SPANISH RADIO SIZZLING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

This morning's lead story in the Tampa Tribune took a close look at Spanish language radio in Tampa Bay. While the Tribune focused on the Tampa-based stations, there are eight based throughout the region:

WRMD - 680 - Tropical (St. Petersburg)
WLCC - 760 - Regional Mexican (Brandon)
WMGG - 820 - Tropical (Largo)
WIPC - 1280 - (Lake Wales)
WQBN - 1300 - Tropical (Temple Terrace)
WAUC - 1310 - (Wauchula)
WSDO - 1400 - (Sanford)
WBAR - 1460 - Regional Mexican (Bartow)
WAMA - 1550 - AC/Romantica (Tampa)

In addition, Orlando has six Spanish-language stations:

WONQ - 1030 - AC/Romantica (Casselberry)
WOTS - 1220 - (Kissimmee)
WRLZ - 1270 - Religious (Eatonville)
WPRD - 1440 - (Winter Park)
WLAA - 1600 - (Winter Garden)
WWKQ - 89.1 - Religious/Contemporary Christian (Kissimmee)
WEBG - 100.3 - Rumba

While the Hispanic audience has grown significantly over the past decade, Tampa Bay still does not have an FM station that caters to that population. And in Orlando, WEBG "Rumba 100" only recently changed formats to become the first Spanish language commercial station in the region.

Advertisers are reluctant to do business with "ethnic" AM stations for a variety of reasons: Low power and limited signal are primary, but many buyers believe that Spanish radio is often too narrowly aimed. Salsa, various regional Mexican, Romantica, Ranchero.

It's really surprising that someone hasn't taken the lead here and flipped a station to serve this growing population. The Tribune story suggests that it will be about five years before that happens. Five years is too long. That needs to happen now, and a station owner who doesn't take the advantage is making a serious mistake.