After driving blindly through the streets with a taxi driver who claimed he didn’t know where Radio Centro is, we stumbled onto its huge sign sticking out of a four-story building. Elsa and I proceeded to the third floor, where the main offices are, however, the secretary told us that the director, Luis Gamboa, was out. As we debated whether or not to stick around, Luis walked in and lit up as soon as he heard that I was visiting from Washington. He ushered us into his huge office ordained with numerous plaques, statues, pennants and certificates. “So you wrote to us before but never got a reply?” He asked me as the three of us sat on his leather sofas.  

“No,” I told him. “I got a letter from you almost ten years ago!”  The feeling was odd for me at first to be chatting casually with someone who for so long had simply been a "verification signer" - a signature at the bottom of my Radio Centro verification letter.  How easily we forget that real people open reception reports and reply to our mail. 

We made small talk for a few minutes, discussing Washington, Ecuadorian food and politics, and the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament, and then he proceeded to explain the station’s history.  

Radio Centro has been on MW for 37 years, where it is now active on 1130 kHz. Its SW outlet began in 1987 and has sat on 3290 kHz ever since, broadcasting from 2300 to 1200 GMT. Luis Gamboa responds to the “mountain” of reports that are received each week with a verification letter and whatever else may be lying around. Sadly, the station no longer has pennants available, however, lapel pins and stickers have recently been made.  He told me that the foreign mail brings pride to the station, especially since it's a good marketing tool: evidence for potential advertisers that their paid ads on Radio Centro can be heard worlwide. 

While touring the station’s facilities, I was asked to take a minute to record a promotional announcement for their SW service in their production studio. After all, I did come to Ambato just to see this station! I was then brought around to the FM outlet, Bonita FM on 93.7 MHz, which is the flagship station of a larger FM network with its name.  

Radio Centro's SW service shares its comfortable studio with the MW outlet. Although foam is usually used as sound insulation, they use thick wood – giving the facilities a nice ambience. Announcers sit in a corporate-like conference room while on the air, separated from the producer by a window. All of the station’s equipment (processors, compressors, and 8-channel mixer) is mounted on a desk and on the wall, giving more of an appearance of a recording studio than a radio station.  

Elsa and I went back to the managements office to thank Luis for his staff’s hospitality, and he immediately offered to take us up to the roof and see a view of the city. We headed up the stairs to the top floor, passing by a greenhouse, and were promptly met by Radio Centro’s guard dog Michael. The roof offered a nice view of the city with all its hills and churches, seen through satellite dishes and the studio-transmitter VHF antenna. I took a few pictures and then thanked Luis again since Elsa and I needed to get to Riobamba before sunset.  Of course, Elsa also needed her Castillian food before we jumped on another bus.