Radio Playlet Dramatizes AIDS Danger to Latinos
The traditional sound of Nortena music fills the airwaves as a voice introduces “Tres Hombres Sin Fronteras” (Three Men Without Borders) , a Spanish-language radio drama “about love, adventure and carelessness.”
The program is a radio novela , a soap-opera - like format popular in Latin America, but this one has a purpose beyond simply entertaining its listeners. The 15-part drama, which premieres today on several Spanish-language radio stations in Southern California, is aimed at “pre-literate” Latino migrant workers and is meant to educate them about the perils of AIDS and how to prevent it.
The five-minute episodes chronicle the experiences of three fictional Mexican men who come to the United States to work as farm laborers. Sergio and Victor are both married and plan to send money home to their families. Marco is single and eager to meet “lots of little blondes.” As the drama progresses, Marco and Sergio get involved with some prostitutes, while Victor, as the voice of reason, counsels both to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.
The tale ends on a tragic note: Sergio contracts AIDS and infects his pregnant wife with the deadly disease. When their child is born, he too has the AIDS virus.
“We’re acknowledging that if young men--and this is primarily directed to young men--if they’re going to be having sexual adventures, they ought to know the consequences,” said Jack Shakely, president of the California Community Foundation, which is underwriting the project at a cost of about $150,000. “We’re not condoning this practice but we’re trying to be as logical and realistic as possible.”
Scheduled to begin airing today on KTNQ-AM (1020) in Los Angeles, KDIF-AM (1440) in San Bernardino and KTRO-AM (1520) in Oxnard, and next week on KWKW-AM (1330) in Los Angeles, the drama is causing some concern among radio station officials because of its realism and frank language.
“The reaction among staffers , and my own reaction , is it was done in somewhat poor taste,” said Ernesto Portillo, station manager of KQTL-AM in Tucson, which aired the program in December. “It’s a somewhat taboo subject and it’s using raw language. . . .” Ken Wolt, general manager of KTNQ, was also concerned that the content might be offensive to listeners, so he plans to air the segments on weekday evenings at 9:55 p.m.
“We wanted to make sure it was presented in such a way and at such a time that we don’t have people upset,” Wolt said. “We wanted to do it because we think it’s important, we feel it’s a message that needs to be out: It’s a dangerous situation and it’s certainly critical for our audience, everybody really. . . .”
Socorro Valdez, co-writer of the novela, sees the program’s frankness as the only way to convey the urgency of the message.
“Because of the gravity of AIDS and the way it’s spreading in the Latino community, we didn’t want to be delicate,” Valdez said. “I think it’s important that we deal with the issue directly. It is not fair to the community that we skirt around the issue and make it watered down.”
Said Shakely: “This is pretty graphic, there’s no doubt about it. But you can’t be too subtle in these types of announcements. . . . You have to pretty much say, ‘Look, you do this, and this happens.’ ”
The California Community Foundation is buying time on radio stations throughout the Southwest to ensure that it is heard, Shakely said.
KWKW-AM will air the program Sunday nights at 10 p.m. for 15 weeks. KDIF-AM will broadcast it weeknights at 7:30 p.m. On KTRO-AM, it will be heard sometime between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weeknights.