[IRCA] Uruguay: Photo visit to the old and abandoned S.O.D.R.E.s "Martin Fierro" transmitter site

[Horacio Nigro <hanigrodx@xxxxxxxx>]

With the camera in my pocket ... 


Photo visit to the former S.O.D.R.E (Servicio Oficial de Difusión Radio 
Eléctrica) transmitter site on Martín Fierro Street


I first visited this place when I was part of the group of Uruguayan DXers that 
created "Radioactividades"as a DX (this hobby specially focused during its first 
years)  Media & History program, produced to be aired on CX 26 SODRE  (which has 
recently been renamed as Radio Uruguay),  and which -somewhat apart from its 
initial format- still airs on the weekends.


At  that time, as a member of the Grupo DX del Uruguay (a.k.a. DX Club 
del  Uruguay), and along with a few other colleagues, it was foreseen the need 
and possibility of making a featured radio program intended to talk about our 
hobby of DXing, dedicated radio listening and radio communications . In fact, 
one of the first recordings of this program to be broadcast was prepared here. 
The place was at the time, a kind of provisory  broadcast center, while SODRE 
headquarters were looking for a definitive building to house SODRE's studios and 
offices.
 
This site is located in the #2603 of Martin Fierro street, three blocks away 
from the long and relevant Artigas Boulevard in Montevideo, near the Military 
School and not far from the studios and antenna of the National TV (Channel 5). 
It served  as the official radio station transmitter site since 1929, despite 
the transmitters were moved  through other sites, elsewhere in the city and 
along the years and which, at last, settled in the current headquarters in the 
Old Quarter of Montevideo.

At the time of my visit, which were only a couple of times, I was fortunate to 
see, not without some amount of astonishment,  large discs of the "National 
Discotheque" put in wooden crates. I also, got to met Alfredo Carlos Dighiero, a 
Carlos Gardel specialised journalist with its long-running program about our 
best all time popular singer, Carlos Gardel, and  last but no least could meet 
the remains (or skeleton) of an old transmitter. It was a very moving moment and 
special experience for me!

I forgot to mention the year: this was in 1989. 60 years before, this place was 
the starting point for official radiobroadcasts from Uruguay aiming to the 
country and to the world. Both on the mediumwaves and the shortwaves. If this 
really could happen is another story. But SODRE was received in the 30s by North 
American DXers and even special broadcasts were prepared for them. SODRE and 
Uruguay never showed a true International radio service, but English programmes 
via SW were prepared for the last time in the 1980's, using 31mb and 19 mb 
frequencies.

Today  is an abandoned plot, an unfortunately destroyed place, eventual den of 
drug addicts (I had to wait for two strange guys to come out, not without fear), 
homeless intruders,  drunks and "bichicomes" (Uruguayan slang coming from the 
word "beachcomber"  and as waste pickers are named by Uruguayans). The neighbors 
look them with concern. But anyone -except that infralived people and a pair of 
dedicated radiofans one of them being me-, seems to be interested. It is 
fortunate that this place could be visited after all these years and can be 
subject of a photographic camera session, before it comes swept by bulldozers. 
(Horacio A. Nigro, Uruguay, Feb 2, 2011)
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The photo gallery is here --->http://imgur.com/a/8Qblr 
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Addenda:

Historical references of the creation of SODRE as the Uruguayan National 
Broadcaster:

"In  1926, the "Dirección Nacional de Radiocomunicaciones" (the National Radio 
Council) under the administration of the Ministry of Defence, and under whose 
orders the telegraph stations of "El Cerrito" [call CWA] were administered, 
needed to buy a new telegraph  station. Then the late Dante Tartaglia, who was 
the station chief at "Cerrito", was in the need of buying a new telegraphic 
station from the U.S. By the new season the new station arrived but, by mistake,  
instead of sending a telegraph station, [the Americans] sent a [radio]telephone 
station.  Tartaglia said to Engineer Gilberto Lasnier, at the time director of 
the Radio Board under the Ministry  of National Defense 'Look engineer, they 
have sent us a radiotelephone station, what do we do?', and Lasnier replied: 
'Set it up!, anyways!" 


Then,  the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare (nowadays the Ministry of 
Education  and Culture), appointed a commission for the purpose of creating an  
official broadcaster. The  committee was composed of two parliamentarians, Dr. 
Francisco  Ghigliani and Dr. Carlos Butler; the Director of the Radio 
Department, Engineer Gilberto Lasnier, and Professor Emilio Berdesio. 


The venture also featured Dante Tartaglia and Carlos Mazzey, two of the first 
technical persons of this first era. Finally the first broadcasts as Radio CWOA 
began, and in 1929 became CX6 Radio Oficial, SODRE. This new radio had 
inaugurated at the Military School and later moved to the Bulevar Artigas and 
Martin Fierro site . 


In  1927, the Uruguayan national radio station began to relay the performances 
of the Teatro Colon in Buenos  Aires, [Argentina], which were originated from 
LS1, then named as Radio Municipal (which nowadays is known as "Radio Diez"). 
LS1 used to broadcast all seasons of the opera theatre starting from May 25,  
(the Argentinian national holiday) until the end of October. "  (Part  of an 
interview with Diego Errandonea who was one of the first  officials of Sodre, 
which he joined at age 14 as a messenger and became  Director General of the 
Institute. Read full  article in Spanish at http://www.larepublica.com.uy/ 
cultura/7204-los-70-anos-del-sodre) 

 
 --

"In  fact, the SODRE [which embodied the National Symphonic Orchestra, Ballet & 
Opera, National Discotheque] appeared closely linked to CX6, which would be 
added  later by CX26 and CX38[...]. CX6 emissions began immediately on April 1 
1930 - from the transmitter of "Martin Fierro" at the # 2603, of taht street, 
with a Western Electric brand transmitter"(adapted from: 
http://www.sodre.gub.uy.asp1-4.websitetestlink.com/Sodre/Sodre/Qui% C3% 
A9nessomos/tabid/59/Default.aspx)

Vintage pictures of the old transmitter site:


http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50679/XwseD.jpg
Transmitter building and one of the antenna towers "Milliken" type at Martín 
Fierro, in Montevideo. Photo taken in 1929 (Source "Archivo Nacional de la 
Imagen, Uruguay)


http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50680/joAwPE.jpg
One of the SW transmitters, CXA 10,  11900 KHz, 20 KW. Front Panel. Photo taken 
on May 25, 1944. (Source "Archivo Nacional de la Imagen, Uruguay)




http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50681/Q0z.jpg
Vintage map of the SODRE's "Martin Fierro" transmitter site showing the station 
and the rhombic antennas for the shortwaves. At the left the one beaming to N. 
América, and the one at the right  beaming Europe. (Source "Archivo Nacional de 
la Imagen, Uruguay)

---
Other References:
http://hanigro.tripod.com/index.html ("Los primeros años del S.O.D.R.E. en Ondas 
Cortas", by Horacio Nigro, 1992, in Spanish, note: some audio links don't work).

1927-1928, CWOA, inicios de la emisora estatal del  Uruguay.Horacio A. Nigro  
(in Spanish,  online e-brochure)


                  
73 de
          
Horacio A. Nigro
Montevideo
Uruguay


      
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