06/07/2024
Como se hace para clausurar un programa radial que sirvió, acompañó, apoyó, se solidarizó con su comunidad y con nuestros pueblos por mas de 30 años?
A una semana de la ultima transmision en 96.1FM Fairchild Radio, de nuestro queridisimo programa LatinoSoy, quiero tomarme el tiempo para escribir, transmitir especialmente a nuestra audiencia, a nuestros radioescuchas, a los que este espacio a traves de los años les significo algo, les importó y se identificaron genuinamente con el, el porqué se tuvo que forzadamente llegar a esta determinacion, a tomar la muy dolorosa y dificil decision de dejarlo ir.
Un programa que desde sus cimientos, desde su planeamiento como proyecto por su creador/fundador, mi señor-padre (QEPD) Eduardo Olivares-Vega, titular de este programa por 29 años, fue el ser un vehiculo no solo de difundir y mantener nuestras raices culturales vivas en todas sus expresiones, pero de apoyo y consciencia para el desarrollo y progreso de esta comunidad latinoamericana, aun considerada minoria etnica conformada por mas de 23 paises en British Columbia en el Oeste de este pais, en medio de un abanico de diferentes nacionalidades en este multiculturalismo que es nuestra segunda patria Canada.
Tambien el de promover, mantener y transmitir nuestra identidad y valores para las nuevas generaciones nacidas aqui, el mantener nuestra idiosyncracia como latinoamericanos y fundamentalmente no olvidar de donde provenimos, el porque estamos aqui y las necesidades de nuestros pueblos que aun reclaman nuestra consciencia y solidaridad.
Quiero empezar agradeciendo a nuestra audiencia, a ese cotidiano y fiel radioescucha por habernos preferido y sintonizado dia a dia, mañana a mañana por mas de 30 años.
Quiero tambien decir que el intento por salvar y mantener este espacio al aire se hizo con mucho amor, consciencia, consecuencia y perseverancia por un puñado muy, muy reducido de personas que aun creen en este proyecto y lo que significó y ha significado a traves de los años en la representacion de nuestra etnia.
Si bien la idea o el plan era llevar a cabo esta Campaña de Recaudacion de Fondos todo este 2024, como lo habiamos profusamente señalado en la radio, sin embargo nuestra situacion se torno extremadamente abrumante ante el extremo costo y la poca ayuda/respaldo que se estaba obteniendo por parte de nuestra comunidad.
Fairchild Radio, si bien una radio multicultural es una comercial y muy demasiado cara.
NUESTRA COMUNIDAD Y COMERCIO
Durante el comienzo del 2023 y a pocos meses del deceso de mi padre, con la herida a flor de piel sobrellevando esta impactante perdida, envie muchas cartas (50 en general), a nuestra comunidad, al comercio latino, a organizaciones sociales y de toda indole: culturales sociales, deportivas, politicas, religiosas, etc. con las cuales a traves de los años se desarrollaron amistades, se consiguieron auspicios y beneficios mutuos para financiar nuestros eventos y festivales, explicando nuestra situacion y buscando la posibilidad de auspicios (sponsorship) o publicidad, ya que se sabia lo que se venia encima a futuro y en pocos meses en terminos de financiar nuestro espacio radial (Agosto 2023).
De esas numerosas cartas, solo 6 respondieron: muchos lamentandose de nuestra situacion pero instandonos y alentandonos a seguir adelante. Ninguno, sin embargo con la mas minima intencion de comprometerse a apoyarnos ni a corto o largo plazo.
Insistimos y perseveramos, pero el pretexto o excusa que muchos de nuestro comercio local tuvo y expresaba es que venian recuperandose de las consecuencias o secuelas de la pandemia en terminos financieros.
Sin embargo este programa otorgo en su momento, ayuda promocional gratuita a muchos de estos emprendimientos ahora ya establecidos y gozando de exito: se les cedió tribuna una y mil veces para promover iniciativas, proyectos, eventos, causas mil para que nuestra comunidad se familiarizara con ellos y sus servicios.
Por otro lado, consideramos fuertemente muchas alternativas de ayuda a hacerle frente a financiar el espacio, como era el aplicar a un subsidio gubernamental (grant) o funding como le llaman aqui, a lo cual pensabamos que estabamos sobrecalificados (y sigo pensando igual y lo mantendré siempre).
