Oustanding radio announcers such as : Jorge Luis Nieto González ( El Caribe), Manolo Ortega, Miguelito Paéz, Eddy Martí, Orlando Castelanos, Manolo Iglesias, Enrique Goizueta, Gustavo Mazorra, Fernando Alcorta, Nelson Moreno de Ayala, Edel Morales, Raael (Chicho) Morales, Hector Rodríguez, Laritza Ulloa, Rolando Crespo, José Leandro Rodríguez, Rodobaldo Hernández, Marcia Aristalia… This fact corroborates the criteria of different academicians among them doctors Eloína Millares and Vitelio Ruiz from Santiago de Cuba who stated Ciego de Avila and Camagüey are the eastern provinces in which the best Spanish language is spoken.
After 8 years of the insertion of the media in Ciego de Avila, it was created CMJB radio station of Eduardo Valdés Figueroa and CMJD radio station of Porfirio de la Cruz. In 1939 were favourable for transmission CMJH, CMJO, CMJI and CMJP radio stations in Morón.
I could verify that CMJH radio station was the Voice of RCA Victor from Luis Maurí Mendoza, thanks to the testimonies of Orlando Castellanos and Eddy Martín, who spoke over the microphone when he was only a teenager and later he worked in CMJO, The Voice of the Trail property of Puerto Rican Bonifacio Idelfonso. Castellanos also made his first incursion in the media at the age of six years in a song competition and with nine years made his first radio news. Precisely, Isidro Castellanos, Orlando’s father bought in 1940 CMJI radio station to get familiar with the world of the radio.
On October10th, 1952 about 6:45 in the morning was created with the sigles CMJP, Radio Cuba in Ciego de Avila and property of Gustavo Cruz Ramírez. CMJP radio station marked radical changes in local radio from its presentation with the song of José White La bella cubana and its identification: “It broadcast Radio Cuba, a local radio station, pride of the province until its leading articles”.
This event brought about the government took reprisals, the radio news was closed and they tried to snatch the frequency modulations and carried out an attack.
The workers of CMJP joined to the strike on April 9th, 1958. The author of this testimony participated in the pilgrimage until the graveyard of the town where the people paid homage to martyr Cloroberto Echemendía Ulloa. Prominent leaders from Movement July 26 and Revolutionary Directory March 13 proclaimed their ideas trough the microphones, among them: José Antonio Echevarría, Joe Westbrook, Jesús Suárez Gayol and Alvaro Barba Machado.
Since its beginnings the programming of Radio Cuba broke canons established by local radio stations until this moment. It began broadcasting at 5:30 in the morning until 1:00 in the morning. “Club de la Juventud” and “Once variedades” of the deceased director Angel Vázquez Martínez were programs with large audience. Other programs were “Cabalgata 580”, “Música al despertar” and Reloj musical” of Orlando Castellanos Molina, founder of Radio Habana Cuba and Radio Taíno.
First, Radio Cuba had a radio transmitter of 500 W, a rustic console, a RCA Victor tape recorder with a press box for radio announcer and the operator.
In the earlier 60’s the radio system was restructured, only Radio Cuba and Radio Morón were the local radio stations in Camagüey. In 1969 Radio Cuba by general consent became Radio Surco. In 1976 obtained the category of provincial radio station with two frequency modulations and radio transmitters of 5 000 and 1000 W respectively. Furthermore the studios were modernized with new equipments.
I had the honor to participate in the inauguration of Radio Surco in 1988, and I was pleasantly impressed for aesthetic characteristics of its building and the explanation of José Antonio, the young journalist who was in charge of the press box. In my opinion when we are in love with the radio we can never abandon it. Radio Surco built some studios in all the municipalities.
Radio Morón:
Arquímides Romo Pérez, professor of Linguistics, radio announcer and program producer was always distinguished for being in the vanguard of the radio system in Ciego de Avila. At the 50’s Nelson Moreno de Ayala was radio announcer of CMJX and through its radio waves he presented artists of international statures like Pedro Infante, Tin Tan and Los Chavales de España. Precisely Moreno de Ayala told me this anecdote: In 1955 the people in town made a protest in front of the radio station because of the antipopular regulations imposed by the goverment of Fulgencio Batista and the army suppressed the people by force.
Suddenly, doctor Pablo Castellanos the radio station director at that time came in the press box and began to denounce the truth. After that two guards forced the door and Pablo Castellanos was under arrest. I began to say: Our director was under arrest and immediately I was under arrest too.
At present Radio Surco is the voice of its municipality and its radio waves are spreading the beautiful city of Ciego de Avila.
