Christian radio sees growth potential in Hispanic market

PORTLAND -- Several secular radio stations serving Portland and the Willamette Valley have recently switched to Hispanic programming, a recognition of the fast-growing Latino market.

But while there have been full-time Christian Hispanic signals in a handful of smaller outlying Northwest cities -- such as Hood River and Astoria -- the Portland metro area has yet to be served by such a station.

However, signs of that happening soon are evident.

James Autry, general manager of Crawford Broadcasting's KKPZ 1330 AM and KKSL 1290 AM in Portland, says its Radio Vida (Life Radio) programming on KKPZ weekday evenings is now sold out and is expanding to weekends.

"Radio Vida is the only daily Christian Hispanic programming in the greater Portland-Vancouver metro area," said Autry. "This specialized programming --Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. -- was established on Sept. 1."

"Ultimately, we want to launch a completely new radio station broadcasting '24-7' for our Hispanic community, but that's going to take a great deal of partnership from throughout our community between businesses, churches and ministries, both Hispanic and non," said Autry. "The exciting thing is that in just a few months, our local Hispanic community has embraced our programming and is supporting our ministry partners with their listenership, prayers and tangible response.

"We believe that God is at work here and that He has something very wonderful planned for our entire community because of what He is doing in this part of the local church. We expect to see a revival not only in the Hispanic community, but in every ethnic group in our region."

The Hispanic programming on KKPZ begins at 6 p.m. with music from local and national Christian Artists, followed at 6:15pm with Conceptos Financieros (the late Larry Burkett's daily Financial Concepts radio program), followed by more music. At 6:30 p.m. one of several national radio programs airs. These include En Contacto with Charles Stanley, Cruzada con Luis Palau with the famed Portland-based evangelist, and Esperanza Para Hoy with David Hocking.

From 7 to 8 p.m., the station features a different local Hispanic church or ministry each evening, followed by more music from 8 to 8:30 p.m., another national program sample from 8:30 to 9 p.m. and then more local church or ministry programs from 9 to 10 p.m..

With all 20 of the weekly local programming availabilities sold out in just four months, Crawford Broadcasting decided to expand this specialized programming to Saturday and Sunday evenings in the same format mix from 6 to 10 of music and national and local programs.

In conjunction with this new programming emphasis, the company contracted with Felix Rosales of the Northwest Theological Institute to facilitate programming sales. It also hired Angel Bongiorno, former Spanish ministry director for the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association and former board member for the Hispanic National Religious Broadcasters Association, to be the director, host and voice of Radio Vida.

A Seaside-based ministry, Gospel Echo, has established KBNO-FM 89.3, a full-time local Spanish language station in Hood River, as well as a repeater station in Astoria for an international Spanish service.