Desafortunadamente nos encontramos con muchas trabas y obstaculos que provenieron no necesariamente de los que determinarían la ayuda (BC Arts Council), porque no alcanzó a llegar a esa instancia, pero por parte de quien jamás hubiese pensado y consideraba ingenuamente “familia,” y que fue la persona que saboteó el intento y una de nuestras mas fuertes alternativas para conseguir ayuda en la sobrevivencia de este programa.
Para aplicar a un grant en Canada, que es un proceso anual, se necesita ampararse por una Non-Profit (Sociedad sin Fines de Lucro), y al no pensar necesitar iniciar una propia para recibir la ayuda a este programa (de lo cual me arrepiento profundamente), me confie en la cual mi padre fue miembro fundador.
Desafortunadamente quien la administraba y se decia ser un leal “amigo” y apoyo a este proyecto que es LatinoSoy, por negligencia o simple traición, dejó ir (deadline), una de las mas grandes posibilidades de ayuda en la cual habiamos depositado nuestras esperanzas en continuar con el espacio.
Al igual, y lo tenemos que decir, tuvimos problemas con personas que en vida se habian comprometido de palabra con mi padre, si alguna vez este programa se encontrara en alguna dificil situación, como la cual no podia ser mas radical que era el riesgo de que este espacio se perdiera.
Desafortunadamente esta persona a quien se le tendio en continuas oportunidades la mano para salir de situaciones cuestionables; a quien se le ayudó a promover profusamente su emprendimiento a través del programa (básicamente gratuitamente) y ahora gozando de tenerlo establecido y exitosamente concurrido, nos puso trabas, excusas y condiciones ridiculas, para poder haber llevado a cabo siquiera una vez nuestra campaña en su local.
Mas sin embargo, tenemos que ser justos y no generalizar y meter a todos en el mismo s**o de la “ingratitud,” y tenemos que decir que si bien muchos no respondieron como debieron o nos fallaron en su palabra de reciprocidad a este programa, hubo una persona que si fue consciente, que si respondió, que si tuvo memoria y agradecimiento y nos ofreció su local, no una vez pero todos los sabados feriados, fin de semana largos para poder llevar a cabo nuestros eventos en esta campaña 2024 y ella es Erika Sanchez de WorldDance (Grupo America), a quien volvemos a reiterar nuestros agradecimientos por su reciprocidad, generosidad, solidaridad y voluntad.
Sin embargo el conseguir un venue, un local que hoy en dia estan carisimos para poder llevar a cabo nuestras actividades con la cual pensabamos y pretendiamos paliar en parte el alto costo del programa y conseguir algunas donaciones o venta a costo de lo que se planeaba vender (en terminos de comida) para generar un profit, no sirven de nada si no tienes la asistencia, la presencia o el apoyo/respaldo por parte de tu propia comunidad.
El local del Grupo America tiene una capacidad de 120 personas, y a mi se me hacia demasiado pequeño al comienzo, acostumbrada a que nuestros eventos en el pasado fuesen masivamamente concurridos; Tuve miedo de que se desbordara de gente y entraramos a problemas con la policia.
Desafortunadamente cuando este programa debió haber sido apoyado por su comunidad, cuando se hacia la convocatoria a diario a traves de LatinoSoy y las redes sociales, cuando se repetia incansablemente la grave situación por la cual atravesaba y el riesgo existente de perder este espacio radial, la comunidad latinoamericana brilló por su ausencia, brillo por su indolencia, indiferencia e inconsecuencia, salvo raras excepciones claro esta…
Cuando desafortunadamente se tiene que caer en recordar y quizas refrezcar memorias del trabajo humanitario y solidario que este programa realizó a traves de un sin fin de campañas y actividades en beneficio de nuestros pueblos y de sus diferentes necesidades por largos 30 años, y desafortunadamente ademas tienes que lidiar que esto se malinterprete, con algunos alegando que el trabajo de esta indole se hace por consciencia y no por reconocimientos o retribuciones, yo SOY la primera en estar de acuerdo con ello:
Mi padre odiaba estas clases de reconocimientos/accolades, etc. etc, etc. porque el trabajo solidario y de consciencia social que el realizó con este medio estos largos años, lo hizo por convicción, lo hizo por consecuencia, lo hizo por compromiso social!
