May 31, 2006 – San Juan, Puerto Rico - The Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation and its Ángel F. Rivera Documentation Center have been awarded the sum of $315,750.00 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for the preservation of and access to 4,171 hours of radio programming produced by the government radio stations since 1958. According to Víctor Montilla, President of the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation, this preservation project intends to save the cultural and artistic legacy contained in the broadcasts produced by the radio stations owned and produced by the government of Puerto Rico and make them accessible to the public.

The $315,750.00 awarded will fund the Project for two years. “This validates the Corporation’s plans to develop a Documentation Center for its four audiovisual archives: The Historic Archive, the Radio Archive, the Video Library and News Archive, Montilla noted. “To be able to save hundreds of hours of recording where you’ll be able to find “Las estampas de Teyo Gracia”, native music performed by noted musicians such as Ramito, among others, is an invaluable contribution to the history of our country; and this archive makes it accessible for the enjoyment of all”, Montilla concluded.

“The Project for the Preservation and Access to Radio Programming established by the Documentation Center is the first radio content preservation project in Puerto Rico to obtain the financial and technical endorsement of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This award of federal funds recognizes the viability of the plans and techniques developed by the Ángel F. Rivera Documentation Center to preserve and give access to radio collections, as well as the use of digital technology to preserve historic material. According to Luis Rosario Albert, Director of the Ángel F. Rivera Documentation Center & Project Director, “NEH’s support also recognizes the importance this artistic and cultural legacy has for Puerto Rico and for Puerto Rican and Latino communities in the United States.”

"I am honored to be part of the NEH funded project that will be incremental in saving the audiovisual heritage of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation”, said Jim Lindner of Media Matters LLC., Chief audio-visual consultant on the project. .

Ileana Rivera Santa, director for the station’s Planning and Development Department, emphasized the importance of the NEH award. “This effort began with our submission of a proposal offering a detailed work plan. This proposal was competed with other similar projects from the United States and received the highest financial award in Puerto Rico for a project of this nature. In fact, we have an Advisory Council, consisting of such knowledgeable people as Dr. José Manuel González Lamela, Executive Director for Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades, Mr. Julio Quirós, Archival Director for Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín, Mr. José Álvarez, Systems Director for the Puerto Rico Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Mariano Artau, producer and knowledgeable contributor to radio in Puerto Rico and Mr. José A. Ribas Dominicci, President of the Radio Broadcasters Association of Puerto Rico. We are grateful to their support of this Project,” said Rivera Santa.

For further information:
Contact Steve Kwartek at steve.kwartek@media-matters.net
Phone: 212-268-5528 X113
www.media-matters.net