CARACAS—Despite the fact that on May 27 at 11:59 pm all the tv screens faded to black on channel 02 when Radio Caracas Televisión stopped transmiting nationally, RCTV is still finding ways to reach the Venezuelan people. This past Wednesday artists from RCTV performed live at the Alfredo Sadel Plaza on the city of Caracas.
Early in the afternoon, the fans of the channel, artists and students gathered at the Plaza to watch one of the most viewed programs of the channel, "Radio Rochela," which is the most famous comedy show in the history of Venezuela. All of the cast presented what would have been the programing for May 28, if the channel had not been closed.
RCTV broadcast for 53 years in Venezuela and was much loved. According to the Nielsen ratings, at the time that Hugo Chavez refused to renew the station's license, it had a 44 percent share of the Venezuelan market.
On Wednesday afternoon, those years of entertainment were remembered. Amid laughter and tears some artists gave speeches and autographs, they hosted the event and shared with children, housewives, students, workers, and the elderly.
On Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Bolívar Plaza of Chacao, RCTV cast performed chapters of their recent soap operas.
These performances are part of several efforts by RCTV to stay alive in Venezuela. According to Fox News reporter Adam Housley, after the shutdown RCTV began offering its programs through You Tube. Also, a station in Columbia, which borders Venezuela to the west, began offering RCTV's programming late at night, reaching an estimated one million viewers.
However, according to Housley, on June 5 Chavez confiscated the equipment that RCTV needed to keep its broadcasts going.
Feeds