A mi padre nadie le vino a contar las necesidades /desigualdades/inequidades/injusticias sociales de nuestros pueblos; el las vivió en carne propia !!!…Fué por ello su dedicacion...
Pero yo, su hija lo digo, lo reitero y lo mantengo:
Cuando tu pueblo (si te importa claro…), tu gente (y quizas no necesariamente tu bolsillo personal), fue ayudada, socorrida, beneficiada a traves de la ayuda conseguida y enviada por este programa por estos largos 30 años y tu no logras asociar en que esto se traduce en consciencia social y a ti te da lo mismo si el programa se pierde o no, habla de una brutal inconsciencia y carencia de valores; habla de no saber priorizar ni tener la mas minima decencia de valores de reciprocidad que yo creo este programa se ganó con creces y se merecia el apoyo por parte de su comunidad.
Otros diran ahora a modo de critica, es que “la caridad o trabajo de beneficiencia," nunca fue ni será la solucion a las injusticias sociales de nuestros pueblos:
Nuevamente totalmente de acuerdo contigo o con usted, pero si provenimos de paises en donde imperan las desigualdades, las inequidades, las injusticias sociales, la corrupcion y los gobiernos hacen caso omiso y no solucionan necesidades basicas, quienes desafortunadamente pagan el duro precio de estas realidades son las poblaciones mas desprotegidas, vulnerables: nuestros niños, mujeres y ancianos. Vamos entonces a quedarnos de brazos cruzados esperando a que estas realidades cambien?
A nuestro programa a traves de estos largos 30 años, llegaron miles de solicitudes de ayuda y este programa respondió con solidaridad, consciencia, consecuencia y compromiso.
Esta comunidad siento yo, tenia una responsabilidad minima moral de intentar ayudar a este programa a mantenerse al aire y tuvo la oportunidad de hacerlo para sobrellevar este impasse temporario, hasta conseguir el mentado auspicio/ publicidad/funding a futuro, pero sin embargo no lo hizo….salvo raras y muy, muy pocas excepciones…claro esta.
“NUESTRA” CASA RADIAL
Mi padre formó parte de esta radio estacion y su programacion internacional en 1997, luego de haber sido un broker en CJVB AM1470, cuando fue llamado a formar parte de esta nueva radio multicultural en 96.1FM Fairchild Radio.
En ese entonces esta radio estacion necesitaba obtener una licencia multicultural a traves de CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commissions), para poder transmitir 24 horas de programacion china (cantones y mandarin). Sin embargo esto solo lo conseguiria si tenia entre sus filas a radiodifusores (locutores) acreditados, no aficionados pero profesionales del rubro de las telecomunicaciones para asegurar producciones de calidad.
Estos programas internacionales hicieron esto y muchisimo mas! Le generarón a esta radio estación por larguisimos años, los altisimos ratings del cual hoy en dia Fairchild Radio presume y celebra su altisimo éxito.
Tambien se hizo una campaña rastrillo exitosa para obtener firmas a traves de nuestra comunidad para poder obtener la muy ansiada, anhelada programación diaria en nuestro idioma.
Los nuevos productores fueron empleados por esta radio estación con un sueldo 'misero' que no igualaba su trayectoria y larga experiencia en radio, pero que sin embargo significó para sus comunidades en tiempos en donde a las minorias no se les designaba mas de 2 horas por semana, algo extraordinario!
El tener por ende un programa a diario por 2 horas en horarios prime-time, era considerado revolucionario y pionero para las comunidades etnicas que formaron parte de los programas internacionales en Fairchild Radio:
(Aunque yo siempre lo he dicho y reconocido: nosotros, LatinoSoy, no fuimos pioneros en radio en español para la comunidad latina. Programas como America Latina al Dia en Radio Cooperativa 100.5 FM, ya existia y habia hecho un trabajo de consciencia social y solidaridad en los tiempos quizas mas duros de nuestros pueblos desde 1975, cuando masivamente llega la diaspora exiliada chilena y argentina primordialmente y luego en los 80s con la centroamericana).
