Radio Puerto Rico

The introduction of radio to Puerto Rico dates back to 1916, with commercial stations first appearing in 1922. It was the third jurisdiction in the world to be retrofitted with radio transmitters. The archipelago also hosted the second station in Latin America. As such, Puerto Rico had transmissions before Washington D.C., despite the latter being responsible of designating the coordinates of local stations. During the early years, pioneers like Antonio Torres Martinó and Teófilo Villavicencio lead what was an experimental stage, which has been loosely documented. This was followed by the "Golden Age", which has been variably stated to cover the 1930s-40s or extend into the 1950s. The arrival of television during the mid-20th Century displaced the technology to the second place among the local media, but it continues to retain a large presence to the present day despite the advent of the internet. In Puerto Rico, May is recognized as the Month of Radio. == As far back as 1916, amateurs had begun experimenting with the construction of small transmitters and receptors. Among them was Joaquín Agusty, who had studied the literature that he could order, such as Electro Importing Company magazine that allowed him to assemble a makeshift receptor (which included an electric coil, battery, bronce wiring, a condenser, and an antenna supported by bamboo posts) at San Juan, with which he received his first transmission. After being interrupted by World War I, he continued tinkering as he continued intercepting signals. By 1920, Agusty (who remained the only with the technology to send messages) joined Jesús T. Piñero, Facundo Bueso, Luis Rexach, J. Maduro Ramos and his stepson Enrique Camuñas in creating the Porto Rico Radio Club. That same year, Camuñas became the first Puerto Rican to receive a radio aficionado license, being followed by the rest. Agusty also created a magazine, Puerto Rico Radio News. Amateur receptors reportedly received signals in international code and KDKA. The sound, which was completely foreign to the general populace, attracted superstition. == By August 1922, there were around six amateur stations at Puerto Rico, when the first formal station began being assembled at Tanca street in San Juan. During the following months the staff, among whom was Agusty, began assembling the equipment including a 500-watt transmitter and a couple of steel towers (one 90 feet tall and the other 180). The tests that were conducted proved successful. On December 3, 1922, Agusty himself hosted WKAQ's first official transmission (the fifth of its kind in the globe) which opened with a rendition of La Borinqueña. The participants were nervous and wondering if they were being heard, but the show went on with an inaugural speech by Emilio del Toro Cuebas and music by Isabel Soria, Elsa Rivera Salgado, Antonio Vidal, Rafael Balseiro, Carmen Sanabia de Figueroa and Pepito Figueroa. Soon after, the public began calling the station and confirming that it was on the air.