The challenge seems so easy, but DJ Aníbal Abreu is a trickster if you ever met one. All a caller has to do is chat for two minutes without saying “yes” or “no.” The prize: $3,000.
While some lively bachata music plays on the air, Abreu dives into a secondary studio and takes a call. He’s a master of rapid-fire conversation; poor Jessica Morales never stands a chance. “Are you Portuguese?” he asks her. She’s confused. Within seconds, she’s said “no.”
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Next comes Rebeca Ramírez. She starts out much better, answering Abreu’s ever-goofier questions with careful “sometimes,” “once in awhile,” and “maybe.” But then comes the coup de grâce: “Do you ever leave the house without showering?”
She’s dead. And as soon as the song ends, thousands of listeners will hear her downfall.
This is how Latinos across Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts get their laughs every day: listening to smart-aleck DJs such as Abreu who speak their language, share their sense of humor, and bring to the airwaves the over-the-top broadcasting style of their countries.
Started in 1995 by three Dominican immigrants with extensive radio experience, Poder 1110 isn’t just a Spanish-language radio station, or a station that plays Latin music – it’s a Latino-owned, Latino-focused company that’s fully immersed in its listeners’ culture.
Brothers Tony and Dilson Méndez and their friend Zoilo García had been doing Spanish-language shows on 97.3FM, a primarily Portuguese station in New Bedford, and convinced that there was a demand for 24/7 Spanish programming, they launched their own station.
It was an instant hit. “New Hispanic station receives massive support,” reads a headline from El Nuevo Siglo, a local Spanish-language newspaper, published on Sept. 15, 1995, two weeks after Poder started. Another paper proclaimed: “Dream comes true for Latino radio listeners.”
The station started right where it is today, in a strip mall on Mineral Spring Avenue. Tony Méndez became general manager; García became programming manager, and a program host. Over time, the staff grew from seven to about 20. Mostly it’s fellow Dominican immigrants, though Méndez said they’ve had their share of other Latin American nationalities.
The tone of the station is a bit raucous, friendly and informal, with lots of audience participation. There’s also plenty of music, a mix of genres with particular appeal to the 25-to-49 demographic, with a tropical/Caribbean flavor: merengue, salsa and bachata rather than Spanish rock or newer genres such as reggaeton (though a little bit is mixed in).
Poder also provides small amounts of news coverage, and on Saturdays, it devotes an hour to public affairs-oriented programming, such as interviews with Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Central Falls Schools Superintendent Patricia Watkins. In addition, the station routinely sponsors events, such as a job fair last November, a “party bus” to Foxwoods last month, and a Latino Night at the Ballet next April.
As the best-known media outlet for southern New England’s Latino communities, Poder is often asked by government and nonprofit groups to help spread the word about important issues, and its efforts have been recognized by top Rhode Island and Massachusetts officials.
“We know there’s a language barrier, a cultural barrier, so we want to be the link between both communities,” Méndez said.
Poder also happily serves as a cultural bridge for Anglo businesses seeking to reach Latino markets. About half the advertisers are Anglos, Méndez said, some using specialty ad agencies, others relying on his sales staff’s advice. A few, such as Rizzo Ford, have done major promotions – in Rizzo’s case, a car giveaway for the radio station’s 10th anniversary.
When Poder started, it was the only full-time Spanish radio station in Rhode Island, but now it has two competitors: Latina 100.3FM, and SuperMax 990AM, both owned by Davidson Media, a multicultural national broadcaster that also owns 102.7FM, a Portuguese station. (Other stations continue to broadcast part time in Spanish, on 1220AM and 88.1FM, e.g.)
The Davidson stations have different styles and music formats, and Méndez said he sees their emergence as a product of the growth of Rhode Island’s Latino population. “You will have, as the market grows, more stations targeting different demographics,” he said.
Still, Poder’s owners do know they have to keep their edge. How will they do it?
“We make sure we’re connected to the community, and that we respond to their needs and their idiosyncracies,” Méndez said. “And we are a local company. Other companies are coming from out of state.”
Poder 1110 can be reached online at www.poder1110.com.