El unico programa que aun hoy en dia, seguia vigente de ese puñado de programas internacionales considerados veteranos y el cual seguia proveyendo altos ratings a Fairchild Radio, era LatinoSoy.
Sin embargo por mucho que batallamos y peleamos con esta radio estación por años con mi querido padre para conseguir un traspaso, un transfer cuando el envejecia y queria asegurar la continuidad de este su legado, no fue posible: no se logró conseguirlo.
La radio nos dió a entender que si mi padre enfermara, deseara retirarse o en el peor de los casos, falleciera, tomando en consideracion su avanzada edad, y si nosotros (Equipo de LatinoSoy con Ivania Olivares como titular), queriamos seguir con este programa, tendriamos que entrar a pagar por el espacio o en otras palabras obtener el estatus de brokers/ freelancers (independientes).
Lo unico que se logró conseguir una vez tomada la decisión de continuar como brokers y haber perdido una hora por el alto costo reduciendo el espacio de nuestro horario habitual de 11AM-1PM a 12-1PM, es que la radio se comprometió a una tarifa inicial con un descuento de 50% y luego progresivamente cada trimeste de este 2024, a un 40, 30, 20, 10 hasta que finalmente entrariamos a pagar el 100% de lo que regularmente cobra esta radio estación.
Compartimos al comienzo de esta campaña y a traves de nuestra pagina en Facebook, un recuadro de la tarifa de precios de Fairchild Radio, señalando los montos a los cuales nos enfrentabamos.
Mi padre en su momento dado, fue la primera persona que me advirtió muchas veces, que en el caso de que no se obtuviera un transfer, el cual aun se buscaba con esta radio estación para que considerara los años invertidos por LatinoSoy y lo representativo que era para una comunidad y lo cual pensabamos y seguimos pensando este espacio radial se merecia y habia ganado con creces su lugar en la programacion internacional diaria de Fairchild Radio.
Sin embargo mi padre siempre consideró que los precios eran demasiado elevados y que nuestra comunidad (comercio primordialmente), no iba a poder comprometerse ni a corto o a largo plazo, sostenerlo.
Yo, sin embargo, siendo como siempre he sido, muy llevada de mis ideas (muy terca), y quizas de repente muy idealista, pensé que no podia ser posible de que lo que este programa representó, significó para una comunidad, no iba a tener su apoyo y compromiso y confié que se podia por lo menos intentar y estaba determinada en lograr mantener y continuar el legado que me heredó (que nos heredó), mi querido padre.
Volviendo a nuestra radio estación, la cual ha sido nuestra casa radial por largos años y la cual se jacta y usa profusamente el termino "Multiculturalismo," sin embargo hoy en dia en terminos de cobrar a las comunidades y minorias que sirve, no hace ni tiene parametros de diferencia al cobrar acorde a cada comunidad y su poder economico. Jamas ha hecho estudios o investigaciones de la cual sepamos en terminos de basar sus precios o broadcasting rates.
Pagabamos la misma cantidad de dinero para mantener un espacio radial que la comunidad china ó hindu, comunidades que no solo nos adelantan por decadas pero por un siglo (llegaron a comienzos del siglo 20 para trabajar los railways), por ende mucha diferencia de tiempo para asentarse, establecer sus negocios/comercio, etc. y desarrollar un poder economico del cual hoy en dia gozan, dominando ciudades hasta con poder industrial como es el caso de la china en Richmond y la hindu en Surrey o Langley y con migraciones posteriores y recientes de gran poder de inversión.
Sin embargo, sin entrar en victimizarnos, la gran mayoria de nuestras comunidades latinoamericanas llegaron aqui con una mano por delante y la otra por detras (excepto raras y minimas excepciones), se asentaron masivamente aqui huyendo por sus vidas y la de sus familias de dictaduras, guerras civiles, injusticias sociales, violaciones a derechos humanos, desigualdades, inequidades, que se traducen en pobreza, etc.etc. etc. quizas con un minimo de talentosos profesionales pero una gran mayoria de clase media-baja sin poder de inversión alguna (excepto raras excepciones).
Por ende, no se puede llegar ni a comenzar en terminos comparativos, porque no hay comparacion alguna en lo que respecta a el poder economico que cada grupo etnico tiene: es por lo tanto injusto lo que esta radioemisora ha venido haciendo en terminos de que cobra un "rate o precio unico", sin considerar o abordar factores determinantes en el acceso de minorias a espacios en este caso radial.
