Memory has specific aromas. For many, journalism in Holguin smells like freshly brewed coffee in Grandma’s kitchen. Mixed with the sound of a station that, for almost four decades, has set the pulse of the province. That’s how I came to know The First-hand (DPM). As a child, without knowing that those producers and voices that accompanied my family mornings would end up becoming, years later, my own family.
Today, the “Big Giant” of CMKO Radio Angulo celebrates 37 years. It’s not just another anniversary. It’s the confirmation of an unwavering commitment to discipline and rigor. I owe—we, its creators, owe—to DPM the obsession with the perfect headline. The pursuit of news that not only informs but also moves us deeply. And that almost mystical ability to sit in Calixto García Park and, in a second, travel through the airwaves to the Saguera mountains or the mining depths of Moa.
Staying on the air hasn’t been a matter of chance. The station, defined as a stage for “debate and reflection.” It has managed to perfect its human endeavors even in the darkest times. When the pandemic struck the world and silence seemed to prevail, DPM reinvented itself. We changed schedules, redoubled our efforts, and, as they say in radio circles, “we worked magic.”
That survival on the airwaves has a reason for being: a vocation for service. Being the news outlet of Radio Angulo means following up on and responding to the issues that most concern the people. From the city center to the most remote corners of the northeastern region.
A chronicle of The First-hand (DPM) would be incomplete without acknowledging the names that have shaped its history. It is impossible not to recall the mastery of figures like Félix Hernández, Rigoberto González Limiñana, Magda Betancourt Parra, Osvaldo Pérez Díaz, and Lidia Esther Ochoa. They, along with Noire Aguilera, Luis Enrique Díaz, Roberto Ortiz del Toro, Manuel Zaldívar Mora, Ernesto Rondón Jorge, Luis Ernesto Urbino, Hugo Mora Parra, and Eduardo Vega, paved the way.
Félix Hernández (center), announcer and main host of the Holguin radio program for more than three decades. Photo: Taken from Ahora
Today, that legacy merges with the energy of the younger generation. Celia Arévalo, Yudit Almeida, Raúl Rodríguez Peña, and Maylin Betancourt are part of the team. That, day after day, pours its heart and soul into every broadcast. We are a team where the distance between friends—some near, some far—shrinks every time the microphone is turned on.
Photo: Taken from Facebook
As we reach this 37th anniversary, gratitude is the watchword. For the opportunity to delve into program direction. For teaching us that news is a living entity, and for allowing us to be part of daily life in Holguin.
The First-hand remains, steadfast, seeking accurate information and contributing to the betterment of our society. Congratulations to all who have made this program a bastion. Let’s keep going, because we have many dreams to fulfill together on this fascinating journey through the airwaves.
By: Daimy Peña Guillén
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