Re is a in e nacional
de His o ia
de la Comunicación
ISSN: 2255-5129
© Uni e sidad de Se illa
Como ci a es e a ículo:
Ma allana, And ea (2025): “The O igins o Comme cial Radio in A gen ina: The Case o Jaime Yankele ich”,
en Re is a In e nacional de His o ia de la Comunicación, (24), pp.135-145. h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/
RIHC.2025.i24.09
THE ORIGINS OF COMMERCIAL RADIO
IN ARGENTINA: THE CASE OF JAIME
YANKELEVICH
Los o ígenes de la adio come cial en A gen ina: El caso de
Jaime Yankele ich
D . And ea Ma allana
Uni e si y o Buenos Ai es, A gen ina
ama allana@ ojas.uba.a
0000-0003-3185-8918
ABSTRACT This a icle explo es aspec s o he li e o one o he c ea o s o he comme cial adio model
in A gen ina. Jaime Yankele ich pionee ed de eloping an en e ainmen sys em ha included highly popula
p og ams, many o which shaped he his o y o adio in A gen ina, and expo ed he model o La in Ame ica.
We analyze Yankele ich’s challenges while building his en e ainmen indus y model and e iew some
aspec s o p og amming and he na ional go e nmen ’s in luence on he adio business. Unde Yankele ich’s
leade ship, adio in A gen ina di e si ied and became mo e p o essional. He in oduced inno a ions such as
a ied p og amming, which included news, music, and li e en e ainmen , a ac ing di e en segmen s o
he popula ion.
KEYWORDS B oadcas ing Sys em – A gen ina Radio – En e ainmen .
RESUMEN Es e a ículo explo a aspec os de la ida de uno de los c eado es del modelo de adio come cial
en A gen ina. Jaime Yankele ich ue pione o en la c eación de un sis ema de en e enimien o que incluía
p og amas de g an popula idad, muchos de los cuales ma ca on la his o ia de la adio en A gen ina y
expo a on su modelo a Amé ica La ina. Analizamos los desa íos que Yankele ich en en ó al cons ui su
modelo de indus ia del en e enimien o y e isamos algunos aspec os de la p og amación y la in luencia
del gobie no nacional en el negocio de la adio. Bajo la di ección de Yankele ich, la adio en A gen ina
se di e si icó y p o esionalizó. In odujo inno aciones como la p og amación a iada, que incluía no icias,
música y en e enimien o en i o, lo cual a aía a di e en es segmen os de la población.
PALABRAS CLAVE Sis ema de Radiodi usión – Radio A gen ina – En e enimien o.
RESUMO Es e a igo explo a aspec os da ida de um dos c iado es do modelo de ádio come cial na
A gen ina. Jaime Yankele ich oi pionei o na c iação de um sis ema de en e enimen o que incluía p og amas
de g ande popula idade, mui os dos quais ma ca am a his ó ia do ádio na A gen ina e expo a am seu
modelo pa a a Amé ica La ina. Analisamos os desa ios que Yankele ich en en ou ao cons ui seu modelo de
indús ia de en e enimen o e e isamos alguns aspec os da p og amação e a in luência do go e no nacional
no negócio de ádio. Sob a di eção de Yankele ich, o ádio na A gen ina se di e si icou e se p o issionalizou.
Ele in oduziu ino ações como a p og amação a iada, que incluía no ícias, música e en e enimen o ao i o,
o que a aía di e en es segmen os da população.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE Sis ema de Radiodi usão – Rádio A gen ina – En e enimen o.
Recibido: 24-9-2024
Acep ado: 29-1-2015
The O igins o Comme cial Radio in A gen ina: The Case o Jaime Yankele ich
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1. In oduc ion
S udies on he adio in A gen ina o en ocus on speci ic momen s in he coun y’s adio his o y.
The academic deba e on he consolida ion o his medium has seen ew comp ehensi e
con ibu ions and some examina ions o aspec s. Among he gene al s udies, Rica do Gallo’s
“La Radio, ese mundo an sono o” (2001) explo es he in e nal wo kings o adio, including
i s o ganiza ion, scope, and p og amming. In con as , “Días de Radio: His o ia de la Radio
A gen ina” (1995) by Me kin, Panno, Tijman, and Ulano sky collec s anecdo es and s o ies
om he adio wo ld. Robe Clax on’s “F om Pa si al o Pe ón: The Ea ly His o y o Radio in
A gen ina” (2004) analyzes he de elopmen o adio in A gen ina, pa icula ly be ween 1920
and 1945, posi ing ha adio con ibu ed o he consolida ion o na ional iden i y.
