Why are SBS's stations in Florida the way it is?

[archiespanglo]

I've noticed that SBS's stations in Miami have very unique names and radio formats that are not found anywhere else in the rest of SBS's stations throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. Music formats such as "cubaton" and "El Zol" doesn't exist anywhere else.

Conversely, asides from the Mega TV affiliate, there are no other formats from SBS's stations outside of Florida that exist there. The last such attempt was "La Raza" which I thought it was cool that a radio format from California was copied to the Miami area. Can anyone explain why is that the case?

 

[davideduardo]

I've noticed that SBS's stations in Miami have very unique names and radio formats that are not found anywhere else in the rest of SBS's stations throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. Music formats such as "cubaton" and "El Zol" doesn't exist anywhere else.

Conversely, asides from the Mega TV affiliate, there are no other formats from SBS's stations outside of Florida that exist there. The last such attempt was "La Raza" which I thought it was cool that a radio format from California was copied to the Miami area. Can anyone explain why is that the case?

Miami, in the sales demos of 18.49 and 25-54 is about half Cuban and Cuban-American and half everything else, mostly Nicaraguan, Colombian and Venezuelan but with some Puerto Ricans, Ecuadorians and a Mexican cluster in South Dade. So SBS programs to the bigger groups. Miami has another big difference: almost all the immigrant population comes from middle, professional and upper class people who came due to political issues in their countries and that affects their tastes in radio programming.

In Orlando and Tampa, the Spanish dominant population is almost entirely Puerto Rican. They focus on that, using even talent from San Juan on the station there.

In New York, over half the Nielsen sample is Dominican, so the music and talent is focused mostly on them.

LA, Houston, Chicago and SF are almost entirely Mexican. That is the focus of the stations there.

 

[radiofan2023]

Miami, in the sales demos of 18.49 and 25-54 is about half Cuban and Cuban-American and half everything else, mostly Nicaraguan, Colombian and Venezuelan but with some Puerto Ricans, Ecuadorians and a Mexican cluster in South Dade.

What about Haitians?

 

[CTListener]

What about Haitians?

Largely catered to by pirates.

 

[radiofan2023]

Largely catered to by pirates.

Those stations play a lot of rum and bass!

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Largely catered to by pirates.

There are several stations form WEst Palm to Miami which are licensed that cater to them, and i think at least one LPFM (i think on that later part)

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

I've noticed that SBS's stations in Miami have very unique names and radio formats that are not found anywhere else in the rest of SBS's stations throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. Music formats such as "cubaton" and "El Zol" doesn't exist anywhere else.

Conversely, asides from the Mega TV affiliate, there are no other formats from SBS's stations outside of Florida that exist there. The last such attempt was "La Raza" which I thought it was cool that a radio format from California was copied to the Miami area. Can anyone explain why is that the case?

Its not just Miami, say all of Florida too, as El Zol is also in Tampa and Orlando as well, so this is more of a Florida thing than anything else.

 

[101.9 La Kalle]

I've noticed that SBS's stations in Miami have very unique names and radio formats that are not found anywhere else in the rest of SBS's stations throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. Music formats such as "cubaton" and "El Zol" doesn't exist anywhere else.

Miami is pretty much the only market where Cubatón could work. I believe in the 2000s, El Zol (when it was mainly Bachata, Merengue and Reggaetón) was supposed to be cloned on WRXD 96.5 over on the Isla del Encanto, (Puerto Rico) but the existence of religious station WSOL quickly blocked that possibility and they instead went with the name “Ritmo.”

Conversely, asides from the Mega TV affiliate, there are no other formats from SBS's stations outside of Florida that exist there. The last such attempt was "La Raza" which I thought it was cool that a radio format from California was copied to the Miami area. Can anyone explain why is that the case?

Originally, WCMQ and WSKQ shared the La Mega branding. Also, WCMQ currently shares its branding with WZNT in Puerto Rico, but other than that and being mainly focused on Salsa, bears no other resemblance to La Zeta 93.

I'm genuinely not sure if any of the formats that SBS has in Miami (unlike the New York, Los Ángeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Puerto Rico and now Houston brands) can be SUCCESSFULLY exported to any other market. Miami is unique in it's own right compared to the other current SBS markets.

 

[davideduardo]

What about Haitians?

Haitians speak Kreyol, not Spanish. There is no cross-over culturally or linguistically.

 

[davideduardo]

Its not just Miami, say all of Florida too, as El Zol is also in Tampa and Orlando as well, so this is more of a Florida thing than anything else.

But the Tampa and Orlando "Zol" stations are aimed at Puerto Ricans, while the one in Miami is more generically aimed at anyone from anywhere around the Caribbean Basin who speaks Spanish, but not Puerto Ricans specifically (as that community is small in Miami).

Remember, station names in Spanish are not format specific. There is a Mega in Argentina that is pure Argentine rock, one in Caracas that was mostly English language rock, one in New York that is merengue and bachata... and so on.

Some names, like "Ke Buena" are specific to a format due to the word usage. But most are very generic.

 

[CTListener]

Haitians speak Kreyol, not Spanish. There is no cross-over culturally or linguistically.

More educated Haitians speak French, don't they? Or is Kreyol spoken by all?

It's amazing that two completely different cultures coexist on the same relatively small island. Not just linguistic. Baseball is an obsession in the DR, but Haitians don't play it at all.

 

[davideduardo]

More educated Haitians speak French, don't they? Or is Kreyol spoken by all?

French is one of the two official languages, but the "working class" uses Kreyol almost exclusively. Most migrants from Haiti are not of the upper income groups. This is why, all ove Southeast Floriday you will see signs for things like emergency exits and safety warnings in English, Spanish and Kreyol. Not French

It's amazing that two completely different cultures coexist on the same relatively small island. Not just linguistic. Baseball is an obsession in the DR, but Haitians don't play it at all.

Heck, do a search for an island in the Caribbean where Dutch is spoken on one side and French on the other.



"The island divided between the Netherlands and France is Saint Martin (also known as St. Maarten or St. Martin). It's a unique dual-nation island in the Caribbean, with the Dutch side being called St. Maarten (or Sint Maarten) and the French side being called St. Martin. This division has created a vibrant blend of cultures and a distinct identity for the island."

 

[Identnut]

Miami is pretty much the only market where Cubatón could work. I believe in the 2000s, El Zol (when it was mainly Bachata, Merengue and Reggaetón) was supposed to be cloned on WRXD 96.5 over on the Isla del Encanto, (Puerto Rico) but the existence of religious station WSOL quickly blocked that possibility and they instead went with the name “Ritmo.”

Originally, WCMQ and WSKQ shared the La Mega branding. Also, WCMQ currently shares its branding with WZNT in Puerto Rico, but other than that and being mainly focused on Salsa, bears no other resemblance to La Zeta 93.

I'm genuinely not sure if any of the formats that SBS has in Miami (unlike the New York, Los Ángeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Puerto Rico and now Houston brands) can be SUCCESSFULLY exported to any other market. Miami is unique in it's own right compared to the other current SBS markets.

Central Florida went with "El Zol" likely because "La Mega" was taken by iHeart in Orlando and WTIS in Tamoa.