Sponsor (Nov 1948-June 1949)

Record Details:

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\ promise ami si problem over-ail Puerto Rico is no Longer a slum island. It is likewise no longer a paradise lor a few verj wealth) families, sugar planters or the like. Broadcast advertising reflects the changed conditions on the island. Whereas a few years ago most stations were owned 1»\ the few Puerto Rieans who were among the elite ol the I .S. s Caribbean "state, toda) they're owned 1>\ local businessmen who years ago weren't acceptable in homes of PR's lords of the manor. Radio in Puerto Rico faces a threat in government ownership, which no other I .S. broadcaster has yet had to fight. Puerto Rico's "fiftv families" have had no interest in the Islands jibaros Ismail farmers and rural workerwho repre.-ent 70' < of the Island's population). For the most part the) are as hidebound as only descendants ol Spanish grandees can he. The result is that any moves to better living conditions had to he initiated 1>\ liberal U.S. Governors, like the tempestuous Rex Tugwell. who earned himself the local title "todo lo heule," (everything smells ) . Puerto Rico went into the rum business, housing, subsistence homesteads," industrial development, and businesses like cement. gla»s. leather-, and crockery. Either the government did it — or it wasn'l done. There was no private "venture capital" available for anything that would better the conditions of the jibaros. It was therefore up to the government to put up or permit subnormal living conditions to continue. The wartime Governor (Tugwell) spent $27,000,000 to establish new industry, and the current elected Governor I Luis Munoz Marin I will spend a total budget of $94,000,000 to further improve living conditions. I Education and health will receive 10' , of the budget, since 24' < of those who live on the Island are still illiterate). It is no great surprise, therefore, that the first threat to private ownership of broadcast facilities has raised its head on the Island. There is a powerful government station in operation which serves a great part of the Island. That doesn't disturb the private station owners because the independents have most of the broadcast audience. What scares the daylights out of them is the fact that the government has decided several times to compete with private ownership for the broadcast advertising dollar. Since the government station is naturallv subsidized and doesn't have nit makini th to worry anoiit maKing money, the private station naturallv feel that it would be unfair competition for the Puerto Rican government to accept advertising. I he government on its pari knows Lever Brothers, through National Export ^ Advertising, sponsors revue on WKAQ