Salem Media Group, a media company that owns dozens of conservative and Christian radio stations and publications, announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to buy Miami radio stations WWFE La Poderosa 670 AM and WRHC Cadena Azul 1550 AM.
The deal, which includes the stations’ FM affiliates, marks the latest change in Miami’s Spanish-language talk radio landscape, with La Poderosa, a longtime voice of Cuban exiles in Miami, the latest to change hands.
Salem Media Group explained in a Press release announcing the deal that it intends to continue broadcasting the stations in Spanish.
An executive was quoted in the ad as saying “leading Spanish-speaking freedom voices” will be added to the lineup, but a spokesperson for La Poderosa said that in a meeting between Salem Media Group and the station, La Poderosa representatives were informed that there were no plans to add new shows or new hosts to the station.
“They don’t intend to change anything,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said La Poderosa staff were informed of the purchase the day before it was announced. “Nobody knew until yesterday,” the spokesperson told the Herald.
Salem Media Group reaches more than 11 million radio listeners, owns more than 100 radio stations and with more than 3,100 network-affiliated stations, according to the press release. Salem’s lineup includes conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk, Brandon Tatum, Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher and others. Salem Media Group also owns news and opinion websites Townhall.com and Redstate.com.
The deal was announced about a month after the death of the president of La Poderosa and Cadena Azul, Jorge Rodríguez Sr., which acquired La Poderosa in 1993. He was supportive of the deal with Salem, according to a statement released by his widow, La Poderosa vice president Ana María Vidal Rodríguez.
The deal also comes as Miami’s Spanish-language talk radio landscape has changed. Late last month, Audacy announced that it had reached an agreement to air Radio Libre from Spanish-language conservative media startup Americano Media on WAXY-790 AM. TelevisaUnivision also recently announced that it is selling Radio Mambian institution of Miami’s conservative exiled Cuban community, to a new media group with ties to National Democrats and funding connected to progressive mega-donor George Soros.
“At a time when the voices of freedom in Spanish-language programming are under threat, it is our duty to step up and serve South Florida audiences,” said Salem Media Executive Chairman Edward Atsinger. , in the press release.
Just as conservatives are wary of selling Mambi, some are wary of Salem’s entry into Miami’s Spanish-language media market. Eduardo Gamarra, a professor of politics and international relations at Florida International University, expressed concern that Salem “is tied to the Christian right…so the station will probably have this very strong ideological message.”
“What’s happening here is that the conservatives want to make sure they keep control of conservative radio stations,” he said.
Salem Media Group did not make a representative available to comment on the purchase of La Poderosa and Cadena Azul.
The purchase has been filed with the FCC and both parties expect the deal to close in early 2023.
