Spanish Broadcasting System
Encyclopedia
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (NASDAQ
: SBSA) is one of the largest owners and operators of radio station
s in the United States
. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through its media products.
SBS owns the internet portal LaMusica.com. It also acquired WSBS-TV
in Miami, Florida
and WSJU-TV
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
, known as MEGA TV
.
SBS targets the U.S. Hispanic audience in six geographic regions: greater Los Angeles
, greater New York
, Puerto Rico
, greater Chicago, greater Miami, and greater San Francisco.
SBS generated sales of about $20 million in its first year, confirming the influence of the growing Spanish-speaking audience. Raúl Alarcón, Jr. became President of SBS and a director in October 1985. In 1998 SBS purchased its first FM station, regional Mexican KLAX 97.9 FM in Los Angeles. The company went public in the fall of 199l, raising $435.8 million by selling 21.8 million shares at $20 per share. SBS bought its third station, New York's WSKQ-FM
, in 1989 and reformatted it as Mega 97.9, La Mega, surpassing the market's longtime leader, the light rock station WLTW-FM, by 1998. A major turning point for Spanish radio occurred that year when media researchers at Arbitron
rated La Mega's morning show number one over that of the radio personality Howard Stern
.
In 2002 the company created SBS Entertainment, a concert production arm. It also diversified by purchasing 80 percent of JuJu Media, the operator of the Spanish-English Web site LaMusica.com, which offered Latin music, entertainment, news, and culture. Later that year, at the insistence of Alarcón Jr., SBS launched KZAB-FM (La Sabrosa 93.5), targeting the Central American population in Los Angeles. In 2003, WSKQ was the most listened-to Spanish language radio station in the United States. That year Alarcón Jr. told Billboard
magazine, "My opinion is that radio programming continues to be an art. It is not a science. I will not argue with the fact that research gives you a good indication, a good road map."
Raúl Alarcón, Jr. is the current Chief Executive Officer of SBS, a position he has held since June 1994. He also succeeded his father as Chairman of the board of directors on November 2, 1999. Alarcón, Sr. would continue to serve as Chairman Emeritus. Alarcón, Jr. is responsible for the company's long-range strategic planning and operational matters, and according SBS's website, is instrumental in the acquisition and related financing of each SBS station.
On June 3, 2011, the heavily Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey
honored Alarcon Sr. with a star on the Walk of Fame at Celia Cruz
Plaza. Alacron Jr. was present to accept the honors for his father.
s:
and AT&T U-Verse.
sued SBS in order to force it to reinstall encoder
s used for the Portable People Meter
system of audience measurement
. SBS and other members of the PPM Coalition contended that the PPM system has had a major negative impact on their ratings and therefore revenue, and asked the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in investigate. Arbitron sued SBS for breach
of a 2007 contract, including $2.5 million in payments owed since 2009. In February 2010, a court ordered SBS to reinstate, at least temporarily, the coding of its radio broadcasts for measurement by Arbitron.
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
: SBSA) is one of the largest owners and operators of radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through its media products.
SBS owns the internet portal LaMusica.com. It also acquired WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and WSJU-TV
WSJU-TV
WSJU-TV is a full-power television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over channel 30. During most of the 2000s, the station's programming mostly consisted of music videos. It is carried by all three cable systems and covers 80 percent of the national territory.Before the year 2000, the...
in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, known as MEGA TV
WSBS-TV
WSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
.
SBS targets the U.S. Hispanic audience in six geographic regions: greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
, greater New York
Greater New York
Greater New York or Greater New York City may refer to:* the statistical New York metropolitan area consisting of New York City and surrounding counties of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, greater Chicago, greater Miami, and greater San Francisco.