To unde s and he bi h o adio in A gen ina, i is essen ial o conside ce ain aspec s o he
medium’s his o y in he Uni ed S a es and England, as hese coun ies signi ican ly in luenced
A gen ina due o economic in eg a ion.
Se e al s udies in you esea ch add ess di e en aspec s o he his o y and de elopmen
o adio in he Uni ed S a es and he BBC in London. Fo ins ance, Hugh G. J. Ai ken’s The
Con inuous Wa e: Technology and Ame ican Radio, 1900-1932 examines he ole o echnology
in he de elopmen o Ame ican adio om 1900 o 1932, explo ing how echnological
inno a ions in luenced he e olu ion o adio and i s impac on Ame ican socie y. Addi ionally,
Gleason Leona d A che ’s Big Business and Radio analyzes he ela ionship be ween la ge
co po a ions and adio in he Uni ed S a es, de ailing how co po a e en i ies became in ol ed
in he adio indus y and how i a ec ed i s de elopmen and con en . Geo ge Douglas’s
The Ea ly Yea s o Radio B oadcas ing is pa icula ly use ul o compa ison wi h A gen ina,
as i examines he ea ly yea s o b oadcas ing in he Uni ed S a es, he eme gence o adio
s a ions, he echnical and egula o y challenges hey aced, and hei socie al impac .
These s udies p o ide de ailed pe spec i es and analyses on he his o y and e olu ion o
adio in he Uni ed S a es and he BBC in London, en iching you esea ch on he opic.
F om a gene al poin o iew, he e is a no able gap in he analysis o adio en ep eneu s and
he comme cial s a egies hey employed. This a icle is he i s o app oach he key igu e in
A gen ine adio: Jaime Yankele ich.
2. The Ea ly Ca ee
Jaime Yankele ich’s s o y sha es many simila i ies wi h Da id Sa no ’s and William Paley’s.
Sa no ’s en ep eneu ial spi i , s ong belie in comme cial and ad e ising adio, and Paley’s
no able associa ion wi h Yankele ich a e e iden in his ca ee .
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Like many Jewish amilies leeing he pog oms o Tsa is Russia, he Yankele ich amily sough
e uge in neighbo ing owns nea ag icul u al communi ies and achie ed ela i e success by
es ablishing businesses he e. Towa d he end o he 19 h cen u y, he Yankele ich amily
a i ed in A gen ina and se led in En e Ríos. Al hough hey did no become pa o he
se le mo emen , hey es ablished hemsel es in Pa aná, opening a gene al s o e se ing
he en i e amily.
In 1914, Jaime Yankele ich and one o his b o he s mo ed o Buenos Ai es, whe e he s a ed
wo king as an assis an a a cinema. He held his posi ion o wo yea s be o e in es ing his
sa ings in an elec ici y business he managed wi h his olde b o he Jacob. Sho ly a e ha ,
in 1920, he became independen and se up his own business in he ield o elec ici y and
elephony. The s o e sold washe s, wi es, cables, and elephone pa s, and wi h he a i al o
he adio, i also inco po a ed adio equipmen . A he back o he p ope y was he house
whe e he s a ed his amily. In a ew yea s, he became known as he mos p ominen impo e
in Sou h Ame ica.
In 1923, he boxing ma ch be ween Luis Angel Fi po and Jack Dempsey demons a ed he
eno mous po en ial o adio expansion. This e en signi ican ly boos ed he pu chase o
adio de ices. Jaime Yankele ich ins alled a udimen a y speake a he doo o his business
and b oadcas he boxing ma ch. Thanks o he announce ’s commen a y, which made he
e en seem o las o hou s ( hough he ac ual igh las ed only six minu es), he b oadcas
cap i a ed he audience. Simila o Da id Sa no wi h RCA in 1921, Yankele ich used a popula
spo s e en o p omo e he new echnology and showcase i s po en ial uses.
