Radio Quito - The City in the Middle of the World

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In 1949, many neighborhoods in Ecuador didn't have running water or electricity. Families gathered around radios to listen to radio dramas and musical groups. Radio Quito's artistic director Leonardo Paez adapted the War of the Worlds script for his station after hearing it on New York TV. Lizzette spoke with some people who were very young at that moment.

On a Saturday night, in February 1949, the music programming on one of the most popular radio stations in Quito, Ecuador, was interrupted with an urgent news bulletin: strange objects in the sky that looked like large disks with bright lights were using a powerful ray to destroy a nearby city. And they were heading right for Quito.

Thanks to Lisette Arévalo for sharing her tape and her reporting. In 2020, she reported this story for the Spanish-language podcast Radio Ambulante – it’s called “The Extraterrestrials.” You can listen at https://radioambulante.org/en/audio-en/the-extraterrestrials.

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