Tag Archives: Univision Radio

Hispanic Radio

‘Piolin’ Flies Back To Terrestrial Radio With AGM Deal

By Adam R Jacobson

LOS ANGELES — December 4, 2014 — Three months after disappearing from satellite radio broadcaster SiriusXM, the former king of Spanish-language AM and FM radio is heading back to terrestrial radio.

However, it’s not known if he’ll be heard in L.A. or in any major market soon.

 

Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo, who shot to fame at Univision Radio’s KSCA-FM 101.9 in Los Angeles before abruptly exiting the top-rated regional Mexican station amid sexual harassment allegations in July 2013, will now have his El Show de Piolin heard on two American General Media (AGM) stations: “Radio Lobo” KLVO-FM 97.7/KKIM-FM 94.7, serving the Albuquerque-Santa Fe DMA; and KEBT-FM “96.9 La Caliente” in Bakersfield, Calif. The new incarnation of El Show de Piolin will be heard on the stations in January.

It’s the start of a climb back to the top for Piolin, who joined SiriusXM in October 2013 as part of a major initiative to lure Hispanic subscribers. The addition of the one-time Arbitron ratings champ proved less than successful for SiriusXM, and the satcaster canceled El Show de Piolin just after Labor Day 2014.

Piolin’s much-heralded arrival at SiriusXM came amid claims he had sexually harrassed a male producer. At the same time, Piolin was forced to pay $100,000 in legal fees for former co-workers who a judge ruled had not extorted the host.

Piolin’s new show will be syndicated to AGM’s two stations, and it is not yet publicly known where the show will be based or who will be distributing the program.

 

 

Hispanic Radio

Back To The Future: ‘El Cucuy’ Returns Following Piolin’s Sudden Departure

MIAMI — (July 23, 2013) — Renan Almendarez Coello, best known to radio listeners across the U.S. and Northern Mexico as El Cucuy de la Mañana, has signed a syndication deal with Miami-based GLR Networks, owned by Spanish media giant Grupo Prisa.

The talk-intensive program, hosted by “The Bogeyman,” is being offered to Regional Mexican stations or stations in markets with a large population of immigrants of Mexican heritage.

El Cucuy de la Mañana will initially air as of July 23 on Tijuana-based “W Radio 690AM” — one of the biggest AM radio stations in North America, giving it coverage in the Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside-San Bernardino markets, in addition to parts of Oxnard-Ventura and Santa Barbara. Renan will helm the 5am-10am PT time slot. GLR plans on national syndication of the show within the following weeks, HispanicAd.com reports in today’s news update.

The timing of Renan’s deal with GLR couldn’t be better: El Cucuy was the top-rated morning host at SBS’s KLAX-FM 97.9 “La Raza” in Los Angeles and, before that, at KSCA-FM 101.9 in Los Angeles before the rise of former understudy Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo. As first reported late yesterday by HispanicAd.com, Sotelo’s morning radio program–based at KSCA– has been “canceled,” effective immediately.

Renan has seen little national attention on the radio dial since September 2008, when he departed KLAX to reportedly launch a new radio network. He has appeared on the Azteca America television network.

As “El Cucuy,” Renan first rose to fame in 1992 at Liberman Broadcasting’s KKHJ-AM 930 “Radio Alegria,” under then-VP of operations David Gleason. He joined KSCA in 1997 upon its switch from Adult Album Alternative music to regional Mexican following the station’s sale from the Autry family to Heftel. With Renan in morning drive, KSCA shot to No. 1 in several Arbitron ratings surveys. However, with Piolin’s budding talents gaining notice among station executives, Renan’s show in February 2003 shifted to afternoons. As a PM host, Renan continued to attract monster listenership.

One year into his shift to afternoons, however, Renan’s relationship soured with KSCA, now owned by Univision Radio. After walking off of his show in February 2004 in a failed effort to win over sizable salaries for his supporting cast, whose wages came directly out of Renan’s paycheck, Renan’s show was suspended without pay indefinitely. One month later, SBS announced that it had hired Renan for the morning shift at KLAX–a shift he’d keep until 2008. Most recently, Renan was a part-owner and morning host at Victor Camino’s KKNS-FM in Albuquerque.