By 1926, Yankele ich had become a success ul sel -employed en ep eneu wi h a p ospe ous
business supplying eme ging echnologies. He sold elec ical ma e ials (lamps, bedside
lamps, ligh bulbs), phonog aphs, g amophones, and elephones, laying he ounda ion o his
en u e in o he new en e ainmen medium: adio. Du ing his ime, he had al eady placed
ad e isemen s on Radio G and Splendid and Radio Cul u a, in addi ion o ecei ing ads om
Radio Nacional. He also published a ull-page ad in Re is a Teleg á ica. The esponse was
o e whelming; he in lux o cus ome s was so g ea ha he had o close his s o e’s doo s.
Acco ding o La Canción Mode na, he sold adio ma e ials wo h nine o en housand pesos.
He men ioned in an in e iew, “A nigh , my wi e and I could no e en b ing ou sel es o coun
he sales money, such as ou as onishmen ” (1937)
Jaime Yankele ich ook o e Radio Nacional and swi ly implemen ed measu es o enhance he
s a ion. He educed o elimina ed eco ded music and playe piano pe o mances, choosing
ins ead o ea u e li e pe o mances in on o he mic ophone. While phonog aphs and
eco ds we e o dina y o musical ep oduc ion and p o ided a simple, inexpensi e way o ill
ai ime, Yankele ich ecognized ha dynamic and dis inc i e li e pe o mances we e c ucial
o imp o ing he s a ion’s appeal and economic iabili y.
This sh ewd business decision encoun e ed a cons ain : he s a ion’s s udio and ansmi e
we e si ua ed in a emo e neighbo hood, p esen ing a challenge o expanding he numbe
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and di e si y o li e pe o mances. The dis ance posed logis ical di icul ies, as a el o ha
a ea was no s aigh o wa d and equi ed conside able ime and e o .
Jaime Yankele ich’s second c ucial decision was o c ea e an incen i e sys em o a ac
success ul a is s. Un il hen, a is s pe o med on he adio o ee, as i was unde s ood ha
he medium would boos hei eco d sales by in oducing hei la es songs o he public.
Yankele ich changed his by implemen ing a paymen sys em o li e pe o mances. Ini ially,
he used a ba e sys em wi h businesses ad e ised on he s a ion, and la e , paymen s
we e made in cash. In an in e iew, Rosi a Qui oga, a local singe , ecalled ha Yankele ich
“paid us wi h b onze beds and cans o oil.” (La Cancion Mode na, 1937) Despi e hese modes
condi ions, he incen i e sys em made i mo e a ac i e o a is s o a el o he s a ion,
loca ed a om he en e ainmen hub cen e ed a ound Co ien es S ee , A enida de Mayo,
and hei su oundings.
Recognizing he po en ial o adio b oadcas ing in i s ea ly s ages, Yankele ich unde s ood
he need o expand he ma ke and imp o e p og amming. Du ing hese yea s, adio s a ions
ansi ioned om an ini ial expe imen al model o a mo e p o essional one. By 1927, A gen ina
boas ed he mos ad anced adio sys em in Sou h Ame ica, which he Ame ican p ess
conside ed a ema kable achie emen .
The en ep eneu unde s ood he adio as a powe ul medium o en e ainmen and
ad e ising. By a ac ing alen ed a is s, o e ing li e pe o mances, and imp o ing he quali y
o p og amming, he aimed o cap u e he a en ion o lis ene s and ad e ise s, ul ima ely
d i ing he success and g ow h o Radio Nacional.
The expansion o he b oadcas ing ma ke in A gen ina du ing his pe iod was signi ican . I
shaped he u u e o he coun y’s indus y and se he s age o adio’s in luence on socie y
and cul u e.
The eloca ion o Yankele ich’s s udios o he ci y cen e was a highly success ul comme cial
s a egy. While he ansmi e equipmen emained in he Flo es neighbo hood, he s udios
we e mo ed o he hea o Buenos Ai es. This decision was no me ely a iny quan i y o
geog aphical luck; he new s udios we e con enien ly si ua ed a ound he co ne om
he Yankele ich amily’s esidence. The e we e se e al ad an ages. Fi s , i p o ided mo e
accessible access o he bus ling en e ainmen dis ic cen e ed a ound hea e s, es au an s,
and o he enues ha a ac ed a la ge audience. By ha ing he s udios close o he ci y
cen e , Radio Nacional could a ac alen ed a is s and o e a mo e ib an and di e se
ange o li e pe o mances.
Secondly, he s udios’ p oximi y o he Yankele ich amily’s home p o ided con enience and
allowed o close supe ision and in ol emen in he s a ion’s ope a ions. This enabled him
o s ay closely connec ed o he s a ion’s day- o-day a ai s and make swi decisions when
necessa y.
