Since 1986, every March 31st, CMKO Radio Angulo celebrates the anniversary of one of its most beloved and listened-to programs: Apartado Popular (Popular Separate). A show that has accompanied the daily lives of Holguin residents for forty years. It was created with the intention of offering practical and timely information. Even in the age of social media and smartphones, it remains a point of reference for many listeners.
Who hasn’t sat next to the radio, notebook in hand, to copy down the details of an item for sale they’re looking for? Or to listen to see if their home’s promotion aired that day? Or to search through the classifieds for job openings?
Popular Separate was the radio’s buzzdog in times when social media wasn’t booming in our country. Or when it wasn’t so common for even a grandparent to have a Facebook account.
How many times have we had to explain to people that half an hour isn’t enough time to get all the information? —which is on the to-do list tomorrow— How many items are stored in the Separate office waiting for their owners to pick them up! If you find a set of keys, a baby’s shoe, or an ID card, the first thing you think of is leaving it in the Separate office.
There are many stories to tell from these forty years. All thanks to Joaquín Fernández Moreno’s original idea. Many stories and many producers who, throughout this time, have left their mark on the program.
Who first went on air on March 31st, 1986? Miguel Gutiérrez Guethón as director. While Osvaldo Aguilera and Yamilé Gómez were the founding announcers.
Appealing to memories is a difficult task, but we can’t fail to mention the numerous artists who have lent their talent to the program. Directors such as Idalberto Betancourt Cordero, Eduardo Vega Garcell, León Batista Suárez, Bárbara Sánchez Rojas, and currently Yanelys Calvera la O, who also works as one of the announcers.
Other on-air personalities who have been at the helm include María Hortensia Ruiz Sánchez, Rafael Peña Santana, Néstor Salazar, Alicia González Diéguez, Carlos Russo Álvarez, Carmen Iglesias, and currently Idalmis Castellanos.
Photo: Yailyn Ojeda Grass
Sound, an essential element of radio, also has its own history in this space. Popular Separate has always been broadcast live. With the complexity involved in managing a constant flow of information and a soundtrack that has become part of the station’s identity. The soundboard has been used by professionals such as Aida Portelles, Raquel Sánchez, Carlos René, Eduardo Vega, Dianelis Remedios, and today, Eric de la Cruz Rovira.
Photo: Yailyn Ojeda Grass
Another pillar of the program is customer service. A role that demands patience, sensitivity, and responsibility. Here we find the people who receive each request. Contact organizations early in the morning, and organize the daily flood of data. Reina Meriño and Ana Irma Góngora have excelled in this position, and currently, Damaris Socarino holds it.
What does it mean for a producer to be part of the Popular Separate team? Yanelys Calvera sums it up in the following words:
Years go by, generations change, technology advances, and we continue to believe in Separate. A program that strives to provide accurate and up-to-date information. It’s been four decades serving the community.
Forty years later, Popular Separate continues to be a bridge between people. A space where the community recognizes and supports one another. Congratulations to those who made it possible, to those who are no longer with us. And to those who carry on this tradition today. Above all, thank you to the listeners who keep it alive.
And you, who are reading these lines. Remember to tune in Monday through Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to the most popular program.
By: Yailyn Ojeda Grass
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