 

— Adam R Jacobson

 

Hispanic Radio

Piolin Pulled From Univision Radio Stations, All Affiliates In Unexpected Move

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MIAMI — (July 22, 2013) — In a stunning move that shocked the Hispanic media and marketing industries, Piolin por la Mañana, the popular Univision Radio-syndicated morning show hosted by Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, has been “cancelled.”

The news, first reported this afternoon by HispanicAd.com, came as a surprise to affiliates as well as Univision-owned stations where the program aired. Adelante Media Group representatives note that they were “head-scratching” upon learning of Piolin’s departure. Adelante was told by Piolin’s syndicator that music programming will be offered to affiliates as of July 23 as a temporary replacement for the talk-and-entertainment-focused show.

Piolin had been based at Univision Radio’s regional Mexican KSCA-FM 101.9 in Los Angeles.

According to HispanicAd.com, radio stations were asked by Univision to pull all references and promos that include references to Piolin in any way from the airwaves.

Univision did not comment on the reason for the sudden cancellation of Sotelo’s program.

Sotelo, who is slated for induction this November into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago, is a native of the Mexican state of Jalisco. He had been the morning host for KSCA since February 2003, and in the Summer 2003 Arbitron ratings for Los Angeles made headlines for topping the market in the competitive morning drive time slot–including then-KLSX-FM/Los Angeles syndicated morning host Howard Stern. By October 2003, Univision Radio stations in  Sacramento, San Francisco, San José, Salinas, Monterrey, Santa Cruz, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston and Dallas added Piolin’s show via satellite.

In 2008 the NAB selected Piolin as Spanish Format Personality of the Year, a feat repeated in 2010. He is mainly known in non-Hispanic media for his interview with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, tackling such topics as immigration reform.

 

— Adam R Jacobson

 

Hispanic Radio

Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference: Full Coverage

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ADAM R JACOBSON, reporting from San Diego 

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS

‘CULTURE IS WHAT LINKS US TOGETHER’

And, says SBS CFO Joe Garcia, culture is what will make Spanish-language radiocontinue to maintain a sizeable audience in the U.S. Hispanic market. Garcia was joined by other group heads at the Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference’s concluding “Super Session,” with Davidson Media Group chairman Sanjay Sanghoee noting that Spanish-language radio stations the company owns and/or operates are likely to stay Spanish for years to come. Adelante Media Group CEO Jay Meyers believes that it will be at least 20 years before Hispanics start to tune out of Spanish-language radio in great numbers. Today, use of Spanish, or English, or a mix of both languages is highly dependent on how a company should best serve its particular market, says Entravision Communications radio division president Jeff Liberman. And if it is German Polkas that the Hispanic 18-49-year adult wants, that’s what they’ll get, says Univision Radio president José Valle.

‘IT’S TOUGHER THAN IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO’

Entravision’s Jeff Liberman says Hispanic radio needs to step up in unison and start fighting for its rightful share of the ad dollars. “We have to do a better job in sales and provide our advertisers reasons to buy us. Today, we have a more competitive marketplace. Research has gotten better. We need to unite, as an industry, and go after Corporate America. We can worry about competition later, but we need to hit Corporate America over the head … I’m going to do it whether I am joined or not.” Taking a similar tone, Adelante head Jay Meyers said he’s not one to go into an agency to talk about getting Hispanic advertising dollars. “I’m here to talk about how 100 percent of the dollars are going to reach 87 percent of the market … and that’s stupid! If we got 33 cents on the dollar for the percentage of the audience that is Hispanic, we wouldn’t be here [in San Diego] today. We’d be in Maui, paying our own way.”

DIGITAL COMPREHENSION VITAL TO LONGTERM INDUSTRY GROWTH

In opening comments on the second day of the Radio Ink Hispanic confab,Radio Ink publisher Eric Rhoads implored broadcasters to understand the impact online radio presents to them. “If you cannot understand these devices, you cannot protect your brand. You need to understand because it is changing the way people listen to the radio.” He discussed Tunein Radio (see Andres Cantor interview, above, for more) as a one-stop platform for radio and how manufacturers of audio systems desire one central delivery platform. “Ultimately, you need to be where your listeners are.”