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The eloca ion o he s udios o a mo e cen al loca ion in Buenos Ai es con ibu ed
signi ican ly o he g ow h and success o Radio Nacional. I acili a ed he s a ion’s abili y o
a ac lis ene s, ad e ise s, and alen ed a is s, ul ima ely solidi ying i s posi ion as one o
he leading adio s a ions in A gen ina a ha ime.
The adio sys em was beginning o assemble i s pa s. The peculia i y o “lis ening wi hou
seeing” ex ended beyond phonog aphic ep oduc ion o include li e pe o mances (ini ially
wi hou an audience). The comme cial aspec had o be conside ed: u ning he adio in o
a new showcase o selling p oduc s. Ad e ising e enue was he key o he economic
sus ainabili y o he b oadcas s. In his ega d, he de elopmen ca ied ou by he new owne
o Radio Nacional seemed o emula e he model ha William Paley was implemen ing a CBS
in New Yo k. Paley belie ed ha he comme cial basis o adio was ad e ising income, and
his policy led o he displacemen o Da id Sa no om he ci cui . While Sa no cha ged
s a ions o b oadcas NBC p og ams, Paley paid hem o b oadcas his own, con iden ha he
expansi e na u e o adio ad e ising would ecoup he in es men .
In 1930, a s o m knocked down he ansmission an enna. This mis o une allowed him o
make his i s ip o Eu ope o pu chase new equipmen wi h g ea e powe and upda ed
echnology. He acqui ed he la es Ge man echnology equipmen om Tele unken. Nei he
he in e na ional economic c isis no he inancial c ash seemed o unde mine he logic o a
limi less wo ld and con inuous p og ess. Amids he c isis, Radio Nacional con inued o g ow.
In 1933, i inaugu a ed i s new building, a e u bished pe i ho el wi h mul iple s udios and a
small audi o ium allowing li e pe o mances wi h a li e audience.
Ano he way o expand he adio business was by p omo ing he acquisi ion o adio ecei e s.
Unde s anding his s a egy, he managed bo h sides o he sys em. S a ing in he ea ly 1930s,
Radio Nacional (now Belg ano) ga e away adio ecei e s o he public h ough con es s,
whe he o celeb a e Radio Day, na ional holidays, o yea -end es i i ies.
Radio Nacional was no alone in he adio dial spec um; Yankele ich quickly acqui ed s a ions
ac oss he coun y: Radio Po eña, Radio Mi e, Radio Bijou, Radio Ce ealis a in Rosa io, Radio
Nacional in Bahía Blanca, Radio Cen al in Có doba, and Radio del Pa que in Mendoza, o ming
‘ he i s A gen ine ne wo k,’ which was o malized a ound 1937.
B oadcas ing was no only a massi e business bu also a ue c aze. En e ing he b oadcas ing
business could be cheap and easy, especially o hose associa ed wi h hea e , ilm, o he
eco d indus y. Radio adap ed o echnological p og ess and ca e ed o consume s. Wi h
adio, people could ha e en e ainmen wi hin hei homes, alongside he phonog aph. The
adio indus y expe ienced i s mos signi ican de elopmen du ing he in e wa pe iod and
became he mos consumed household appliance in he 1930s, su passing i ons, elephones,
and non-elec ic ice e ige a o s. The conside able audience a ac ed ad e ise s apidly,
making ad e ising e enue he mos c i ical ac o in p og am inancing.

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The g ow h o b oadcas ing no only a ec ed newspape sales bu also impac ed he ilm and
hea e indus ies. In he e enings, i people did no wan o go o he cinema o engage in
eading o ca d games, he adio b ough a new wo ld o oices and p oduc s in o hei homes.
Mo eo e , his new medium encou aged he ‘gospel o consume ism,’ ein o cing ideals well-
known in he Uni ed S a es, such as ‘you a e wha you buy’ and ‘li e exis s in goods,’ along
wi h a ious sugges ed ad e isemen s. In he 1930s, a lis ene could hea he sponso ’s name
men ioned be ween en o wen y- i e imes in a hal -hou p og am. The popula audiences
mos ly accep ed he comme cial ole o adio and emb aced hei iden i y as consume s in
he b oadcas ing wo ld (Spiegel, 1994).
