RCN BASIC CHAIN COMES TO AN END.
Today, July 31st, is a sad day for listeners in Colombia, the basic RCN radio network is over. A chain that initially emerged in cities such as Bogota, Medellin, Cali and later expanded throughout the country. Iconic brands such as radio happenings RCN, sports moment, the owners of the ball, the Zaranda, nighttime RCN, the adventures of Montecristo, and so many programs that it is difficult to name them all.
In Bucaramanga it emerged from 1986 when it managed to acquire Radio Atalaya on the 800 AM dial and was previously affiliated with Todelar, it is said that the value was 50 million pesos at the time. The 800 AM dial is one of the most heard for its powerful sound, as it reached northern parts of Santander and Antioch.
For the basic network in Bucaramanga we have to talk about Radio happenings RCN Santander directed by Hector Gomez Kabariq RIP and with great journalistic team such as Jairo Saravia Hernandez, Luis Emiro Millán (both deceased), Claudia Ximena Regueros R, Clara Inés Peña Manosalva, Bernardo Socha Acosta and the reading of news from the great Jose Antonio Churio. Then in 1997 at the departure of Gomez Kabariq and Jose Antonio Churio Luis Emiro Millán took over as director and the news reading of Julio César Bautista, and then Nelson Cipagauta would arrive.
In football broadcasts and sports events journalists such as Charles Edgar Figueroa, Norberto Papo Diaz, Hector Cáceres, Julio Edgar Cuesta, Cheché Hernández, Jose Luis Alarcón, Felipe Zarruk, Javier Mantilla, among others and I apologize not to mention all because they are several.
And talk about sound engineers like Reynaldo Silva González “la hen”, Enrique Olaya Villamizar, and currently Jorge Albarracín Rivera and Alberto Niño Agudelo.
Today at midnight the basic RCN network is shutting down across the country where they have the signal to give basic FM a transformation that RCN radio will have starting tomorrow.
At 11:59 PM today, Thursday, July 31st, the Holy oils will be applied to subsequently head to the final abode and thus give a Christian grave to one of the most important radial chains in Colombia.
This is how the stations of RCN radio will be set up in Santander from tomorrow 01 August and Monday 04:
– basic FM (spoken): 800 AM and 106.7 FM
– the FM plus (music): 99.7 FM
– the Sun: 103.7 FM
– the Mega: 102.5 FM
– Santanderas alert: 1.180 AM
Radio 1 is no longer in Bucaramanga. It will only be in Barrancabermeja and Barbosa.
It is yet to be confirmed about RCN San Gil its replacement and the FM frequency of Barrancabermeja 89.7 if it will return to the air under another brand.
The basic network is over, Radio Santander/La Caringosa and Radio 1.
The RCN radio brand is ending in the country. It’s difficult to answer whether it will succeed, only time and audience will determine whether the transformation or restructuring was right or not.
Alerta Bucaramanga via Svenn Martinsen to DXing.info Facebook group (2025-08-01)