LRA36 RADIO NATIONAL ARCANGEL SAN GABRIEL

Forty years ago, LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel was broadcasting for the first time from the Esperanza Base in Argentine Antarctica. That first broadcast on October 20, 1979, at 11:45, is a milestone in the history of Argentine radio.

Esperanza Base Radio is located at 63º 24' south latitude and 56º 59' west longitude in Esperanza Bay, at the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula, on the Antarctic Strait.

 In this region the temperature reaches extremes of 50 degrees below zero, with winds exceeding 250 kilometers per hour.

In this white landscape, of full Argentine sovereignty, the LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel maintains its characteristic opening signal in several languages.

In 1979, in the midst of the civic-military dictatorship, the establishment of a short wave radio in Base Esperanza was projected.

Thus, a 1200-watt transmitter, a transmission console, recorders, towers and antennas arrived on the Comandate Iríziar Icebreaker.

In addition, specialized technicians in communications like the Commissioned Officer Juan Carlos Salviá, Francisco "Paco" Vilá, Oscar Jorge Martínez, Antonio Luis Pascual, Felipe Cuenca and Victoriano Garay who had the task of facing the  harsh conditions to set up broadcasting gear.

The Esperanza Antarctic Base is one of the scientific stations in Argentina that together with the Chilean Villa Las Estrellas are the only ones in Antarctica where there are temporary personnel performing military, scientific or service functions and accompanied by their families.

There are about 80 people per season. It has a school, two teachers and, according to records, eight children were born at the Base.

According to Salviá, "it was a hard task but thanks to resilience and all obstacles were overcome. Rhombic towers were erected on the hillsides. They were formworked in cement prepared with melted ice to fill wells made with pick and shovel.

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