Nevertheless, this was a banned issue for women because women have been subjected to discrimination.
Radio Reloj began to use women voices in the news reading and the time every minute at the ends of 60’s. Tanya Granados was the first radio announcer in Radio Reloj after being Cadena Nacional on September 19th, 1961, she was graduated from a radio announcers ‘course.
On July 26th, 1969, a Sunday was Tanya’s debut reading the chronicles and special works of Revista Del Domingo, inserting later in the news reading with great stature radio announcers such us: Pedro Luis Fernández Vila, Cesar Arredondo, Roberto Socorro and others outstanding personalities.
Once, Vilma Espín Guillois asked to the director of Cuban Institute of Radio and television: Why did you use women voices in the news reading?
Gradually, women voices were widen and later women radio announcers participated in El Matutino to share responsibility with acclaimed radio announcers. Two examples are enough: Argelia Pera Trapero and Isabel Fernández Corrales two of the best radio announcers of the country.
In 2008, women presence in Radio Reloj was reflected in this way: From 30 radio announcers in total 12 are women, those equivalent a 40%.Women proportion presents a tendency to increase according to the following analysis: from 17 permanent radio announcers, 6 are women that represents a 35%. Anyway, the remaining 13 radio announcers who are hired, 6 are women that represent a 46%.
Here, there is the profile of the first radio announcer Tanya Granados.
Real name: Miriam Alfonso Mendez Havana City April 11th, 1937 Tanya Granados is daughter of journalist and Professor Rogelio Alfonso Granados, she was a childhood surrounded by literature and pieces of news. Her family was devoted radio announcers of Radio Reloj and CMBF Radio Musical Nacional; hence her great love for best music. Sometimes, her grandmother tuned up other radio stations which broadcasted radio novels. She never dreamed of working in the radio neither as radio announcer.
Granados graduated in Plastic Arts at San Alejandro’s. One day after enjoyed a theater play she realized her true vocation was dramatic arts. Her greatest ambition at that time was to become an actress.
In search of his ambition Tanya matriculated in the Academic of Dramatic Art (ADAD) and her professors were among others Mario Rodríguez Alemán, Modesto Centeno, Nora Badías, Marisabel Saenz, and Roberto Garrica. Once she was graduated she worked in several theaters with the group Las Máscaras.
Later, Castellanos got married and had to travel and settled in Costa Rica in 1956; owing to the fact that Aldo Guasch, her husband and Radio announcer and director in Radio Progreso was persecuted for political activities. In Costa Rica, Tanya Castellanos had her first contact with the media in Radio America and Radio Reloj; the last one a radio generating plant that broadcasted news with the peculiarity of offering advertisements.
After the triumph of the Revolution she came back Cuba to give birth the first one of her four daughters and stayed here. Immediately she began working as theater instructor, and made a course of Child and Puppet Theater.
Aldo, her husband suggested her to present in a radio announcing course, she registered in 1968. The course took a year to finish; she had the opportunity of learn from excellent teachers such as: Angel Hernandez, Julio Batista and Manolo Ortega. Unfortunately, only 10 students finish the course. At the end Julio Batista explained that he liked her voice for working in Radio CMBF and she made a test. Pastor Valdes, who was Radio Progreso director at that time, told her carrying out an idea of Vilma Espin about the need to include women in the news reading. They have listened to any women voices and her voice was the best.
On July 26th, 1969 was the first time a woman’s voice appeared in Radio Reloj, Tanya Castellanos’ with other prestigious radio announcers like Cesar Arredondo and Roberto Socorro broadcasted La Revista de la Mañana.
In 1970 Castellanos worked with Pedro Luis Fernández in program 10-70 later Onda 10-70 broadcasted by Radio Progreso. It was a program to support the fight of Viet Nam people. At present, she still kept a ring made of an airplane material by Viet Nam army forces. After working three years in Radio Reloj she felt the need to make incursions in other kind of programming. For that reason she changed with radio announcer Ramón Fraga and passed to Radio Internacional. When the radio station did not broadcast any more Pastor Valdés, National Director of Radio System suggested her transfer to CMBF Radio Musical Nacional, where she stayed for 26 years. This consecrated radio announcer was granted with Distinction Raul Gómez Garcia.
In 1992, she retired for health problems. It is interesting that Tanya Castellanos is 71 years old and keeps her vitality and an honorable voice in the National Radio.
