrangements were instead used to adorn the (alcove) of a traditional Japan ...

origami ) is the Japanese paper art, art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of pape ...

, and cuisine. In December 2012, she received the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

, Gold and Silver Rays. Sánchez holds two

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

world records – for longest running television educational show and longest career as a presenter of an educational television program. In February 2019, she received the International Award for Television Excellence from the Hispano-World Writers' Union.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Ines 1931 births 2023 deaths 20th-century journalists 21st-century journalists Costa Rican journalists Costa Rican women journalists Cuban journalists Cuban women journalists People from Havana Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 5th class Television journalists Women television journalists Cuban emigrants to Costa Rica