A RADIO VISIT TO TROPICAL AMERICA

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 28, 23 December 1938, Page 38

A RADIO VISIT TO TROPICAL AMERICA

Estacion CMBQ — **Radio Teatro Ideas Pazos"’

By

ALEX

SIMPSON

THE second of this series of articles on Central American radio stations deals with one of the latest commercial stations to commence operations in Cuba. It is interesting to note that the technical construction of this station was carried out under the supervision of Senor-Bernabe de Ila Torre, whose.own station-COGF-was the subject of the first of this series.

m= MBQ, one of the most recent Cuban broadcast band stations to come . on the air, celebrated its official inaugural opening on June 4. This function took place in the salons of the handsome and sumptuous Palacio del Gentro Gallego, in which building are situated the station’s studios. The station is. connected commercially with the ‘Ultra’ Stores, and also with the COGF-CMGF transmitter in Matanzas, some 100 kilometres from Havana. ro __ All the technical equipment pertaining. to CMBQ has been designed according to the latest broadcasting standards, the studios, in particular, being modelled.on the principle of the modern American type. "The ‘technical construction was carried out by Senor Bernabe de Ia Torre, whose name is already familiar to most New Zealand DX Club

members as being that of the owner of the two Matanzas stations, from which recently a special programme. was dedicated. .Senor de la Torre has been ‘working on technical construction for some time; first as constructor of his own two stations, ‘and now as technical director of CMBQ-something ¥ upon which to’ be congratulated at the age of 29. : 2000 Records And 50 Artists — OPERATING on a frequency of 680:k.c., CMBQ has a power of 5000 watts in the antenna, and transmits by remote control, direct from the Cuban Telephone Company. They are on the air’ from 8 a.m. till 12 midnight daily (E.S.T.) their programmes also being relayed from Matanzas. In addition to having a library of more than 2000 recorded musical works, CMBQ maintains a staff of 50 popular. artists, the station having a slogan "The Radio Theatre ‘Ideas Pazos’ does not work for love of the art, but puts love and art in its work." On the roof of the studio building there is a 40-foot illuminated sign with the station’s call-letters and slogan, "Ideas Pazos."’ | The following dedication was published with the opening programme: "For our efforts, for our watchfulness; in brief, from our sacrifices, we feel recompensed in completing this noble enterprise in which we have found loyal friends, friends sincere and kind, who believed in the truth of our word and in the facts of our already-large commercial fulfilment." The top photograph. shows a group of artists who broadcast regularly from station CMBQ Havana, while the one on the left shows the speciallyconstructed building which houses the 5000-watt transmitter.