Por lo tanto, si el mayor aporte que se consigue para mantener espacios o medios radiales, televisivos y escritos, agregando hoy en dia la tecnologia digital/virtual, representativos de nuestras comunidades, es a traves de auspicio (sponsorship) u/o publicidad por parte de su comercio/negocios, porque es que no se estan considerando estos importantes factores en los cuales tambien deberian basarse y por ende determinantes en los precios que cobra una emisora comercial/multicultural?
Este programa por ende ha llegado a la determinación de hacer un reporte o una denuncia formal respecto a estos factores a CRTC, para asegurar a futuro, cambios en terminos de derechos fundamentales de comprometidos trabajadores de las comunicaciones quienes deseen ayudar y trabajar genuinamente en el desarrollo y progreso de sus comunidades a traves de la radio difusión en una radio multicultural-comercial, sin tener que entrar a endeudarse de por vida para conseguirlo.
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Agradecemos, sin embargo a aquellos que si fueron solidarios y consecuentes con nuestro programa e hicieron de esta situacion, un tanto mas llevadera.
Ellos son:
Revista Spanglish; Lucy Ortiz y PCSurV; Gunther Ortiz de Oso’s Restaurant; Cesar Figueroa y Waldemar Monzon de la Fraternidad de Ayuda a los Niños de Guatemala; Martin Barriere de la Tropa21; Fredis Membreño, amigo de este programa quien a traves de una donacion muy especial, pudimos tener a DJCastillo amenizando nuestro ultimo evento, y por ultimo pero no menos importante a los artistas que se solidarizaron con este llamado.
Al equipo que conformó LatinoSoy desde sus inicios en 1993 y a lo largo de estos largos 30 años, que integraron tanto profesionales (periodistas) como aficionados, apasionados talentosos de la palabra hablada y transmitida.
A cada uno de ustedes que aportaron con su talento, conocimiento, experiencia, espiritu, lealtad y voluntad, el haber hecho de este programa uno de los mas escuchados y favoritos por muchisisimos años en BC y Canada, y no limitado a nuestra comunidad o etnia, pero a muchas otras que gustan de nuestro idioma y cultura…
A ustedes nuevamente mis mas sinceros agradecimientos a nombre personal y al de mi querido padre, quien siempre esta en espiritu y a la par conmigo…
Me despido con emociones y pensamientos muy encontrados, mas sin embargo con la satisfaccion y el orgullo de haber contribuido con mi granito de arena el perpetuar y mantener viva nuestra identidad y diversidisima bella cultura a traves de este proyecto que significo el mundo para mi y mi padre: Latinosoy!
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How do you close a radio program that served, accompanied, supported, and showed solidarity with its community and with its people from our homeland countries for more than 30 years?
Over one week after the last broadcast on 96.1FM Fairchild Radio of our beloved program LatinoSoy, I want to take the time to write, to transmit especially to our audience, to our listeners, to whom this space meant something over the years, to those who cared and genuinely identified with it, why we had to forcefully reach this determination and make the very painful and difficult decision to let it go.
A program that from its very foundation, from its planning as a project by its creator/founder, my late-father (RIP) Eduardo Olivares-Vega, main host of this program for 29 years, was to be a vehicle not only for promoting and maintaining our cultural roots alive in all its expressions, but of support and social awareness to the development and progress of this Latin American community, still considered an ethnic minority made up of more than 23 countries in British Columbia amongst a range of different nationalities in this multiculturalism that its our second homeland, Canada.
Also in the promotion and instilling of our identity and values to newer generations born here; in maintaining our idiosyncracy alive as Latin Americans and fundamentally in the promotion of not forgetting where we came from; why we are here and that of supporting the needs of our people back in our homeland countries through social awareness and solidarity.
I want to start by thanking our audience, that daily and faithful radio listener for having preferred us and who tuned us day by day every morning for over 30 years.
I also want to say that the attempt to save and keep this space on the airwaves was done with a lot of love, consciousness, consistency and perseverance by a very, very small handful of people who still believed in this project and what it meant and has meant throughout the years in the representation of our ethnic group.
