Miami, Fl., Jan. 12, 2012 – More than 2,600 Cubans contacted Radio Martí for a chance to win one of six mopeds in a listener contest sponsored by the station.The contest, which ran from Dec. 19 to Jan. 5, raffled off six mopeds donated by Cuban-Americans and provided important insight into the Cuban audience’s use of shortwave and AM radio as well as social media. Martí asked Cubans to call, e-mail, Twitter or subscribe to Facebook for a chance to win.
“The positive audience feedback for this moped raffle and our new forward-leaning programming reinforces our program choices,” said Carlos García Pérez, Director of Radio and TV Martí. “It is compelling to hear from Cubans about attitudinal changes on the island, incremental changes underway, and how closely connected they continue to feel to the U.S. and Cuban-American community in particular.”
The listener contest is part of a year-long effort by Radio and TV Martí to reshape programming to better match the interests of young Cubans who face economic hardships as well as ongoing political restrictions. Through numerous focus groups with Cubans who have recently arrived in the U.S., as well as daily call-in programs and contests like these, Cubans consistently express their interests in technology, economic opportunities, entertainment and connecting with Americans.
The Martís have responded with a series of program initiatives to make programming relevant to the day-to-day lives of young people on the island. Shows like Avanza Cuba (Cuba Forward), look at the incremental changes underway in Cuba and future opportunities in technology and business; while El Revotillo (The Scramble) provides an on-air market for trading goods and services; and other news and entertainment programs foster enhanced audience participations through mobile, online and social media tools.
The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors, was established in 1990 to oversee the operations of Radio and TV Martí, which broadcast news and information to the people of Cuba.
(VOA)