Miami/Fort Lauderdale A failed experiment: WAQI Radio Mambí

[davideduardo]

If they're as successful as you say, they're likely no longer a potential audience for AM Spanish language talk radio.

Actually, they are. Very intensely. There is a considerable difference of culture and the way people follow news in Latin America.

 

[davideduardo]

I have enjoyed this discussion very much and learned some things. A question for David, who seems to be very knowledgeable on these subjects: Do the people fleeing these oppressive regimes care one way or the other whether they are fleeing rightwing oppression or leftwing oppression"? Seems to me they are just fleeing oppression that has made their lives miserable.

There are no repressive conservative regimes or governments in Spanish speaking Latin America.

People who flee the repressive socialist regimes do so mostly out of fear of violence. Situations of violence exist in extreme in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Nicaragua, and are only coming under some control in Ecuador under the new president. Bolivia looks like 20 years of terrible conflict and a ruined economy may be near an end.

 

[TheBigA]

Actually, they are. Very intensely. There is a considerable difference of culture and the way people follow news in Latin America.

But you have said there is no history of following news on AM radio in their countries. Why would that change when they move here?

Especially given the number of options available here now.

 

[bigdonho]

There are no repressive conservative regimes or governments in Spanish speaking Latin America.

People who flee the repressive socialist regimes do so mostly out of fear of violence. Situations of violence exist in extreme in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Nicaragua, and are only coming under some control in Ecuador under the new president. Bolivia looks like 20 years of terrible conflict and a ruined economy may be near an end

You mean all of these years of hearing about journalists going to prison in Cuba and Venezuela, the same with dissidents and other protesters, are fake news and they are not from repressive regimes?

 

[exbloguero]

The company was almost entirely inexperienced and bought WAQI along with a chunk of radio flotsam TelevisaUnivision didn't want. I'm surprised people are surprised over this.

Exactly, the deal went to Televisa-Univision. The same thing happened with W Radio in Mexico City, after Televisa sold its stake in the radio group.

 

[exbloguero]

Why didn't Univision keep Mambi? If there was money there, they could have kept it.

For years, Televisa hasn't been interested in the radio industry. Its shares were sold to the Spanish group PRISA in some Latin American regions. It's curious because the Azcárraga family's entire legacy came from radio, just as another part of the family maintains a talk radio network as a formula. But that's another topic. What happened is that Televisa wasn't interested in radio and replicated the actions it took in Mexico and other countries.

 

[exbloguero]

This wasn't a story then, and it's not a story now. You told us then that Hispanics don't listen to AM radio. The idea of buying a bunch of dead AMs was a waste because Hispanics don't listen. So now, three years later, we find out it's true. Why is this news?

Not even 25 years ago, I listened to AM talk radio. This is the case of Radio Unica and its extensive network in the early 2000s. It didn't work; hundreds and hundreds of AM stations in a network across the US.

I loved the jingles from that station.

 

[TheBigA]

What happened is that Televisa wasn't interested in radio and replicated the actions it took in Mexico and other countries.

And yet they kept most of their highly rated FMs. They own 44 radio stations in 14 major markets including Miami.