Although the idea or plan was to carry out this Fundraising Campaign throughout 2024, as we had overly stated on the show, however our situation became extremely overwhelming given the extreme cost and the little help/support we were receiving from our community.
Fairchild Radio, although a multicultural radio station, is commercial and a very expensive one at that.
OUR COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES
During the beginning of 2023 and a few months after my father's passing, coping through and mourning this shocking loss, I sent many letters (50 in general) to our community, to our latin and mainstream businesses, to social organizations of all sorts: cultural, social, sports, political, religious, etc. with whom over the years friendships were developed, sponsorships and mutual benefits were obtained to finance our events and festivals, explaining our dire situation and looking for the possibility of sponsorship/advertising, since we knew what was coming in the near future in terms of financing our radio space (August 2023).
Of those numerous letters sent, only 6 responded: many feeling bad and lamenting our situation but urging and encouraging us to move forward and continue.
None, however, with the slightest intention of committing in supporting us in the short or long term.
We nevertheless, insisted and persevered but the pretext and/or excuse that many of our local businesses had and expressed was that they were just beginning to recover from post-pandemic financial consequences.
However, this program throughout its time granted free promotional help to many of these enterprises, now well established and enjoying success: they were given a platform thousand of times to promote their businesses, initiatives, projects, events, a thousand causes, time and time again so that our community could become familiar with them and their services.
On the other hand, we strongly considered many alternatives to help us cope with financing Latinosoy, such as applying for a government subsidy (grant) or funding as they call it for which we thought we were overqualified (and I still think the same and will always maintain it).
Unfortunately we encountered many obstacles that came not necessarily from those who would determine the aid we would get (BC Arts Council), because it did not reach that stage but from whom I naively considered “family,” and who was the person who sabotaged the attempt at one of our strongest hopes to get some kind of help in the survival of this program.
To apply for a grant in Canada, which is an annual process, you need to be represented by a Non-Profit, and since I didn’t think I needed to start one of our own to receive aid for this program (which I deeply regret), I trusted the one which my father was a founding member.
Unfortunately, the person who managed it and claimed to be a loyal “friend” and supporter of this project that it is LatinoSoy, through negligence or simple betrayal, let go of one of the greatest possibilities of help in which we had placed our hopes in continuing with our program.
Likewise, we also have to say that we had problems and issues with people close to the program who had promised my late father, support if this program ever found itself in some difficult situation, such as which could not be more extreme and needed than the the risk of losing the radio space because of a lack of help/support.
Unfortunately, the person to whom a hand was given on continuous occasions to get out of questionable situations; the person whose business venture was helped profusely with talked promotion (basically free of charge) and now enjoying having it established and successfully attended by the community, put obstacles, excuses and ridiculous conditions to be able to carry out our campaign even once in his premises.
We have to be fair however and not fall into generalizing by putting everyone in the same sack of “ingratitude,” and have to say that although many in our community did not respond as they should have or failed us in their word, there was a person who did respond, who had memory and gratitude and offered us the use of her premises, not once but every Saturday holiday long weekends to be able to carry out our events in this 2024 campaign we initiated, and she is Erika Sanchez of WorldDance (Grupo America), to whom we once again reiterate our thanks for her generosity, solidarity and goodwill.
However, obtaining a venue to be able to carry out our activities with which we thought and intended to partially alleviate the high cost of the program and obtain some donations or food at sales cost to generate a profit, was useless if you don’t have the assistance, the presence or support from your community.
The Grupo America venue has a capacity of 120 people, and for me it seemed way too small at first, used to our events in the past being massively attended; I was afraid that it would overflow with people and we would get into trouble with the police.
Unfortunately, when this program should have been supported by its community, when the call was made day in and day out through LatinoSoy and social media spaces; when the serious situation our program was going through and the existing risk of losing this radio space was tirelessly repeated, the Latin American community was conspicuous by its absence, conspicuous by its indolence and indifference with very rare exceptions of course...