History
Spanish Broadcasting System was founded by Pablo Raúl Alarcón, Sr., who started in Spanish-language radio broadcasting in the early 1950s when he started his first radio station in Camagüey, Cuba, and his son, Raúl Alarcón, Jr. Alarcón Sr. had acquired 14 radio stations by the time he fled Cuba with his family to the United States in 1960. In the U.S. he continued his career as an on-air personality at a New York radio station after arriving in the United States before being promoted to programming director. He subsequently owned a recording studio and advertising agency before borrowing $3.5 million USD to purchase the first SBS radio station, WSKQ-AM (La Super 1380) in 1983 with his son, Raúl Alarcón Jr. Alarcón Sr. would serve as SBS Chairman of the board of directors, while his son would serve as an account executive in the sales department.SBS generated sales of about $20 million in its first year, confirming the influence of the growing Spanish-speaking audience. Raúl Alarcón, Jr. became President of SBS and a director in October 1985. In 1998 SBS purchased its first FM station, regional Mexican KLAX 97.9 FM in Los Angeles. The company went public in the fall of 199l, raising $435.8 million by selling 21.8 million shares at $20 per share. SBS bought its third station, New York's WSKQ-FM
WSKQ-FM
WSKQ-FM, known on-air as Mega 97.9, is a radio station in New York City owned by Spanish Broadcasting System . Currently located at 97.9 FM, the station has a tropical format, which consists of such musical styles as Bachata, salsa, merengue, and Reggaeton.-History:The 97.9 FM facility's heritage...
, in 1989 and reformatted it as Mega 97.9, La Mega, surpassing the market's longtime leader, the light rock station WLTW-FM, by 1998. A major turning point for Spanish radio occurred that year when media researchers at Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
rated La Mega's morning show number one over that of the radio personality Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
.
In 2002 the company created SBS Entertainment, a concert production arm. It also diversified by purchasing 80 percent of JuJu Media, the operator of the Spanish-English Web site LaMusica.com, which offered Latin music, entertainment, news, and culture. Later that year, at the insistence of Alarcón Jr., SBS launched KZAB-FM (La Sabrosa 93.5), targeting the Central American population in Los Angeles. In 2003, WSKQ was the most listened-to Spanish language radio station in the United States. That year Alarcón Jr. told Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, "My opinion is that radio programming continues to be an art. It is not a science. I will not argue with the fact that research gives you a good indication, a good road map."
Raúl Alarcón, Jr. is the current Chief Executive Officer of SBS, a position he has held since June 1994. He also succeeded his father as Chairman of the board of directors on November 2, 1999. Alarcón, Sr. would continue to serve as Chairman Emeritus. Alarcón, Jr. is responsible for the company's long-range strategic planning and operational matters, and according SBS's website, is instrumental in the acquisition and related financing of each SBS station.
On June 3, 2011, the heavily Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
honored Alarcon Sr. with a star on the Walk of Fame at Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
Plaza. Alacron Jr. was present to accept the honors for his father.
Radio
SBS radio stations use one of six programming formatRadio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
s:
- Spanish tropical: salsa musicSalsa musicSalsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, merengueMerengue musicMerengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
, bachata, reggaetónReggaetonReggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
dance music - Regional MexicanRegional MexicanRegional Mexican is a radio format for music radio, typically defined to include Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi and Norteña. It is the most popular radio format targeting Hispanic Americans in the United States....
: rancheraRancheraRanchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer with a guitar. It dates to the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. It later became closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco. Ranchera today is also played...
, norteña, bandaBanda-People:*Banda people, an ethnic group of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Sudan*Rupiah Banda, President of Zambia*Hastings Banda, former President of Malawi...
, cumbiaCumbiaCumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
music typically originating from regions of Mexico - Spanish adult contemporary: soft romantic ballads, Spanish pop music
- Spanish oldiesOldiesOldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
: Latin/English music classics from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s - American top 40: current pop music hits
- HurbanHurbanHurban is a relatively new radio programming format from radio chain giant Clear Channel Communications and Senior VP Alfredo Alonso. Hurban radio stations target young Hispanics in the United States, primarily consisting of reggaeton, hip-hop, and dance music...
: (Hispanic Urban) reggaetón dance music
Los Angeles
- KLAX-FMKLAX-FMKLAX-FM is an American commercial radio station located in East Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. KLAX-FM airs a regional Mexican music format branded as "La Raza".-History:...
97.9 LaRaza HD1 (regional Mexican)/Raza Clásicos 97.9 HD2 (regional Mexican oldies) - KXOL-FMKXOL-FMKXOL-FM 96.3, Latino 96.3, is a Latin leaning Rhythmic music radio station in the Los Angeles area.-History:For many years 96.3 was a Christian radio station in Los Angeles known as KFSG, owned by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel...
Latino 96.3 HD1 (urban)/El Zol 96.3 HD2 (Spanish Tropical)
New York
- WSKQ-FMWSKQ-FMWSKQ-FM, known on-air as Mega 97.9, is a radio station in New York City owned by Spanish Broadcasting System . Currently located at 97.9 FM, the station has a tropical format, which consists of such musical styles as Bachata, salsa, merengue, and Reggaeton.-History:The 97.9 FM facility's heritage...
