By: Santiago Romero, MSc.
The 28th event «Iris San Alvarez In Memoriam» took place on the eve of the National Day of the Cuban Press, this time, dedicated to the quarter century of CMKC, Radio Revolucion’s web page, the second site founded with news objectives and the first of the network of radio stations in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
In the theater studio of this provincial radio station, I could deliver a presentation about the historical context, the difficult moments of learning, the use of diskettes for manual updating by the «Santiago» site in Megacen; the technological urgencies, the assimilation of the techniques of the digital cyberspace, how to take the analogical news productions to the digital environment; the steps to follow, the use of the first tools such as Frontpage, then Dreamweaver, then Joomla, then wordpress and today the more complex, fast and very effective AI (artificial intelligence), up to the multiplatforms in social networks, and the use of hypertexts.
Journalist Betty Beaton, addressed details of how the CMKC, Radio Revolucion YouTube Channel was created; the insertion of journalism students and recent graduates with better spirits and many ideas in audiovisual production, live broadcasts and the reconfiguration of the digital newsroom for the Internet with very competitive proposals.
Journalist Cary Ferriols recalled the contributions of now deceased colleagues such as Raul Lopez, Noel Caparros, the joy for the presence of Elvira Orozco and Silvia Alvarez; the co-founder Michel Damiàn -nowadays abroad- but he was one of the first web artists like Santiago Romero, the translator Guillermo Rodrìguez and, later, the engineer Miguel Noa, another of the web designers and producers at the beginning of the new 21st century. To all of them the recognition of CMKC. And welcome to the new cyberjournalists who join us from the University of Oriente to face the challenge of continuity, to bring the truth of Cuba, its real image and fight against the blockade and the subversive intentions from abroad and inside, in addition to congratulations for contributing to the digital development of the doyenne station that celebrates this March 23rd the 94th anniversary of its founding.
CMKC in Revolution
CMKC, 25 Years in the Internet
When Cyclone Inés passed through the eastern provinces, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro followed it from the Big Rock Radar. He then visited the CMKC radio station in its new premises and advised the population of the imminent cyclone.
On that occasion, the leader of the Revolution talked with the CMKC workers who were at the plant and was interested in knowing the status of the works that were being carried out to provide it with new studios and more modern equipment.
Shortly afterwards, at 554 Aguilera Street, its current address, work intensified on the adaptation of four floors for the new studios of the provincial network, to which they moved definitively in l967.
Although it improved with better technological possibilities and programming, it was limited in the building facility aspect, since it still remained in the old premises on the second floor at 511 Aguilera Street.
In April 1966, when a fire destroyed the modern building of the Aguilera Theater, located a few meters from the CMKC studio, and fearing that the flames would reach there, the station was moved to the studio located on San Basilio between Reloj and Clarín streets.
Santiago CMKC old actors and writers encouraged the creation of a dramatic group. The station was nourished by original scripts and adaptations of writers such as José Soler Puig, Antonio Lloga Simon, Francisco Muñiz Mallorquin, Oscar Serra and others that emerged in the daily work with this group.