When unfortunately one falls into having to perhaps remind and refresh memories on the countless humanitarian and solidarity work this program carried out through endless campaigns and activities for the benefit of our people back home and their different needs throughout these long 30 years, and unfortunately you also have to deal with this being misinterpreted by those claiming that work of this nature is done out of conscience and not for recognition, I AM the first to agree with it:
My father hated these kinds of recognitions/accolades, etc. etc etc. because the solidarity and socially conscious work that he carried out with this program these long years, he did out of conviction, he did out of consequence, he did out of social commitment!
Nobody came to tell my father about the social needs/ inequalities/inequities/injustices our people back home go through; he lived them firsthand!!!…That's why his dedication to this work...
But I, myself, his daughter, say it, repeat it and sustain it:
When your people back home (if you care that is, of course.. and perhaps not necessarily your personal pocketbook) was helped, aided, benefitted through the help obtained and sent by this program and you cannot associate this translating into social consciousness or awarenesss and you could care less if this program was lost or not, speaks of a brutal unawareness and lack of values. It speaks tons about a community not knowing when to prioritize or have the slightest decency of reciprocity or gratitude values that I strongly believe this program earned and deserved from its community.
Others of course, will now say by way of criticism that "charity or charity work" was never and will never be the solution to the injustices in our countries:
Again, I completely agree with you! but if we come from countries where inequalities, inequities, social injustices, corruption prevail and governments ignore and do not solve basic needs, those who unfortunately pay the high price of these harsh realities are the most unprotected, the most vulnerable population: our children, women and the elderly. So are we going to sit idly by and wait for these realities to change by themselves?
Thousands of requests for help came our way over these long 30 years span and this program responded with solidarity, awareness, consistency and commitment.
This community, I feel should've had a minimum of moral responsibility to try to help this program stay on the airwaves and it had the opportunity to do so, so that the program could overcome this temporary impasse until it obtained the aforementioned sponsorship/advertisement /funding in the near future, but it nevertheless did not nor care to do so...except for rare and very, very few exceptions...of course.
“OUR” RADIO HOUSE”
My father became part of this radio station and its international programming in 1997, after having been a broker at CJVB AM1470, when he was called upon to be part of this new multicultural radio station at 96.1FM Fairchild Radio.
At that time this radio station needed to obtain a multicultural license through CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commissions), to be able to broadcast 24 hours of chinese programming (cantonese and mandarin).
However, this would only be achieved if it had accredited broadcasters (announcers) among its ranks; not amateurs but professionals in the communications field to ensure quality productions.
These international programs did this and much more!
For years on end they generated for this radio station the very high ratings with which today Fairchild Radio boasts and celebrates its very high success.
A successful campaign was also carried out to obtain signatures throughout our community in order to obtain the much desired, long-awaited daily programming in our language.
The new producers were employed by this radio station with a 'miserly wage that did not match their career and long experience in radio, but which nevertheles meant for these communities in times where minorities were not assigned more than 2 hours per week for broadcasting, something extraordinary!
Therefore, having a program every day for 2 hours in prime-time hours, was considered revolutionary and pioneering for the ethnic communities that were part of the international programs at Fairchild Radio:
(Although I have always said and acknowledged it many times: We, the LatinoSoy radio program, did not pioneer in spanish radio for the latin community. Programs like America Latina al Dia on Cooperative Radio 100.5 FM, already existed and had done work on social awareness and solidarity since 1975, in perhaps the hardest times for our people when the chilean and argentine exiled diaspora arrived massively and then in the 80s with the central american diaspora).
The only program which was still standing today from that handful of international programs considered veterans and which continued to provide high ratings to Fairchild Radio, was LatinoSoy.
However, no matter how much we battled and fought with this radio station for years along my dear father to obtain a transfer, as my father grew old and concerned and wanted to ensure the continuity of his legacy, it was not possible: it was not supposedly feasible.
The radio stated that if my father got sick, if he wanted to retire or in the worst case scenario, passed, taking into account his advanced age, and if we (the LatinoSoy Team with Ivania Olivares as owner), wanted to continue with this program, we would have to pay for the space or in other words obtain the status of brokers/freelancers (independent).
The only thing that was achieved once the decision was made to continue as brokers and having already lost an hour due to the high cost, reducing our regular schedule from 11AM-1PM to 12-1PM, is that the radio agreed to an initial rate with a 50% discount and then progressively each quarter of this 2024, at 40, 30, 20, 10 until finally we would start to pay 100% of what this radio station regularly charges.
