Daniel Ayala Steps Down as Head of Uruguay’s Public Radios Daniel Ayala has resigned as director of Uruguay’s Public Radios after weeks of tension over budget allocations. His departure was first reported by journalist Jaime Clara on X and later confirmed by government sources to la diaria.
Ayala had already offered his resignation and had been on leave for about a month, citing disagreements with Erika Hoffmann, president of the Audiovisual Communication Service (Secan) and director of Channel 5. The dispute centered on funding priorities. Hoffmann’s leadership has been criticized for channeling resources toward television at the expense of radio. Ayala himself noted in 2025 that when he assumed the role, “resources from the radios were siphoned off to television. A number of contracts were terminated, and many staff members ended up working in television or digital.” In response to the resignation, Gerardo Sotelo, a deputy from the Independent Party, announced plans to request public access to Secan’s five-year budget. He said the move aims to clarify the criteria behind its drafting and assess whether Ayala’s demand for greater funding was justified. Sotelo confirmed he will submit the request next week, regardless of Ayala’s departure. Ayala’s exit highlights ongoing tensions within Uruguay’s state-run media, where questions of resource distribution between radio and television remain unresolved. --- Text adapted from the publication of "La Diario", Montevideo press media. https://ladiaria.com.uy/politica/articulo/2026/2/renuncio-el-director-de-radios-publicas-daniel-ayala/ __________________________________________ My comment on this issue follows : Daniel Ayala González: Pathologist and Radio Enthusiast Daniel Ayala González is a medical pathologist. Like us, he discovered a passion for radio and decided to become a DXer. He joined the DX Club of Uruguay during its second stage, which began in 1972. In the 1980s, he became a member of a new generation of radio listenersMy comment on this issue follows : in the club. In 1989, the DXCU felt strong enough to launch a radio program to promote the hobby of DXing. A p_roposal was submitted and accepted by the programming management of CX26 SODRE, today known as Radio Uruguay. The quality of the program quickly turned it into a renowned space on the Uruguayan dial. It won journalism awards and was even chosen as Program of the Year. At that same time, the DX Club of Uruguay ceased to exist. Its continuation lived on through that radio program. Over time, the show shifted toward historical themes about radio, featuring interviews and special programs with veterans of Uruguayan broadcasting, as well as original research. Ayala also entered political life through the Frente Amplio (a coalition of left-wing parties). He served as Director of Culture for the municipality of Florida, a department near the capital, and hosted a program on local radio. In Uruguay’s most recent general elections, the left won, and Ayala was appointed Director of Public Radios, a position under the Ministry of Education and Culture and financially dependent on SECAN (Audiovisual Communication Service). One of his first measures was to restore the operation of stations CX6, CX26, CX38, and the FM channels. Their studios had been slated for relocation into metal containers in the parking lot of state-owned Channel 5 TV, a decision made by the previous administration under journalist and current legislator Gerardo Sotelo. Ayala reversed this decision, returning the stations to their original studios—purpose-built for broadcasting—located at Peatonal Sarandí and Misiones in Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja. While Radioactividades continues to be broadcast, Ayala had envisioned several ambitious projects: creating a Radio Museum using the collection of the late Antonio Tormo (currently divided between the National Museum of Anthropology and a private rented storage facility), and reactivating a shortwave signal, as had existed decades ago. Unfortunately, these plans were left unrealized. Public funds were redirected to benefit television, to the detriment of public radio. Horacio Nigro CX3BZ "La Galena del Sur" <http://lagalenadelsur.wordpress.com/> Montevideo Uruguay _ Hard-Core-DX mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html
