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The producer of Kontakto, Chacho de Castro, made a promise in late 1981 to his then, 3 very young children of his first marriage, Scorpio, Fausto and Marco-J, that he would do his best to ensure that a Chimpanzee they saw in the local zoo in Curaçao, hidden from the public in a cage three times the size of the chimp, would get better living conditions. What started out as a promise to be kept to his children ended up being the first edition of "Kontakto" in 1982.
The investigations carried out by Chacho to relocate the chimp to a better facility or a natural habitat, brought out so many negative facts about the Curaçao Board of Animal Care, that Chacho asked for the resignation of the board.
The board resigned and Chacho intalled a new board on the same day that consisted of real animal lovers.
"Jaco" the chimp not much after this was trenfered to a natural Habitat in the Moco Zoo Ranch in Aruba.
The first step was crucial to the further success of the program, but the following monthly programs did not only prove the right of existence of the program but also exeeded Chacho's own expectancies.
The years that followed had greater, and more shocking impact on the community.
The Cuban Coffee Caper in 1984.
Two Antillian businessmen who were doing business with Cuba were imprisoned by the Cuban Authorities, accused and found guilty in Cuban Courts of selling Ghost Coffee to the Cubans for $8 Million. The editions of "Kontakto" reported investigations done in the Netherlands Antilles and cuba by the produand recordings cer and gave the program a high status and merited an award by Telecuracao as best produced TV Program of that year (1984). The 'Divi-divi Award'.
The list of programs in the beginning that caught the eye of the Antilllian community quickly grew to contain subjects like:
Freedom of the press 1983
Death and Euthanasia 1984
In later years the rate of success grew even more to include programs like:
"Drug Adiction, "House of the Devil" The first ever investigative report on TV on the extremities of drug addiction in the Antillean community.
The Beginning or the end of Desesperation?:
Life within the Prison walls.
The first ever investigative report on TV on the life within the main prison of The Antilles at Koral Specht.
"Throw-away People"
The sub-human drug addicted life of people living on the main garbage dump site of Curaçao.
"The face of Aids" the first aids human face ( a patient) on the screens of the Antilles Television. Gerald Weigle since died, but through the intervention of viewers of the program "Kontakto", his deathwish was realized. His youngest son who was at the time living in Holland with his mother got to visit and see his dying father (The father had no finanses).
"Kontakto" soon became a National TV-program with the first follow-up live radio program of two hours. It was broadcasted throughout the Netherlands Antilles.
"Kontakto" continued to capture the attention of the Antillean Community with subjects like:
The truth about Religion, "The concept of "God"
This subject, one of the producers favorite caught the total attention of the viewers, it generated much feedback and was cause for the program to be prolonged to a series.
"Crime, The end of Hope?
This series of programs revealed the true nature of the underworld. Unveiling the mask of the enemy. Vandalism toward our school buildings, robbery and assaults on our homes and businesses and on our citizens.
The series presented for the first time ever on Antillian Television an encounter with the criminals on the street and their way of life.
"Sexuality".
A couple of series on this subject over the years included Teenage Pregnancy, Prostitution, and Homosexuality lessons in school.
This last series of "Kontakto" was done after the serious declaration of a class of students accusing their Homosecual, sexual education teacher of promoting Homosexuality in their class. As a result of the program the subject got a lot of attention of the media, schoolboards and general public.
Teenage pregnancy and Child Abuse
In this next subject Chacho presented a confrontation between himself and a parent (Father), who wanted $1500.= for his statements his suexcual abuse of his step-daughter, whom he abused since she was 9 up to the age of 15.
Politics, Tourism, Economics and Finances, Youth, Education, Antillian Television were not left out during the years of "Kontakto".
Poverty: The outcry for help.
This series of "Kontakto" consisted of 4 programs that really showed the hidden truth about the welfare of the people.
These programs not just on their own but with the reaction and outburst of emotions by the viewers brought help to a great number of families that had no other way of getting this help. Not withstanding a law that mandates that children between the ages of 6 and 16 be in school, the number of children at home proved to be immense. According the secretary in charge of education the amount exceeded 500 in 1999.
This mirror, put in front of the community by the producer got attention from the Island and Central Government, the social institutes and the public in general that poured out help for the children and their family.
This series also showed the cry of the elderly for help.
"Elders in distress"
This series brought the plight of the elders without care to the attention of the leaders of the Land.
The real situation of the elderly in our community. Again the heart of the people was seen in the help offered through these series to the elders presented in these programs. A very successful series of "Kontakto".
Being the International year of elders, these programs really brought attention to this sector of our community. As a result de Castro was contacted by the local chapter of U.N. Commision 1999 that was installed to propagate the year as the year of the elder and a subsequent last edition was produced adreesing Government policy.