HCJB Tops Brazilian Survey in Ecuador
Portuguese-speaking participants in an annual survey conducted by the Santa Rita DX Club in Brazil indicate that Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, continues to be one of their favorite shortwave radio stations.
The flagship station of HCJB World Radio continues to be one of their favorite shortwave radio stations according to the recently released results of an annual survey conducted in Brazil.
Portuguese-speaking participants in the 2004 survey conducted by the Santa Rita DX Club placed Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador as the Most Listened-to Shortwave Station category followed by Chile-based Voz Cristá (Christian Voice) which placed first in 2003. This is the second year in a row that a religious station has led this category.
The good results we see in this survey are a reflection of the hard work our Portuguese producers put into their programs, said Radio Director Doug Weber in Quito. They really make an effort to know who their audience is and that is apparently paying off in listenership.
According to HCJB World Radio, respondents also selected A Voz dos Andes (Voice of the Andes) -- as HCJB is called -- as Best Shortwave Station. The BBC, which ended Portuguese-language transmissions to South America earlier this year, had led the survey in 2002 followed by HCJB. The clubs 1999 survey showed HCJB in fourth behind three government stations: BBC, Radio France International and Radio China International.
For the sixth consecutive year, respondents named HCJB Portuguese program producer Eunice Carvajal as having the top DX program. HCJB explained that DX is a telegraph term for distance, and DXers enjoy listening to signals from distant stations.
Although Carvajal is the sole program producer at the ministrys studios in Quito, most of the programs are produced at HCJB World Radio-Brazils studios in Curitiba and elsewhere.
Carvajal said the Santa Rita Club results are especially valuable because of the participation by non-club listeners who tune in to the station primarily for program content, unlike hobbyists who listen primarily to request a QSL card, confirming that they heard the stations signal.
Currently, Portuguese-language programs air from Quito 7.5 hours a day in three programming blocks. Preaching, interspersed with music, proclaims the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to listeners across Brazil.
Carvajal added that shortwave continues to play a key role in reaching the world for Christ.
I believe those who say shortwave radio is dead or dying should go on a trip into the jungle area of Brazil, she said. They will see that [there are many] communities that are very isolated from one another and find out that the only way to communicate is by shortwave.
Also ranking high in the survey, were two producers, Ingrid Winter and Pastor Mario Miki in Curitiba. Winter was named Best Female Announcer, and Miki again placed second in the Best Male Program Host category as he did in 2002.