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LIFE IN THE TIME OF AIDS:
On the Airwaves of Mexico's Radio UNAM


In many respects, the struggle against AIDS is frequently
confronted with bureaucracy and a lack of will, on the part of the
authorities, to shed more light on the truth and provide the
population with better information.  How many more AIDS victims
will it take before people realize the importance of disseminating
all available information?  This is the summary of the reasoning
that moved scriptwriter Manuel Zozaya, who produces the radio
series called "La vida en tiempos del SIDA" (Life in the Time of
AIDS," to knock on every imaginable door in search of the necessary
funding for his project.  In most cases, Manuel ran into a wall of
silence and indifference.


Originally scheduled to include 13 programs, the first series was
so successful that the number of programs was doubled.  Howver, the
initial budget had already been spent when the first series ended.
Therefore, Manuel and his team worked without any remuneration
until three months later, when they found a new sponsor, the
medical department of the Universidad nacional Autonoma de Mexico
(UNAM).  One year after their first prgram came on the air, Manuel
Zozaya was categorical:  "If, by listening to our program, just one
person has become aware of what this disease can mean, then our
efforts have been well worthwhile."

"Life in the Time of Aids" is not intended to be restricted merely
to information on the disease itself.  Instaed, its goal is to
visualize everything related to the illness as an integral part of
life: love, sex, death, etc.

The number of telephone calls and the continual flow of mail attest
the outright success of the series.  One year after its initial
program, the series seem to have a guaranteed time slot on the
university radio's schedule.  The program is currently heard in
Mexico City, but it will soon be broadcast in other Mexican
states.

For further information, contact:

Manuel Lopez Zozaya
Amatlan, 43-1
Colonia Condesa
Mexico 06140
Mexico, D.F.

                   ..........................
 This article is from InteRadio, Vol. 6, No.1., the newsletter
of AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.
     InteRadio is published in English, French and Spanish.
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