Innholdsfortegnelse for June 9, 2025 i Radio Ink Magazine

As I look back on the journey of the Hispanic Radio Conference, I am filled with both pride and gratitude. When we launched that very first conference in 2007, our goal was clear: to create a space where the voices of Hispanic radio could come together, collaborate, and chart a course for the future. Sixteen years later, that mission feels more vital than ever. Over the years, we’ve tackled everything from immigration to digital transformation, always with an eye toward serving listeners and strengthening the industry. The growth has been nothing short of remarkable. When this conference began, there were far fewer stations programming in Spanish or targeting Latino audiences. Today, there are about 1,200 such stations across the country — a testament to both the expanding Hispanic population and…

For years, Google’s algorithms determined how people found content online. However, this is shifting rapidly: AI-driven search tools are transforming content discovery. These tools don’t just list links -they analyze and summarize information, reshaping how users interact with search results. What's Changing in Search? Traditional SEO focused on keywords, backlinks, and technical adjustments to enhance rankings. AI-powered search flips this approach on its head. Instead of directing users to external sites, tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity draw from online sources to generate answers. Visibility relies less on manipulating algorithms and more on demonstrating that your content is trustworthy. If an AI tool doesn’t reference your work, you might as well not exist. Why Does AI Trust Matter? Credibility is now the most valuable asset. AI tools favor authoritative, well-organized content…

Get updates on radio community events at RadioInk.com! In response to a recent, devastating tornado that hit the St. Louis area, Roberts Companies’ Foxy 106.9 transformed its damaged station property into the central command center for tornado recovery, coordinating law enforcement and disaster relief, and hosting the mayor’s press conferences as a vital hub for the city’s response. McKibbin Media Group’s fifth annual K105.3 Charity Radiothon raised over $13,900, with proceeds allocated to the Jackson YMCA and the Jamie McKibbin Memorial Scholarship Fund. Listener and client donations throughout the day inspired a series of entertaining on-air dares for personalities across the group’s three stations.…

Throughout the United States, Hispanic radio stations provide news, information, entertainment, and connection to countless individuals and their communities. For the past 16 years, Radio Ink has recognized Hispanic radio’s leading marketers, sales professionals, managers, on-air talent, programmers, and owners with the prestigious Medallas de Cortez Awards, named in honor of Raoul Cortez, founder of KCOR-AM/San Antonio, the nation’s first Hispanic-owned Spanish-language radio station. Each year, we invite our finalists to share their perspectives on the current challenges and opportunities facing Hispanic radio. Their thoughtful responses, featured in the following pages, offer keen insight into this critical segment of the radio industry, as well as the demographic that it serves. Radio Ink is proud to present the 2025 Medallas de Cortez finalists. Marketer of the Year How has the increased…

Magical Thinking is often misunderstood. Jason Segel plays a psychologist in the Apple + TV show Shrinking. He is talking to a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder. He looks at her. “This again?” She is holding her breath. He says, “You looked at the clock and now you have to hold your breath until the minute changes?” Still holding her breath, she nods her head. He says, “Look, I know you feel like this compulsion is gonna help keep bad things from happening, but that’s called magical thinking.” Medical News Today says, “Magical thinking means that a person believes their thoughts, feelings, or rituals can influence events in the material world, either intentionally or unintentionally.” But the summary of that article notes, “This type of thinking does not always cause harm.…

Radio Ink: What is the advantage of having the option of AI-assisted spot creation, particularly for midsized or small stations with limited resources? Coskun: The short answer is “cost.” Because no one understanding the power of radio and the power of creative would choose automated technology over humanity if cost was not a factor. If you have a supertalented creative team and you have the option to replace that team with AI, and they’re both the same cost, you are going to stick with the human option. So, when radio is as intoxicated as it is right now with AI, it is primarily driven by cost first. Convenience, second. When the AI dust settles, I am confident the majority of our industry will be utilizing it in the creative process…

For more than four decades, Alex López Negrete, co-founder and CEO of Lopez Negrete Communications, has been a driving force in multicultural marketing. He is also a passionate advocate for the power of radio. From his days as a sales rep for McGavren Guild Radio to serving as an on-air commentator for the Houston Rockets (while simultaneously running his own agency), López Negrete has long had a strong connection to local radio. In recognition of his contributions to Hispanic radio, Radio Ink will honor Alex López Negrete with the Medallas de Cortez Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Hispanic Radio Conference. We were also able to speak with him about his career in radio and advertising, while also touching on themes of culture, community, and the importance of forging true…

XEPRS in Tijuana has a long and wild history, including a stretch in the early ’70s when Wolfman Jack (Robert Smith) was running the station as border-blasting XERB, “The Mighty 1090.” The Wolfman was eventually squeezed out by ownership, and the station, with a change of calls, became “Soul Express,” and then Spanish-language “Radio Express” (the era this ad dates from). After various splits of Spanish and English-language programming, XEPRS became home to various sports formats, and even spent some years as the flagship for the San Diego Padres. These days the sports outlet is known as “The Mightier 1090.” GOT A GREAT RADIO PHOTO? Send it to lpetersen@streamlinepublishing.com, and you may see it on this page!…

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What are your hobbies? Music is my number one hobby. I have been playing guitar since the fourth grade, have had bands, recorded, and performed. I was quite serious about it, but it became clear that it was just a hobby, particularly as Cathy and I set out to open our own agency. I am fortunate enough to have been able to weave my hobby into my work, having performed assorted guitar parts in some of our jingles and custom music. Who is/was your role model, and why? I don’t have one role model, honestly. I have several. I’m blessed this way. For fatherhood, I have to mention José Adán Treviño, the founder of Pueblo Broadcasting (KXLN-TV Channel 45), who became like a second father to me. He called me…