Radio 26 celebrates its 50 anniversary

For those who listen to this radio station every day, it seems strange that to many kilometers from Santiago de Cuba or Havana city, the main centers of activity of the July 26 Movement there is a radio station that carries the simple but huge name on behalf name of July 26, it is the name of provincial radio station in Matanzas, which celebrates its 50 anniversary on December 23rd in order to serve the interests of the Revolution.

The explanation for such a glorious title inherits? It was the first radio station owned by the July 26 Movement in the country.

The National Radio Award, Manuel de Jesus Garcia (Manolo), along with Joaquin Benavides and Armando Capote González, active fighters for the freedom of Cuba, he bought CMGW Matanzas to Ramon Armando de Zayas (Cuco) on December 23rd, 1959. 

Manolo, who is just 90 years old and dedicated his entire life Radio 26, says that Cuco Zayas borrowed 15 thousand pesos. They agreed to give him 8 thousand pesos gave him first and later they would pay the rest. "But we never gave him anything else," says Manolo. "The Cuban Revolution triumphed and we did not pay anything.


When you get 26, still echoed in the memory of the people the words of Fidel, when on January 7th, 1959 he went to Matanzas from the microphones of Radio Matanzas then installed in the balcony of City Hall, in front of Parque de la Libertad. 

From then, the fiftieth anniversary history of Radio 26 has been linked to the struggles of the Revolution. From their booths filmmakers, journalists and directors, formed on the progress of the task daily radio broadcast and minute by minute, the most important developments in the province, the country and the world.

The Literacy Campaign, the Victory of Giron and October Crisis occupied important places in their transmissions.

The harvest, the hurricanes that hit us, the triumphs in sports, the opening of the stadium works as Victoria de Giron, Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport and the construction of hotels in Varadero quickly came to the village by the waves of Radio 26.

The starting  of the Battle of Ideas, the Cardenas child return Elian Gonzalez to the Fatherland, the open of the Revolution, Fidel visits to the province and demanding freedom for the Five Heroes prisons of the Empire have been part of the Matanzas station programming in recent years.

Radio 26 in 50 years has been school announcers, radio directors, program directors, actors and journalists who are now in many different media in the country.

Programs like Tiempo A, still in the air and for more than 40 years, Rumores de Tierra Adentro, El Mexicano, Pida usted, En la Radio o Frecuencia Abierta to just mention some programs which are very linked with people from Matanzas, for that magic of the feedback that comes on the radio by telephone, letters and e-mail now.

This radio station has one of the strongest drama staff of the country, and its ranks relevant actors and actresses as well as young artists who is part of prestigious theater groups in the province.

Since 2004, the radio Matanzas was inserted into cyberspace with the output of your page, your email address http://www.radio26.icrt.cu, a project not without its setbacks along the way has matured and that in this 50th anniversary suggests the challenge of migrating to Web 2.0

Best and worst of times materials have accompanied this station, which in 50 years has passed since three venues, and now does so from one of the most privileged spots in the city of Matanzas, from Park hill René Fraga.

At 50 years of the foundation of Radio 26, the radio station has complied with the immense task of serving the people and the Revolution remains workshop and school. Radio remains the heart of all Matanzas.

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