‘CONTENT FLUIDITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT’

Tapestry Media Director Victor Garcia believes developing content that the media buyer can take wherever they want, free from the restrictions presented by working with one broadcast company over another, will best monetize beyond the AM/FM band and bring greater ROI. “To depend on one specific vehicle will leave us all shut,” he said. Speaking on a panel devoted to finding new accounts and fostering advertiser growth, Garcia noted that Starcom Mediavest’s Tapestry unit “wants to hold our multicultural plans to the same rigor as the general market.” He’s seen many situations where an investment occurs, but without a goal. His job – to stop such scenarios.

SESSION SOUNDBYTES

“The recording industry through downloads and digital content have taken it on the chin and are now trying to recoup by putting it on the backs of radiobroadcasters.” – Francisco Montero, co-managing partner of Fletcher, Heald and Hildreth, discussing the Performance Rights Act.

“When you sit around and look at some of the regulations broadcasters are forced to deal with, it’s just stupid. Having a public file was great stuff in the sixties, and the fifties, and the fourties. In 1977 people actually came in and looked at our public file. But today?” – Adelante Media Group CEO Jay Meyers, on how Federal government regulations need to better reflect today’s consumer environment.

“We need to think about creating environments and programs that get people engaged and stop offering one-way messages and treat them as users – and not as consumers.” – Sensis Agency president José Villa.

 

DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS

Action. Unity. Those were the two words Radio Ink publisher Eric Rhoads asked attendees of the Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference to write down and act upon. Kicking off the two-day confab yesterday, Rhoads advocated for industry unity. “This conference represents opportunity for the heart of the radio industry to make change.”

Still, the industry has come a long way since 1962, when honorary conference chair and industry icon Eduardo Caballero launched a Spanish-language radiostation in New York. Later, when he launched a national network advertising sales representation firm for Hispanic radio, there were still challenges – just 49 Spanish-language radio stations were on the air in the U.S., and agencies ignored him. This forced Caballero to go direct to the advertisers – something that gives Hispanic broadcasters an advantage today, capitalizing on the ability to sell to people without having a microfocus on CPM.

‘DON’T MISUNDERSTAND THE THREAT OF THE INTERNET’

In a moving acceptance speech of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement “Medallas de Cortez” award, Lotus Communications CEO Howard Kalmenson urged conference attendees to pay heed to the threat of in-vehicle internet access – something that will end radio‘s exclusivity while on the road. “Exclusivity in the car has been our life blood. Now, you’ve got competitors you’ve never dreamed of. They don’t need towers. They don’t need offices. Think over what’s really coming … and ask, ‘What do I do for the next 50 years?’” Going back to basics is one of Kalmenson’s suggestions; he refused to reveal the other ideas he has in mind. Receiving 2012 Medallas de Cortez as Station of the Year for Markets 1-25: Entravision’s Mexican Regional KDLD-FM 103.1 “El Gato” in Los Angeles. Taking the award for markets 25+ is Connoisseur Media’s KBBX-FM in Omaha. For a full list of award winners, visit http://www.radioink.com.

A POLITICAL STORY THAT MUST INCLUDE HISPANICS

Hispanic entrepreneur Charles Garcia, best-selling author of A Message from Garcia and Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows, told conference attendees in a keynote address that radio‘s key business trait is its ability to touch people’s hearts. He devoted much of his conversation to the importance of Latinos in the 2012 Race to the White House: Of the 15 “swing states” Republicans must capture, the majority have significant numbers of registered Hispanic voters. Given the lack of support among Latinos of the two leading Republican presidential nominees, Garcia believes it is nearly impossible for President Obama to lose the November election. For radio, bringing the political message of both the Republican nominee and Obama’s reelection campaign to Latinos is essential – and the industry should do its part to foster political advertising at its stations.

