The Victor Martinez-led VP Broadcasting has launched a second Spanish-language audio brand targeting Hispanics in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley — a move the company says is part of an expanded commitment to serving the growing Latino community in the region.
W293BW at 106.5 MHz in Allentown, fed by a digital subchannel associated with WAEB-FM, has debuted as “La Kalle 106.5.”
The station’s programming, the company shared, will feature “programming with a strong Dominican focus, including popular radio shows and entertainment originating in the Dominican Republic and broadcast for listeners across the Lehigh Valley.”
This suggests that “La Kalle,” while taking a local focus, will be piping in its shows from outside the U.S. ” The station will offer music, news, culture, community information, and programming designed to reflect the interests and experiences of Latino listeners, with special attention to the region’s Dominican community,” VP Broadcasting added.
W293BW will complement WTKZ-AM 1320 & W269DY in Allentown, branded as “Mega 101.7,” and co-owned properties in the Reading, Pa., and Philadelphia markets.
According to recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates and American Community Survey data shared by the company, Hispanic residents comprise roughly 56% of Allentown’s population, 30% of Bethlehem’s population, and 27% of Easton’s population. “Together, these communities are home to more than 100,000 Latino residents, making Spanish-language media an important source of information, connection, and cultural representation,” VP Broadcasting noted.
For Martinez, “Launching La Kalle 106.5 is an important milestone for VP Broadcasting and for the Latino community in the Lehigh Valley. We want to create a station that feels familiar, relevant, and connected to the people we serve—especially our Dominican listeners. La Kalle will bring the energy, music, voices, and programming that our community enjoys from the Dominican Republic, while Mega 101.7 will continue its successful tradition of serving the broader Latino community. We are proud of what Mega has accomplished over nearly 10 years, and we are excited to build on that success with La Kalle.”
