The Museum of Broadcast Communications has unveiled its eight inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame for 2021, including the Cuban radio personality.
With more than 30 years of experience in the media industry, Romero is currently the morning show host and music format on-air personality for Univision Radio (WAMR-FM/Amor 107.5) in Miami.
The 2021 Radio Hall of Fame inductees will be honored in person at the induction ceremony on October 28 at Chicago’s Wintrust Grand Banking Hall.
The 38-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s latest single “Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, rises 2-1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart dated March 11.
The seventh career chart-topper for both Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.
The ascent marks Fonsi’s first Latin Airplay No. 1 since 2009, when “Aqui Estoy Yo” topped the chart. Daddy Yankee most recently crowned the list in 2016 when “Vaiven” spent a week at the top (January 23).
The song’s rise to the summit is due to a 13 percent increase at the format, to 18.2 million audience impressions in the week ending February 26, according to Nielsen Music. Both act’s hometown station WKAQ, San Juan, Puerto Rico (a Univision Radio station), was a top contributor with 77 weekly spins of the song.
Univision Communications, Inc.’s vice president, managing director of radio strategy Ismar Santa Cruz tells Billboard, “Luis Fonsi took a heritage sound that he has been known for and successfully adapted it to the sounds that are impacting the market and our audience today.” Adding, “the inclusion of Daddy Yankee as a featured artist added an additional rhythmic element by a core star artist that complemented the track very well.”
Fonsi, who has dotted the chart with 30 songs since debuting in 1998, has traditionally been known known for his ballads. “Despacito” is his first foray into a more rhythmic, reggaeton sound aided by a pioneer in reggaeton’s shift into the mainstream, Daddy Yankee (the record holder for most chart hits on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Songs chart, with 59).
Univision’s WXNY, New York also championed the track with 45 plays (and 1.2 million audience impressions). Of its nationwide draw, Santa Cruz comments “Univision listeners are really relating to the rhythm and lyrics— and we’re seeing that in various formats across multiple top markets including Puerto Rico, Miami, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles, among others.”
Santa Cruz sums up the tracks appeal, “all in all, the track really hits on all levels, and we see it resonating to that degree with our audiences.”
Luis Fonsi’s Seven No. 1s on Latin Airplay Title, peak date (weeks at No. 1)
“Imaginame Sin Ti,” Sept. 9, 2000 (two weeks)
“Abrazar La Vida,” May 22, 2004 (one week)
“Nada Es Para Siempre,” Aug. 27, 2005 (one week)
“Tu Amor,” Feb. 24, 2007 (one week)
“No Me Doy Por Vencido,” (19 weeks)
“Aqui Estoy Yo,” June 13, 2009 (one week)
“Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, March 11 (one week, so far)
Elsewhere, “Despacito” concurrently spends a fourth straight week at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart thanks to increased digital sales and steady streams, in addition to the on-air rise.
For a third consecutive week it is the most streamed Spanish-language song in the U.S., supporting its stay atop Hot Latin Songs (despite a 3 percent dip to 7.6 million plays in the week ending Feb. 23). YouTube accounts for nearly half of the streams (49 percent), where the music video for the track has collected over 369 million global views since its January 12 release. Digital sales also aid the ranking, hiking 11 percent, to 9,000 downloads sold.
Jaime Jimenez is the man in charge at Univision Radio…
The Latino media executive will now oversee content for Univision’s 67 radio stations.
Jimenez, who was promoted from SVP/GM of the company’s Los Angeles stations to EVP of Local Media last August, will also be in charge of Univision Radio’s operating hubs in Los Angeles, Miami and San Antonio.
Jimenez comes to his new post with experience in radio and television, including overseeing both television and radio stations.
Jiménez will based in Los Angeles, reporting to Kevin Cuddihy, president of Univision Local Media.
He replaces Jose Valle, who served as president of Univision Radio since 2011. Valle has been reassigned, named president of political & advocacy sales for the company. He’ll no longer be involved in its radio division.
During his tenure at Univision Radio, Valle was a proponent of leveraging radio efforts with Univision’s other platforms. The number of nationwide radio premieres on the network increased substantially. Valle also launched Univision Radio’s very successful Uforia app, which allows streaming of all its stations from smartphones.
Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo is preparing to return to the airwaves…
The Mexican radio personality’s El Show de Piolín will air on American General Media’s KLVO-FM (Radio Lobo 97.7/94.7 FM) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and KBET (La Caliente, 96.9 FM) in Bakersfield, California starting in January 2015.
The Piolín show will air from 6-11 a.m. weekday mornings, Sotelo’s longtime timeslot with Univision.
Radio Lobo is the most recent stop in Sotelo’s beleaguered journey of the past two years, which has taken him from giant Univision Radio to SiriusXM, and now, to AGM.
In September, less than a year after its highly-publicized launch, Sotelo’s four-hour daily morning show on SiriusXM radio was canceled. Sirius said in a statement that they had “mutually agreed to end the relationship.”
Sotelo came to Sirius from Univision Radio, where for years he held court on a nationally syndicated morning drive show that boasted high ratings, high influence and high prestige; even President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle Obama, went on his show.
But on July of 2013, Univision abruptly canceled the morning staple, which originated daily from KSCA (101-FM in Los Angeles). Soon after, a former coworker publicly accused him of “physically, sexually and emotionally harassing” him for three years, among other claims. Sotelo promptly denied the accusations, and last year, he filed a lawsuit against six former Univision employees and their Los Angeles attorneys, alleging civil extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit claimed the defendants “attempted to extort $4.9 million” from him under the threat of publicly embarrassing the plaintiff and damaging his reputation by the disclosure of false and misleading allegations.
However, in August, Los Angeles county judge dismissed the suit and ordered Sotelo to pay back $100,000 in legal fees.
A month later, Sotelo’s Sirius show was canceled.
Now, listeners can hear him again, but certainly nowhere near the scale he once had.
For American General Media, getting so big a name — even despite the controversy — is a coup.
“I am extremely excited about the return of Piolín to our family of stations,” said AGM president Rogers Brandon in a statement. “The show was there when we launched La Caliente and was instrumental in making the station a dynamic force for our listeners and clients.”
Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo will now be heard from coast to coast…
The popular Mexican Spanish-language radio host has signed a contract with Sirius XM Radio.
The deal comes just days after Sotelo left Univision Radio abruptly amid charges of sexual harassment, which he adamantly denies.
Sirius XM announced Tuesday in a press release the creation of the new entertainment station Piolin Radio, which will include Sotelo’s live morning program El Show de Piolin.
“Building on the fast wit and humor he is known for, El Show de Piolin will include lively discussion of the day’s events, surprise interviews with celebrity guests, listener call-ins, pranks, music and much more,” said the satellite broadcaster.
“I can’t wait to fly free and for the first time be truly available coast-to-coast,” said Sotelo.
“I am excited that my listeners will be able to tune in to Piolin Radio at home, in the car or anywhere mobile,” he said.
During his tenure at Univision, Sotelo’s program included interviews with personalities likes President Barack Obama, George Lopez, Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull, among many others.
Sotelo’s syndicated Univision show, which managed to become the program with the biggest audience in multiple markets nationwide, made a sudden exit from broadcasting in late July after a 10-year run and with neither the company nor the host providing any reason why the show was canceled.
The Los Angeles Times reported, however, that the decision stemmed from accusations of sexual harassment against the show host by an ex-fellow worker.
Sotelo, recently named to the National Radio Hall of Fame, rejected the accusations.