In 1933, an execu i e dec ee p ohibi ed using he wo d ‘Nacional’ in p i a e ac i i ies, o cing
he adio s a ion o change i s name. To ake ad an age o his es ic ion, Yankele ich
o ganized a con es in i ing p oposals o a new name. A new name was selec ed based on
lis ene opinions, and a gold medal was awa ded o one o he pa icipan s who submi ed
he chosen name. Consequen ly, he s a ion became known as Radio Belg ano. Tha same
yea , a b oadcas was a anged o co e Admi al By d’s expedi ion o he Sou h Pole, which
was ansmi ed o he pola egions ia he T ans adio In e na ional Company. Following he
b oadcas , Admi al By d, h ough he Columbia company, sen his g a i ude and ha o his
c ew o he audience o Radio Belg ano.
Du ing his pe iod, Yankele ich also ounded he A gen ine Film P oduc ion Company Río de
la Pla a, which wen on o p oduce se e al ilms. This new company expanded in o hea ical
shows and, yea s la e , launched a magazine dedica ed o adio and en e ainmen called
An ena. The en ep eneu ’s e o s in e ical in eg a ion wi hin he en e ainmen indus y
enhanced e iciency: he p omo ed he sale and p oduc ion o adio de ices, owned one o
he mos p ominen na ional adio s a ions, and ope a ed ou een epea e s na ionwide.
Addi ionally, he was a pa ne in a ilm company, a show p oduc ion company, and a magazine
ocused on en e ainmen news. La e , he es ablished an ad e ising agency, which c ea ed
slogans o companies ad e ising on his adio s a ion’s p og ams. This comp ehensi e
ne wo k allowed him o con ol many aspec s o he en e ainmen indus y.
The b oadcas ing sys em was lexible, accommoda ing a ious musical, a is ic, and e en
eligious exp essions. Fo example, Monsigno Napal, known as he ‘ i s speake o he
epublic,’ was included in he p og amming. Yankele ich once ema ked, ‘I a social uphea al
(such as communism) we e o dis up he coun y and you could no longe con inue you
p ies ly ac i i ies, you possess a special y ha could sus ain you.’ Cap i a ed by hese wo ds,
Monsigno Napal, who enjoyed deli e ing passiona e speeches, joined he s a ion’s mo ning
p og ams. In 1934, du ing he In e na ional Eucha is ic Cong ess, Radio Belg ano played a
c ucial ole in ad e ising and b oadcas ing he e en . The ela ionship be ween Yankele ich,
o Jewish o igin, and a high- anking membe o he Ca holic Chu ch du ing he ise o ascism
in A gen ina is indeed in iguing. I e lec s a s a egy employed by Yankele ich o na iga e his
business ope a ions wi h minimal in e e ence om he go e nmen and one o A gen ina’s
mos in luen ial ins i u ions, he Ca holic Chu ch.
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3. Radio D ama and soap ope as
Du ing he 1930s and 1940s, music ook a backsea on adio b oadcas s as adio d ama eme ged
as he dominan gen e. Like he end in he Uni ed S a es, adio d amas gained immense
popula i y in A gen ina. The la e 1920s saw he debu o he i s adio d amas, which quickly
cap i a ed audiences. F ancisco Mas and ea was a pionee ing ac o -di ec o in adio d ama,
joined by Spanish di ec o And és González Pullido. In addi ion o hese p ominen igu es,
mos adio s a ions had hei own hea e companies.
F om 1935 o 1945, episodic adio d amas saw signi ican g ow h. A no able example in A gen ine
adio was he episodic no el p oduced by he Chispazos de T adición (Glimpses o T adi ion)
company. Radio d amas ea u ed an ensemble cas pe o ming a ious s o ylines o e se e al
weeks, some imes ex ending up o a mon h. The show’s success was so subs an ial ha
schools published and used i s s o ylines o hea ical pe o mances. The company also
ou ed neighbo hoods and owns, showcasing he la es hi s om hei adio soap ope as.
This se ies, which began a ound 1932, in oduced music and sound e ec s as d ama ic elemen s
ha ec ea ed a hea ical ambiance in adio o ma . Many lis ene s ondly emembe how
“Chispazos de T adición” cap i a ed he ci y. The episodic adio d amas o he gaucho gen e
d ew on na ional s e eo ypes, such as he igu e o he ‘gaucho’ se agains he backd op
o he pampas. The gaucho symbolized he hyb idiza ion ha con ibu ed o de eloping a
na ional iden i y in A gen ina du ing he 1920s and 1930s.
