Contributor Max Alper highlights the importance of analog radio in Puerto Rico after a national outage in the beginning of June.
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On June 10th, 2021, a massive explosion and subsequent fire took place at the Monacillo power distribution center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, leaving the majority of the island in the dark. This would be the first major blackout the island has experienced since the January 2020 earthquakes knocked the island off the grid for over a week, and less than 4 years after Hurricane Maria caused the same for several months. The incident came immediately following the recent and controversial takeover of the electrical grid by a private American corporation, LUMA Energy, a company who managed to secure a $135 million downpayment and $9.5 million per month contract despite a unanimous rejection from both Puerto Rican congress and senate.
No stranger to catastrophe, whether it be a natural disaster or man-made incident sparked by politically corrupt incompetence, the Puerto Rican people know when to turn on survival mode. Gas for generators, ice for coolers, and batteries of all sorts become the hottest commodities on the island within minutes of any major incident. And while certain material goods become essential for any individual household during times of unrest, there is always a need for communal resources that allow for la gente as a whole to both stay informed and entertained in the dark. When the power goes out, something as trivial and outdated as a battery powered radio becomes a saving grace for millions.
If you’ve ever experienced a major electrical outage in your neighborhood, you might have noticed a sudden shift in soundscape that can be overwhelming in its abruptness, especially in urban areas. For my wife and I, two Americans born and raised in Northeast cities, the threat of natural or manmade disasters damaging the power grid isn’t something we’d normally lose sleep over before moving to the Carribean. And with this change in mindset also came the realization that we had never considered how ignorant and ultimately immune to urban noise pollution we had become. The sounds of business and industry, the buzzing of neon advertisements and street lamps, the constant roaring of nearby traffic on the highway; we took these for granted as they were all abruptly replaced by the songs of nearby coqui frogs in the treeline, the occasional gas generator, and an ensemble of handheld radios played from thousands of balconies and marquesinas throughout the island.
According to the FCC, there are currently over 140 local FM and AM radio stations in Puerto Rico, with a range of styles that you might expect from an island with a population of over 3 million people. Everything from shock jock talk radio, Top 40 American and Latin pop, to Christian sermon stations exist across the island airwaves, with the majority of course broadcasting en la lengua de español caribe. In the immediate aftermath following Hurricane Maria in 2017, only one radio station and it’s subsidiaries, WAPA, was able to remain on the air 24/7. While over the following days other major stations, such as La Isla, were able to go back on the air, a major boost in radio usage was documented by both local broadcasters and FCC officials.
“People saw in the broadcaster more than a simple person who is at a microphone telling you what is happening... They were this friend who can shake my hand and who can help me...Radio became the main source of news. Three months on [from Hurricane Maria], there is still no television in this country. And television is useful, how? People do not have light. Radio has returned to what was its roots, to being the source of information for the people.” (Unnamed Producer, WKAQ 580 AM. Translated by author.)
Photo taken during field recording session by Max Alper
When both state and municipal governments proved themselves incapable of providing crucial communiques to their constituents during the aftermath of the storm, audio engineers, journalists, and broadcast producers alike stepped in.
“We managed to set up a radio operation to serve people, with the College of Physicians, social workers, different types of people, to guide in terms of health [after the storm]. Of protocol, for example, of oral health; How important it was to prevent disease? From sight, conjunctivitis…’Do not let children get into contaminated water because the water will get into their ears, nose or eyes and they will get a terrible infection.’ We had to broadcast all these things because the government did not.” (Unnamed Journalist, WAPA 680 AM.Translated by author).
While the Monacillo blackout was far less catastrophic than Hurricane Maria, the initial explosion and fire was enough of a spectacle to reignite traumas of recent years past amongst many on the island. What was needed in that moment was a space for la gente to gather, express their emotions, and commune in the absurdity of the situation through conversation, comedy, and music. Radio stations such as WAPA and La Isla, commercial as they may be, become sonic community centers over the airwaves during times of unrest.
While scanning the frequencies in the dark on June 10th, we stumbled upon a variety of music DJs becoming both essential reporters and call-in show hosts. A common theme heard amongst several stations was the call-in show concept “¿Tienes luz?”, or “You got light?”. The host would continuously pick up any and all calls and ask the titular question, the caller’s response would prompt either a bright “ding ding ding!” or a “sad trombone” sample cue, adding a much needed comedic relief to the collective plight. Commercial breaks rarely occurred during the national emergency, in between news bulletins and lighthearted call-in segments, DJs spun long blocks of what one can only assume was an intentionally upbeat and positive playlist of current hits.
As many in the international radio community begin to shift away from analog broadcasting altogether, it’s crucial that we as highly digitized audio enthusiasts consider the uses for radio beyond simply utilitarian contexts, and begin to regard the art of analog airwaves within the communal context as well. Islands such as Puerto Rico do not have the infrastructure to implement a national shift to a strictly digital satellite radio culture compared to those in North America and Europe. The people have a right to stay informed and up to date on breaking news, but more than this, they deserve entertainment. When push comes to shove, it’s important to keep a collective sense of normalcy in times of catastrophe, even if it can only be transmitted through a battery powered antenna and 2 inch speaker in the dark. The international radio community would be doing itself a favor by keeping perspective and asking themselves the simple question, “¿Tienes luz?”
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This article follows previous articles Hii has hosted about the radio player, a highly influential sonic transmission device. Check out Mira Kaplan’s ‘Once FM Leaves Us, What Will Come Next?’ and Spurge Carter’s ‘Sound Industry History: The First Radio Jingle’ for further radio reading.