In a prerecorded statement, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) noted that radio plays a critical role, not just in this year’s elections, but moving forward with respect to connecting to a large segment of voters. Politicians should rely on Spanish-language to get the message out, and to continuously inform the public on information pertinent to them.

SESSION SOUNDBYTES

“We have to keep a particular eye on what is going on in digital. It is growing and it is working and at the end of the day it is about the right ROI.” – MEC Managing Director Gonzalo Del Fa

“To win the game, you have to know what the rules are to win that game.” – Programming consultant Bob Perry, who says a station with both English-language and Spanish-language programming is dependent on the unique dynamics of each individual market.

“In the PPM world we’re programming on a minute-by-minute basis.” – Haz Montana, Operations Manager, Univision Radio/Los Angeles, who believes growing the “big tent” has led to the end of Spanish-language radio shows known for “shock moments” designed to aid recall when completing an Arbitron diary.

For complete conference coverage, please visit http://www.radioink.com

Featured, Hispanic Radio

Arbitron Releases Hispanic Radio 2011; Principal Analysis from Jacobson

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The 2011 edition of Arbitron’s Hispanic Radio Today, a comprehensive research report offering an in-depth review of listening to Spanish-language and English-language radio stations by Latinos across the 50 states, is now available via a free download from the company’s website.

Adam R Jacobson served as the Principal Analyst for this report; he has worked with Arbitron on Hispanic Radio Today since 2010.

Hispanic Radio Today 2011 is accessible by clicking on this link: Arbitron.com. The report offers a detailed look at the radio listening habits and consumer insight among U.S. Hispanics, who now number 49.1 million people, or 16% of the U.S. population. This edition reviews 16 formats, including 10 Spanish-language choices and six English-language formats.

Audience data for Hispanic Radio Today 2011 are taken from the 102 Hispanic “Differential Survey Treatment (DST)” markets that have a significant Hispanic population.

The 10 Spanish-language formats covered in this edition are Mexican Regional, Spanish Adult Hits, Spanish Contemporary, Spanish News/Talk, Spanish Oldies, Spanish Religious, Spanish Sports, Spanish Tropical, Spanish Variety and Tejano.

Six English-language formats profiled in this report are general-market Adult Contemporary, Classic Hits, Country, News/Talk/Information, Pop Contemporary Hit Radio and Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio.

Readers can find an expanded examination of radio listening by Hispanic consumers across the U.S. for all 16 formats. Each profile includes the average quarter-hour share of the total Hispanic audience, its weekly reach in terms of total listeners, the number of stations programming those formats, the gender balance, segmentation of the audience composition by age and language preference for these formats, Time Spent Listening by demographic, education levels, income by household, ratings by daypart and by U.S. state and at-home versus away-from-home listening.

Hispanic Radio Today 2011 provides the details and analyses that reinforce the relevance and vital role radio plays in the lives of Hispanic Americans.

Questions and comments about Arbitron’s Hispanic Radio Today 2011 can be directed to ron.rodrigues@arbitron.com.

Hispanic Radio

AHAA2011: ‘Community Importance’ Can Yield Higher Arbitron Latino Participation

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By Adam R Jacobson

MIAMI BEACH (Oct. 12, 2011) —  The greater the likelihood of a perceived benefit to the community, the greater the chance a Latino will participate in an Arbitron survey.

That’s one of the key findings from Roslow Research Group president Peter Roslow, who worked with the radio ratings company to best explore how Arbitron can increase Latino diarykeeper participation in emerging Hispanic markets.

Spanish-language radio listeners were queried in three “new” Hispanic markets – Boise, Idaho; Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Fort Myers, Florida – along with a long-established Hispanic market, Tucson. First-generation Hispanics were of considerable focus, to best determine ways to attract Latinos that likely weren’t comfortable communicating in English.

Research was designed to bring in Spanish-dominant Latinos; Roslow learned that “non-traditional recruiters,” those who have community standing, helped in encouraging Latinos to participate in this study. Use of video and communication in English was eliminated. Once Roslow commenced its research, it found that many first-generation Hispanics asked if Arbitron was “a serious company,” and was not a scam. Many commented that surveys “are just not a Hispanic thing,” and that “they don’t have time for such things.”