Radio d amas co e ed a ange o plo s and hemes, o en inco po a ing mul iple elemen s.
While many ea u ed a sen imen al- oman ic componen , his was equen ly in e wined
wi h suspense, humo , music, and con lic s be ween he oes and illains. Radio hea e
e ol ed signi ican ly o e he yea s. Ini ially cen e ed on u al hemes, i began o inco po a e
suspense, leading o he eme gence o oman ic adio d amas. Some c i ics belie ed ha
adio d ama migh eplace hea e as a p ima y way o en e ainmen . Despi e his, adio
d ama con inued o h i e in o he 1950s.
Du ing he 1930s, Radio Belg ano in oduced li e audiences. The success o his o ma ,
including li e ad e isemen s, ma ked a pe iod o signi ican p o essionaliza ion o he
medium. Radio was ans o med om a mix o imp o isa ion and echnical know-how in o a
p o essional ac i i y. This shi mean ha no only we e eal ac o s gi en mo e p ominence,
educing oppo uni ies o ama eu s, bu echnicians and li e audiences we e also expec ed
o adhe e o p o essional s anda ds.
4. Yankele ich and he i s Pe onism
A he beginning o he 1940s, A gen ine b oadcas e s cau iously app oached in e na ional
e en s. In 1941, Jaime Yankele ich’s name appea ed in he No h Ame ican p ess due o
The O igins o Comme cial Radio in A gen ina: The Case o Jaime Yankele ich
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he A gen ine Minis y o he In e io ’s banned a ibu e o P esiden F anklin D. Roose el .
A gen inean p esiden Ped o Cas illo had decla ed a s a e o siege o supp ess p o-Allied
p opaganda du ing Wo ld Wa II. When Radio Belg ano eques ed pe mission o b oadcas
speeches in suppo o Roose el , he eques was denied. The New Yo k Times was puzzled
by his p ohibi ion, no ing ha a p o-Axis mee ing ea u ing Manuel F esco had also been
banned due o he in e na ional con ex (Ma allana, 2013).
The so-called ‘ adio p oblem’ was esol ed du ing he yea s o Pe onism. Fo Jaime Yankele ich,
his esolu ion had oo s s e ching back o he la e 1930s. E a Dua e, who would become he
wi e o Gene al Pe ón, was one o Radio Belg ano’s s a s wi h a highly publicized show, ‘La
Amazona del Des ino’ (Amazon o Des iny). 1943, she a i ed a Radio Belg ano wi h he own
adio hea e company. These adio d amas ocused on he biog aphies o signi ican women
in wo ld his o y, a popula gen e among ac esses o he ime.
Meanwhile, Jaime Yankele ich was wo king o s eng hen his ela ionship wi h he mili a y
egime. P esiden Fa ell used Radio Belg ano’s mic ophones o add ess he na ion on Oc obe
12 h. F equen isi s by membe s o he mili a y go e nmen o Radio Belg ano’s s udios we e
ypical. In la e 1943, Pe ón isi ed he s a ion, whe e he was hono ed by he au ho i ies wi h
a wine ecep ion ollowing a ou o he acili ies and a pe o mance by F ancisco Lomu o’s
o ches a. In 1944, E a Dua e s a ed in he memo able adio d ama ‘Hacia un u u o mejo ,’
a ibu e o he June 4 h e olu ion, b oadcas h ee imes daily (La Cancion Mode na, 1944).
The eme ging Pe onism sough o ake con ol o e adio b oadcas ing h ough a se ies o
laws and egula ions, p ima ily ou lined in he ‘Ins uc ion Manual o B oadcas ing S a ions.’
This manual de ined how p og amming con en should be egula ed, emphasizing he
S a e’s con ol o e he comme cial and p i a e in e es s managing mos o he s a ions. I
se guidelines o he quan i y o spoken con en , he du a ion o adio p og ams, and hei
balance.
Pe on’s go e nmen iewed b oadcas ing as a powe ul ool o p omo ing i s ideology and
mobilizing public suppo . I s goal was o use adio o ad ance i s poli ical agenda, ein o ce
i s con ol o e public discou se, and supp ess opposing oices. The ‘Manual’ aimed o align
b oadcas ing p ac ices wi h he go e nmen ’s objec i es, s essing he impo ance o con en
ha suppo ed Pe onis p inciples, social jus ice, na ionalism, and loyal y o he Pe onis
mo emen .
