Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
is an important facet of the nation's media and culture. Radio, which was first broadcast in Argentina in 1920, has been widely enjoyed in Argentina since the 1930s. Radio broadcast stations totaled around 150 active AM stations, 1,150 FM stations, and 6 registered shortwave transmitters.Mi Buenos Aires Querido /ref> An estimated 24 million receivers were in use in 2000 (2.4 per household).
History
Radio broadcasting enjoys a long and varied history in Argentina, tracing its origins to a 1910 stay in the southside Buenos Aires suburb of Bernal by Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the
wireless telegraph
Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for t ...
. There, he achieved a rudimentary radio transmission with a kite-mounted antenna connected to earphones. Argentine publisher José C. Paz later sponsored Marconi's radio transmission from Italy to Buenos Aires, the first transatlantic broadcast into South America.''Argentine Radio: Over 60 years on the air.'' The Argentine Information Secretariat, 1981.
Three local medical students, led by Enrique Susini, began their own radio experiments in 1917 and, installing transmission equipment in Buenos Aires' Coliseo Theatre, they broadcast, on August 27, 1920, ''
Parsifal
''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is an opera or a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is loosely based on the 13th-century Middle High German epic poem ''Parzival ...
'', the first opera on radio and only the second radio broadcast in the World. These installations became LOR Radio Argentina, the World's first formal radio station. The number of receivers in the city at the time: around 20. This station was joined in 1922 by LOX, whose ad for the Los Andes Restaurant is probably the World's first on radio. Several more stations opened in Buenos Aires during Argentina's prosperous 1920s and growing numbers of artists signed contracts for live performances on the growing variety of
radio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s.
Leading stations at the time began broadcasting from the numerous, ornate
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
stages in Buenos Aires, including LR5 Radio Splendid (so named for the venue where its shows were produced, the Grand Splendid Theatre). Among the notable events broadcast live at the time was President
Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear
Máximo Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Pacheco (4 October 1868 – 23 March 1942), was an Argentine lawyer and politician, who served as president of Argentina between from 1922 to 1928.
His period of government coincided precisely with the en ...
's inaugural, in 1922, and the 1923 "bout of the century" in Polo Grounds,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, between
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
and
Luis Ángel Firpo
Luis Ángel Firpo (October 11, 1894 – August 7, 1960) was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín, Argentina, he was nicknamed ''The Wild Bull of the Pampas''.
Boxing career
In 1917, Firpo began his professional boxing career by beating Frank Ha ...
for the World Heavyweight title.
The medium's boom and the lucrative local ad market allowed Susini to sell his station in 1930 to U.S. telecom giant ITT for US$200 million, a record at the time. The visionary entrepreneur invested a part of the funds into
Lumiton
Lumiton is a former film production company and current museum located in Munro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lumiton Studios was founded in 1932 at the start of the golden age of film in that country. Its lowbrow, populist films appealed to local aud ...
Studios, among the first to produce sound movies in the world.
Argentine radio embraced
tango
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
in the early 1930s, airing the work of orchestras such as
Francisco Canaro
Francisco Canaro (November 26, 1888 – December 14, 1964) was a Uruguayan violinist and tango orchestra leader.
Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay, in 1888. His parents were Italian immigrants, and later, when he was less than 10 y ...
's and Julio de Caro's; LR1-Mundo (referred to as LR1 for its being the first on the dial) became the standard for tango broadcasts. The decade saw the rise of Jaime Yankelevich, a former radio valve distributor, as the dominant force in the medium, thorough Radio El Mundo (inaugurated in 1935), and Radio Belgrano, which became the first in Argentina to broadcast through a chain of repeater stations, and the first to expand into late-night broadcasting. Buenos Aires was by then home to 25 stations (as many as in New York, a city, at the time, almost three times larger). The state entered the radio market in 1937, with the inaugural of LRA Radio Nacional Radio Mitre became the first in Argentina to broadcast around the clock, in 1960.
