It was precisely on May first, 1961, 53 years ago today, that Radio Havana Cuba was officially launched, although it had been born weeks earlier earlier under military attack as an experimental radio station.
It was 36 years later, as its technology improved, RHC assumed creation of its website www.radiohc.cu and with on-line transmission, the station could be heard in any latitude of the planet. On the 2nd of September of 2002 rhc began to redesign its page in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. And a year later the rhc website was awarded the Gran Premio at the 25th Nacional festival of radio for the first time.
Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel visited the facilities of Radio Havana Cuba earlier this year on January 20 where he exchanged views with the workers about their major successes and concerns.
During the meeting, Radio Havana Cuba's General Director Isidro Fardales briefed the first vice president about the history of the station, created on May 1, 1961 with the aim of taking the message of Cuba to the world in different languages -- including Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Creole, Guarani, Quechua and Esperanto.
Radio Havana Cuba's National Journalism Prize winner in 2013, Ignacio Canel, spoke about the invaluable voice archive housed at the station, which includes the voices of outstanding Cuban and world personalities, including speeches by Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Raul Castro and many others.
Before leaving the radio station, Diaz-Canel wrote his comments in the visitors' book, describing Radio Havana Cuba as “a radio station with a worthy, sovereign and professional work, whose message reaches its audience with all the strength that stems from the everyday and revolutionary life of all the Cuban people.”
Radio Havana Cuba will begin FM Spanish Language broadcasts for the domestic audience as of this coming May first. These will be in addition to our international short wave broadcasts and our online presence in eight languages.
On this coming May Day, International Workers Day, the date devoted to the true builders of our planet, Radio Havana Cuba is here for you, the peoples of the world, as you continue your noble quest for true democracy, freedom, independence and a better life for all.
The celebration in Cuba of the feast of the international working class is of vital importance to the nation since the workers and their trade unions are the main actors in the current process of updating the economic model of the nation, leading to a more prosperous society for all.
On this May Day, foreign guests and international public opinion are able to ascertain that festivities in Cuba over International Workers Day lead to an even greater show of support by the working class of a Government and a System that gives the importance that it deserves to the nation’s producers of goods and services: to the Cuban working class.
By Gerwyn Jones