Th ough hese egula ions, he go e nmen sough o shi con ol om p i a e in e es s o
he S a e, ensu ing ha adio se ed o ad ance he go e nmen ’s agenda and consolida e
i s poli ical in luence.
In he mid-1940s, Pe on’s go e nmen in oduced egula ions ha manda ed adio s a ions
alloca e a speci ic pe cen age (be ween 60 o 80 pe cen ) o hei p og amming o spoken
con en and imposed limi s on he numbe o episodic adio d amas ha could be b oadcas .
These egula ions signi ican ly es ic ed he ope a ional modes o he s a ions.
The O igins o Comme cial Radio in A gen ina: The Case o Jaime Yankele ich
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In 1947, du ing a adio b oadcas by P esiden Pe ón, Radio Belg ano was in e up ed by a
oice p oclaiming, “Do no belie e him; he is elling lies.” The b oadcas ’s in e up ion led o
he immedia e closu e o he s a ion and in ense p essu e on Jaime Yankele ich o ans e
his license o he S a e. The s a ion’s ope a ions we e suspended. The suspension was li ed
a mon h la e , bu Yankele ich’s comme cializa ion licenses expi ed. In Augus o he same
yea , Yankele ich o e ed o sell he Radio Belg ano ne wo k, including A gen ina’s i s b oad-
cas ing chain, o he S a e o six million pesos. A con iden ial memo andum om he Minis e
o Communica ions o he P esiden o he Na ional Economic Council explained ha his
acquisi ion would add ess a p essing s a e need based on na ional de ense and spi i ual
p inciples. The Minis y’s app oach aimed o acqui e he physical asse s o he s a ions a he
han shu ing hem down o poli ical easons, hus ensu ing he con inued use o he exis ing
b oadcas ing equipmen and a oiding he need o pu chase new gea .
The acquisi ion o Radio Belg ano and i s ne wo k was o malized in Oc obe 1947. In he
ollowing mon hs, he go e nmen decla ed he licenses canceled o se e al s a ions owned
by Yankele ich in he p o inces, ci ing conce ns abou Radio Belg ano’s pe cei ed monopoly
o e A gen ina’s adio b oadcas ing sys em. Consequen ly, o he concessionai es quickly
su ende ed hei equencies o he go e nmen .
A e selling his asse s o he go e nmen in July 1948, Yankele ich ook on he ole o
P esiden o he In e Ame ican Associa ion o B oadcas e s, wi h Ame ican Gilmo e Nunn
as Vice P esiden . This appoin men u he cemen ed his p ominen posi ion in he de e-
lopmen o La in Ame ican adio b oadcas ing bu placed him in a challenging posi ion.
The In e Ame ican Associa ion has been ac i ely c i icizing he Pe ón go e nmen ’s p ess
eedom enc oachmen since 1945. Howe e , Yankele ich, who had p e iously suppo ed he
go e nmen un il hey acqui ed his s a ion license, was in a di icul si ua ion. Addi ionally,
he was appoin ed Di ec o Gene al o B oadcas ing by he go e nmen , esponsible o
o e seeing all na ional s a ions. This led o a signi ican clash o c i icisms in 1948 be ween
he In e Ame ican Associa ion and he Associa ion o A gen ine B oadcas e s (ADRA), bo h
p esided o e by Yankele ich. He e used o suppo a complain agains Gene al Pe ón,
esul ing in a i be ween he In e Ame ican Associa ion and ADRA, wi h he la e demanding
Yankele ich’s esigna ion.
Amids he ongoing ension be ween b oadcas e s and he go e nmen , Jaime Yankele ich
u ned his ocus o a new on ie : he eme ging ele ision echnology. In 1951, news sp ead
ha ele ision echnology, desc ibed as a “mode n mi acle” o image ansmission, was
a i ing om he Uni ed S a es. This new medium aimed o ake he cen al ole in amily
li e ha adio had p e iously occupied. Yankele ich, wi h his ex ensi e expe ience om
Radio Belg ano, was uniquely posi ioned o spea head he in oduc ion o his e olu iona y
echnology. His ole in ol ed analyzing cos s, p ocu ing he ini ial ansmi ing equipmen ,
and na iga ing he echnical and economic complexi ies o he medium. Newspape s and
magazines o he ime highligh ed his echnological ad ancemen as a signi ican miles one
in media e olu ion.