We shared at the beginning of this campaign in January and through our page, Fairchild Radio's Broadcasting Rates, indicating the amounts we were facing.
My father for the longest time was the first person who had warned me that in the event that a transfer was not possible or obtained, which was still being sought through with this radio station in the hopes that they would reconsider the years invested by LatinoSoy and how representative this space was and still is to our minority community, that we strongly believed this space deserved the right to stay as it had more than earned its place in Fairchild Radio's daily international programming.
However, my father had always thought that FR Broadcasting prices were too high and that our community was not going to be able to commit in the short or long term in terms of helping finance it.
I, on the other hand, being as I have always been, very carried away with my ideas (stubborn as hell), and perhaps too idealistic (naively), thought that it could not be possible that being what this program represented and meant for a community for so long, was not going to have its moral support and commitment, and therefore forged ahead trusting that at least an attempt could be made. I was therefore determined to keep and continue the legacy inherited from my dear father and therefore also its community.
Back to our radio station, which has been our radio home for many years and which nowadays boasts and profusely uses the term "Multiculturalism," however in terms of the communities and minorities it serves, does not have any parameters when charging according to each community and its economic power nor has it ever done any studies or research that we know of in terms of basing its prices or broadcasting rates.
We paid the same amount of money to maintain a radio space as the chinese community as well as the east indian or south asian communities that not only precede us by decades but by a century (they arrived at the beginning of the 20th century to work the railways), therefore a lot of time difference to settle, establish their businesses/trades, etc. and develop an economic power that nowaday they enjoy, dominating cities even industrial power as its the case of the chinese in Richmond and the east indians or south asians in Surrey or Langley and with subsequent and recent migrations of great investment power.
On the other hand, without victimizing ourselves, the vast majority of our Latin American counteparts arrived here with one hand in front and the other behind (except for rare and minimal exceptions), and settled here en masse fleeing for their lives and those of their families from dictatorships, civil wars, social injustices, human rights violations, inequalities, which translates into poverty, etc.etc. etc perhaps with a minimum of talented professionals but a large majority of lower-middle class without any whatsoever investment power (except for the rare exception).
Therefore, one cannot even begin comparative terms, because there is no comparison whatsoever in regards to the economic power that each ethnic group has: It is therefore unfair what this radio station has been doing in terms of charging a "single rate or price," without considering or addressing determining factors in the access of minorities to spaces, in this case radio.
Therefore, if in order to maintain radio, television, written media spaces, adding today’s digital/virtual technology representative of our communities, is through sponsorship or advertising from our commerce/businesses, why are these important factors not being considered when basing and therefore determining the rates/prices charged for broadcasting by a commercial/multicultural station?
This program has therefore reached the determination to make a report or a formal complaint regarding these factors to CRTC to ensure future changes in terms of fundamental rights, committed communications workers wishing to help and genuinely work in the development and progress of their communities through radio broadcasting, should have in a multicultural/commercial radio without having to go into debt or bankrupt for life to achieve it.
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We are grateful, however, to those who were supportive to our program and made this situation a little more bearable.
They are:
Spanglish Magazine; Lucy Ortiz and PCSurV; Gunther Ortiz of Oso’s Restaurant; Cesar Figueroa and Waldemar Monzon of Fraternity of Help to the Children of Guatemala; Martin Barriere of Tropa21; Fredis Membreño, a friend of this program who through a very special donation, we were able to have DJCastillo liven up our last event; and last but not least the several artists who showed solidarity with this call.
To the team that comprised LatinoSoy from its beginnings in 1993 and throughout these long years, which included both professionals (journalists) and amateurs, but both talented fans of the spoken and transmitted word.
To each of you who contributed with your talent, knowledge, experience, spirit, loyalty and will, for having made this program one of the most listened to and favorites for many years in BC and Canada, and not limited to our community or ethnicity, but to many others who enjoy our language and culture...
To you again, my most sincere thanks on behalf of myself and my dear father, who is always on par with me in spirit...
I say goodbye with very mixed emotions and thoughts, but nevertheless with the satisfaction and pride of having contributed with my participation in perpetuating and keeping alive our identity and very diverse beautiful culture through this project that meant the world to me and my father...LatinoSoy!
