UNEAC Film, Radio and Television Association: for the Matanzas cultural movement

The Film, Radio and Television Association of UNEAC in Matanzas has projects that stimulate the work of creators and bring audiences closer to its fire in the Social House of Writers and Artists.

With a view to the X Congress of the organization, this feeling dominated the plenary, led by the renowned journalist Ana Valdés Portillo, head of the association, who presented the report of the work of a five-year period, characterized by shocking events that enrolled the City of Rivers and Bridges and other territories.

Recognition was given to the national and local programs Puente de la Concordia, Barquito de Papel, plus the Tertulia de la Matanceridad, aimed at the radio and television media, with special mention for the cultural magazine Entre puentes of Radio 26.

The Close up film program and the Nelson Barrera contest on audiovisual and cinematographic creation were also considered special.

The work of the Cárdenas municipal committee was also highlighted, with its Sol de Oro event, in which children from all over the country participate. The Colón Committee is also involved in the management of the territorial radio stations.

The interventions were precise. Cameraman Nivaldo Miró highlighted the flourishing of the Social House, in addition to the promotion and immediacy of the events published by the Atenas UNEAC Artistas web page, coordinated by communicator Frank Alexis Ortega.

Award-winning radio broadcaster Williams Quintana and other members expressed their concern, also extended to the television media, about the salary payment limited to X hours established in the sector, which undermines the quality of programming.

«Recently graduated broadcasters, many with little experience and cultural background, occupy starring slots, displacing the consecrated ones because they ‘exceed’ the time regulated by the agency, which harms the artistic product offered to our people», Quintana pointed out.

Art critic, Mario Rodriguez Naite advocated thinking in terms of audiences. «It is necessary for UNEAC to periodically analyze the cultural contents of the media in order to attack manifestations of banality that may become enthroned.

«It is necessary to encourage the debate of this problem in our premises, not only in events, but also to stabilize the exposure of what worries our associates,» he said.

Presiding over the plenary, among other leaders, were Mayra Suarez, CP-PCC official; Osbel Marrero, provincial director of Culture; Maritza Cuba, delegate of the Ministry of Culture in Tourism and Jose Manuel Espino, president of UNEAC Matanzas.

Espino emphasized the importance of unity and of the 60 associates getting closer to the activities of the Social House in support of the projects of this affiliate.

The plenary also heard the concern expressed in several instances that Matanzas appears little in the main newscasts of National Television, even when the province generates an extraordinary volume of information in response to its growing cultural movement.

The creators explained that hundreds of materials are disseminated through different conventional and digital platforms every month, but they described as «evident favoritism» the daily and repeated appearance of only one (Camagüey) or two provinces, at most, in the Estelar and the Noticiero del Mediodía, ranked as the most watched by the Cuban population, to the point that the case will be raised in higher instances.

To this effect, Osbel Marrero stated that there is also a lack of information on the part of the artists about the different platforms where the work of the province is disseminated and therefore, it will be necessary to work to promote the existing means of communication.

Writer Maylan Alvarez, member of the provincial Electoral Commission, led the process, which concluded with the election of radio director and advisor Williams Quintana, as president; television producer Daniel Aguiar, vice-president and advisor Margarita Oliva, as a member of the branch’s executive.

At the conclusion, Mrs. Suarez recognized the hard work of the creators of this association, present in most of the events that occur in the territory, despite the serious limitations of transportation and equipment that the media have in the province.

He added: «UNEAC is going through a transcendental moment. The X Congress will endorse the role of the vanguard of our writers and artists in the advancement of the country and in the defense of our national culture».

Written by María Elena Bayón Mayor.