Roslow also found that phone calls trump mail communication with Hispanic diary placement – a good thing for Arbitron. “This provides people with an opportunity to talk to a real person, and Arbitron can build trust with the Latino community through this in-person communication,” Roslow says.

Lastly, Roslow notes that the subject of immigration cannot help but negatively impact participation in Arbitron surveys in all markets – not just Tucson, where state legislation has placed a chilling effect on Hispanics, some of who may be undocumented.  “Elizabeth,” from Boise, noted that “immigration knows what zones or houses there are more Latinos and they come.”

Dr. Ed Cohen, Arbitron’s VP/Research Policy & Communications, reviewed some of the methods the ratings firm is acting upon based on Roslow’s research.

* Sending a pre-alert piece before the questionnaire is mailed is planned “in the near term.”

* Using a one-sheet to explain to Latinos that Arbitron is “a serious company.”

* As 38.4% of all Hispanics are cell-phone only, Cohen guesses that it is even higher among first-generation Latinos. Thus, first contact by law through U.S. Mail needs the more personable follow-up by phone.

In markets such as Boise, there is no language weighting. However, Cohen believes the cell-phone sampling for diary placement is doing the best job against a rapidly changing Latino population that data hasn’t caught up to yet.

Are diaries heading to more tech-friendly delivery vehicles, such as digital accessibility via smartphones? Asked by an attendee at the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) conference session in Miami Beach,  Cohen explained that the need to make first contact via U.S. Mail at present hinders such efforts – for now.

“It is something we’re working on,” Cohen says.

For more coverage from the AHAA 2011 Annual Conference, visit www.hispanicad.com or follow #AHAA2011 on Twitter.

Hispanic Radio

Hispanic Radio Today 2010 Released By Arbitron, With Analysis From Adam R Jacobson

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More than ever Latinos across the U.S. can access audio programming via an ever-widening array of delivery vehicles. Yet as Arbitron points out in its recently released 2010 edition of Hispanic Radio Today, “radio’s reach among both English-dominant and Spanish-dominant listeners continues to land between 94 percent and 96 percent — a constant since Hispanic Radio Today’s first study back in the 1990s.”

The report, with principal analysis from The Adam R Jacobson Editorial Services & Research Consultancy, also shows that radio reached Hispanic men and women equally strong – the medium attracts 97 percent of Hispanic men aged 45-54 and 96 percent of women aged 25-44.

Radio was also a “weekend warrior” with Hispanic men and women, Arbitron research concludes, attracting an average 81 percent of adults 18-44 — higher than any weekday time period.

For marketers and advertisers seeking to attract Latino consumers via AM and FM stations broadcasting in both English and Spanish, key takeaways from Hispanic Radio Today include the following:

• Regional Mexican continues to lure the largest audience of Hispanic listeners. The format attracted more than double the audience of Spanish Contemporary, the No. 2-ranked format.
• Regional Mexican’s strength is with Hispanic men, many of whom are English-dominant teens and young adults who enjoyed the format as much as Spanish-dominant adults 35-44.
• Four English-language radio formats — Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Classic Hits and Country (thanks to its strength in Texas) —experienced gains in average quarter-hour share with Latinos between fall 2008 and spring 2010, the ratings period measured in Hispanic Radio Today.
• Spanish-dominant listeners – especially younger ones – like English-language formats. Teens gravitate toward Top 40 and rhythmic, urban blends found on “Rhythmic CHR” stations, like Power 96 in Miami and The Beat in San Antonio.
• Adult Contemporary is the top format for Spanish-dominant adults 35-44.
• Classic Hits is the most popular format among Spanish-dominant adults 45-54.
• For Spanish-language formats, Regional Mexican was the second-ranked format among English-dominant adults 18-24. Tropical, featuring salsa and bachata music, was the No. 2 format with English-dominant adults 35-44.

To download the 2010 edition of Hispanic Radio Today from Arbitron, click on the link.