TRAVEL TO AZORES - AUGUST 2006 by C. Ghibaudo
During the first week of August, I spent some days in Ponta Delgada on the
island of São Miguel, in the Azores. I decided to visit the local radio stations, in
the city, in fact not a lot. Only public RDP and 3 private stations. The
first station, I visit was TSF Radio Açores, a small station, just in
front of my hotel, in Rua Bruno Tavares Carriero N°34.
I go to the second
floor, where I meet the commercial department hosted by a Brazilian born man,
married with an Azorean. I spoke about my interest in visiting local radio,
and I ask him some stickers or other material. This moment, nothing was
available, but he gave me an appointment for the next day, same
time.
TSF Radio Açores,
is part of the Portuguese network TSF Radio Noticias. The station belongs to
the local newspaper Açoriano Oriental, the oldest Portuguese newspaper. They
have a relay of TSF Lisboa, and local programmes with news and music. They
have only one frequency of 99.4 MHz and the station in only heard in S. Miguel
Island.
Radio Açores logo. Studio where are recorded the local commercials.
After this visit,
I went to the public RDP Açores, as the station was not very by feet.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to visit the station, and no sticker
available, so I only take a photo of the station!
Next day, I
decided to visit the other two stations, in the east of Ponta Delgada,
they are in the same vicinity. Not very far from my hotel, so I’ll go by feet, as Ponta Delgada is a little
city. First I arrived in Rua do Laureano, 444 house of Radio Atlantida.
Unfortunately, the station was no longer n this address and the new one was
indicated, in Rua Bento José Morais n° 23. Even it was indicated that the
street was near the Commercial Centre of Hyper Mercado Sol Mar, I don’t found
this street on my map. So it’s better to go directly to Radio Horizonte
in Rua de Nova Misericordia n° 271. I found a 3 floors house, and a very
friendly welcome in the small and old offices. The receptionist gave me some
stickers and the manager come later to make a visit of the house. On the
ground floor, we visited the Radio Horizonte studio, with live programme. At
the second floor an other studio for Top FM, an automatic musical
station beamed to young people. And the third floor another studio for Radio
105, a small local station, without live programme in August. These stations
belong to the same Group of Radio Horizonte in Ponta Delgada. Radio Horizonte started
programmes in August 1987, from Angra de Heroismo in Terceira Island; later the
station also got a frequency in Ponta Delgada S. Miguel Island. Now there
is two programmes under the same name, in the day, Ponta Delgada
station relay the main programme from Terceira. They told me that Radio Horizonte
is the most popular stations in Azores.
After this
interesting visit, I came back to my hotel trying to found the new address of
Radio Atlantida. In my room, I have another map, given at the airport, a map
supplied by the Sol Mar shops. So on this map, I found the Hyper Mercado Sol
Mar, and of course the Rua José Morais. So I was ready to go to visit Radio
Atlantida. The offices are in the north east of
Ponta Delgada, it was better to use the local mini bus, so after
paying the price of 0, 25 euro, I was in front of Radio Atlantida building, 10
minutes later!
After some rest on
the seaside of Ponta Delgada, it was time to go again in TSF Radio
Açores. Unfortunately, the Brazilian friend doesn’t found any sticker,
but he gave me a wooden plate with the station logo. A nice present, as this
small plate was on the wall of the studio, we went in the studio with live
programme to take it from the wall!
So I came back from the Azores, with a souvenir of the three private stations of Ponta Delgada.
Christian Ghibaudo August 16th 2006