Luis Sandrini
Luis Sandrini (22 February 1905 – 5 July 1980) was a prolific Argentine comic film actor and film producer. Widely considered one of the most respected and most acclaimed Argentine comedians by the public and critics. He has made over 80 appe ...
's ''Felipe'' and other
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
shows became ratings leaders during the 1940s, and as most Argentines were still either
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...
or first and second generation Argentines, many revolved around the use of thickly accented ethnic humor. Some of the most popular were
Niní Marshall
Marina Esther Traveso (June 1, 1903 – March 18, 1996), known by her stage name Niní Marshall, was an Argentine humorist, comic actress and screenwriter; nicknamed ''The Chaplin with a skirt'' and ''The Lady of Humour''.
Life and work
S ...
's characters, particularly ''Catita'' and ''
Cándida (1939 film)
''Cándida'' is a 1939 Argentine musical film drama directed by Luis Bayon Herrera. The tango film premiered in Buenos Aires and starred Juan Carlos Thorry.The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture
0521636515
John King - 2004 ...
''.Cine Nacional /ref> The trend was not without its detractors, however, and in 1943, the newly installed dictatorship of General Pedro Ramírez banned humor which "deformed the language," leading to exile for Marshall and numerous other radio stars.''Clarín'' /ref>
Programming focused on Argentine folk music and Peronistpropaganda during the populist administration of President Juan Perón, who met his influential wife,
Evita Evita may refer to:
Arts
* Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name
* Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron
* Evita (album), ''E ...
, when the latter was a radio
matinée
In the performing arts, film exhibition, and other forms of entertainment, a matinée is a performance or exhibition in the afternoon (or occasionally earlier), as distinguished from the evening
Evening is the period of a day that starts at t ...
star; among Perón's most compelling voices in support on the radio was Tango composer
Enrique Santos Discépolo
Enrique Santos Discépolo (''Discepolín'') (27 March 1901 – 23 December 1951) was an Argentine tango and milonga musician and composer, author of famous tangos like ''Cambalache'' and many others performed by several of the most important si ...
, who also hosted political commentary shows. The public sector became increasingly involved in Argentine radio during Perón's 1946-55 presidency, and afterwards. All broadcast chains were
nationalized
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to p ...
, and state radio extended overseas in 1958 with the inaugural of the Argentine Foreign Broadcasting Service. The station became only the third in the Western Hemisphere (after the
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
and
Radio Canada International
Radio Canada International (RCI) is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Prior to 1970, RCI was known as the CBC International Service. The broadcasting service was also previously referred to as ...
) to broadcast internationally and in several languages.
Television in Argentina
Television is one of the major mass media of Argentina. As of 2019, household ownership of television sets in the country is 99%, with the majority of households usually having two sets. Cable television has become the most used type of delivering ...
, which had been developed by Jaime Yankelevich in 1951 under state licence, eroded radio's listener base during the 1950s and '60s. A number of radio hosts, however, such as musician Jorge Raúl Batallé,
talent show
A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather ...
host Roberto Galán, and news and commentary hosts, such as
Antonio Carrizo
Antonio Carrozzi Abascal, best known as Antonio Carrizo, (September 15, 1926 – January 1, 2016) was an Argentine radio and television presenter.
Biography
Born in General Villegas, in western Buenos Aires Province, his first experience in br ...
,
Cacho Fontana
Jorge "Cacho" Fontana (born Norberto Palese Filgueiras; 23 April 1932 – 5 July 2022) was an Argentine radio and television personality.
Life and work
Born Norberto Palese in the Barracas section of Buenos Aires, he was the only child of Nie ...
, and Héctor Larrea (whose ''Rapidísmo'', from 1967, became influential to the Argentine
morning show
Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...
format) rivaled their television counterparts.
Censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
also intensified, however, and a number of commentators had shows cancelled, notably Hugo Guerrero Marthineitz, who hosted the intellectual interview program, ''El show del minuto''. The ''Comité Federal de Radiodifusión'' (COMFER) was established in 1972 to both regulate the growing number of unlicensed stations, as well as to increase state influence over the medium. The return of Juan Perón from exile led to a second round of nationalizations in 1974, including all major television stations. The Radio Broadcasting Law of 1980, which led to the privatization of 44 stations, touched off an era of state disinvolvement in Argentine radio, however, and helped lead to corporate consolidation over the airwaves. Many of these hitherto public radio stations (known by their acronym, LRA) had helped extend the medium into Argentina's then-remote far north and
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...
. Argentine radio, was long dominated by
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transm ...
(only 22 FM stations were in service), and AM remained popular on the airwaves, even as FM stations grew to outnumber these in subsequent decades.
The return of democracy in 1983 led to an unprecedented selection of news programs, and many became known for
muck-raking
The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publ ...
Rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
and other forms of pop culture also opened, notably ''Rock & Pop'' (1985), led by Daniel Grinbank; the station became well known in the late 1980s for its irreverent ''Radio Bangkok'' program, hosted by
Lalo Mir
Lalo Mir is an Argentine radio host.
Works Radio
;At Radio Del Plata
* 9 P.M.
* Lalo Bla Bla
; At FM Rock & Pop
* Aquí Radio Bangkok
* Buenos Aires, Una Divina Comedia
* Johnny Argentino
* Animal de Radio
;At Radio Mitre
* Animados
* Lalo B ...
.
Easy listening
Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...
Variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp ...
host Chiche Gelblung (''Edición Chiche''), and critic and raconteur
Alejandro Dolina
Alejandro Ricardo Dolina (born May 20, 1944) is an Argentine broadcaster, who also achieved fame as a musician, writer, radio host and television actor.La venganza sera terrible''), also became prominent in radio broadcasting at this time.
Football remained a perennial favorite on the Argentine radio, and some of the best-known announcers have included Fioravanti, José María Muñoz, Enrique Macaya Márquez, Horacio Pagani, Marcelo Araujo, and Víctor Hugo Morales, among many others. ArInfo (Buenos Aires) became the first Argentine station to broadcast online in 2001 and by 2009, 61 stations did so, nationwide. The ownership structure of both radio and television broadcasting became increasingly concentrated after the 1980 Media Law, however, and many of the most popular radio stations are owned by conglomerates, including Radio Continental (
Telefé
Telefe (acronym for Televisión Federal) is a television station located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The station is owned and operated by Paramount Global through Televisión Federal S.A. Telefe is also one of Argentina's six national television ...
),
Radio Mitre
LR6 Radio Mitre is a radio station in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is owned and operated by Clarín Group.
It was created on August 16, 1925 under the name of The Nation Broadcasting LOZ.
During the government of Juan Domingo Perón, ...
Daniel Hadad
Daniel Hadad (born November 28, 1961) is an Argentine lawyer and businessman involved in telecommunications and media.
Biography
Daniel Hadad was born in Buenos Aires in 1961 into a family of Syrian origin. He earned degrees as a lawyer and j ...
Cristina Kirchner
Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess
*Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American s ...
in 2009 and upheld by the
Argentine Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Argentina ( es, link=no, Corte Suprema de Argentina), officially known as the Supreme Court of Justice of the Argentine Nation ( es, link=no, Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina, CSJN), is the highest court of l ...
in 2013, would restrict the number of media licences per proprietor and limit the influence of the principal media conglomerates by allocating a greater share of these to the state and
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s.
Stations
Today, in Argentina, there are now more than 150 AM stations, 1150 FM stations and 6 shortwave radio stations broadcasting throughout the country.
The following stations are licensed to Greater Buenos Aires area (or GBA):
AM
* 570 - LR 2 Argentina
* 590 - LS 4 Continental
* 630 - LS 5 Rivadavia
* 710 - LRL 200 710
* 750 - LRL 203 750
* 790 - LR 6 Mitre
* 870 - LRA Radio Nacional
* 910 - LR 5 La Red
* 950 - LR 3 CNN (formerly Belgrano, and now under licensed by the
news channel
News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or telev ...
of the same name)
* 990 - LR 4 Splendid
* 1030 - LS 10 Del Plata