La Mega 97.9 HD1 (Spanish tropical)/Mega Clásicos 97.9 HD2 (Spanish tropical oldies) - WPAT-FMWPAT-FMWPAT-FM, known on-air as "93.1 Amor", is a radio station with a Spanish-language Rhythmic AC format. Located on 93.1 FM, the station, which is licensed to Paterson, New Jersey, serves the New York City Metropolitan area.-History:...
93.1 Amor HD1 (Spanish Adult Contemporary)/Clásica 93.1 HD2 (Spanish oldies)
Puerto Rico
- WMEGWMEGWMEG is a radio station broadcasting a CHR format. Licensed to Guayama, Puerto Rico, USA, it serves the greater Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by WMEG Licensing, Inc. Until 2004, La Mega 106.9 FM had an American Alternative Top 40 format. Music was 100% in English from Pop,...
(CHR - Latin/American top 40) - WEGMWEGMWEGM is a radio station broadcasting a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio format. Licensed to San Germán, Puerto Rico, USA, the station serves the western Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Wegm, Inc..-History:...
(CHR - Latin/American top 40) - WRXD (merengue musicMerengue musicMerengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
and bachata (music)) - WIOAWIOAWIOA is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, it serves the Puerto Rico area...
(Spanish adult contemporary) - WIOBWIOBWIOB is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, USA, the station serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Cadena Estereotempo, Inc.....
(Spanish adult contemporary) - WIOCWIOCWIOC is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA, the station serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Cadena Estereotempo, Inc.....
(Spanish adult contemporary) - WZNTWZNTWZNT is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Tropical format. Licensed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, it serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by WZNT, Inc....
(Spanish tropical) - WZMTWZMTWZMT is a radio station licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA, the station serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by Spanish Broadcasting System Holding Company....
(Spanish tropical) - WZETWZETWZET is a radio station licensed to Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, USA, the station serves the Puerto Rico area. The station is currently owned by WZET Licensing....
(Spanish tropical) - WODAWODAWODA is a radio station in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The station airs at 94.7 FM and its known commercially as Reggaeton 94 FM. It has a sister station, WNOD airing at 94.1 FM, covering the western part of Puerto Rico and retransmitting WODA programming....
(urban) - WNOD (urban)
Miami
- WXDJ-FM (Spanish tropical)
- WCMQ-FMWCMQ-FMWCMQ-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Classic Hits format. Most of the songs played are in Spanish although the station plays one or two English-language hits per hour, with the focus being on music from the 1970s through 1990s. Licensed to Hialeah, Florida, USA, the station serves...
(Spanish oldies) - WRMAWRMAWRMA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Contemporary format. Licensed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, the station serves the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood area. The station is currently owned by Wrma Licensing, Inc...
(Spanish adult contemporary)
Internet
In addition to individual radio station websites, SBS operates www.lamusica.com and www.mega.tv, all providing bilingual Spanish-English content about Latin music, entertainment and news.Television
MEGA TV was launched on March 1, 2006 and operates as a Spanish-language entertainment station in South Florida, Puerto Rico and Las Vegas. The station's programming targets a young, U.S. Hispanic audience through televised radio-branded shows and general entertainment programs (music, celebrity, debate, interviews, personality based shows). Seventy percent of MEGA TV's programming is in-house created. MEGA TV is also available nationwide on DirecTVDirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and AT&T U-Verse.
Arbitron lawsuit
ArbitronArbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
sued SBS in order to force it to reinstall encoder
Encoder
An encoder is a device, circuit, transducer, software program, algorithm or person that converts information from one format or code to another, for the purposes of standardization, speed, secrecy, security, or saving space by shrinking size.-Media:...
s used for the Portable People Meter
Portable People Meter
The Portable People Meter is a system developed by Arbitron to measure how many people are listening to individual radio stations and television stations, including cable TV. The PPM is worn like a pager, and detects hidden audio tones within a station or network's audio stream, logging each...
system of audience measurement
Audience measurement
Audience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
. SBS and other members of the PPM Coalition contended that the PPM system has had a major negative impact on their ratings and therefore revenue, and asked the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) in investigate. Arbitron sued SBS for breach
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
of a 2007 contract, including $2.5 million in payments owed since 2009. In February 2010, a court ordered SBS to reinstate, at least temporarily, the coding of its radio broadcasts for measurement by Arbitron.