Norfolk's Spanish-language station is more than music

By Ricardo Lopez

NORFOLK

For almost five years, Selecta 1050 AM has broadcast Spanish music from a small, third-floor suite in the Norfolk Plaza Hotel.

This small station is Hampton Roads' sole Spanish-language music source on the airwaves and has become an essential in households where Spanish is the lingua franca.

But Selecta, which means "select choice," doesn't only play music. The staff - consisting of two disc jockeys, a receptionist, general sales manager and president - has diversified the station's role. The small crew works to unite its ethnically diverse listeners and provide information on current events, social happenings, and legal and social matters.

With the unemployment rate at a record high, the station serves partly as a job board. Employers spread word about job openings through radio advertisements, and smaller jobs are announced on the morning show.

"With the economy the way it is, the station helps people find jobs," said Ricardo Alegria, morning host.

The morning show also helps drive traffic to local Hispanic merchants and restaurants, Alegria said. It helps keep them in business.

"We try to be a total arm to the Hispanic community," said station President Andy Hindlin, a New York City native.

Selecta 1050 invites guests on its morning radio show to educate listeners on a variety of topics, including immigration, housing, the U.S. census and dental health. Alegria's segment broadcasts from 6 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and the station plays 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For a half-hour every month, a local immigration lawyer takes questions from callers. Other occasional guests include a representative from the Virginia housing authority who advises potential homebuyers on the process of securing mortgages. On Tuesday, a dentist from Spain touted the benefits of good oral hygiene and educated listeners on proper brushing habits.

For Jairo Mendez, a construction worker from Nicaragua, the station has helped him get to know the Hampton Roads region better.

"When I first got here five years ago, I found it really hard to find other Hispanics in the area," he said. "Through the station, I've been able to connect with other people who have helped me find work."

"It's like 1960 s radio," Hindlin said. "People just want to talk to people, and listener participation is the best I've seen in 20 years I've worked in radio."

Previous Spanish stations have come and gone, and their mistake was focusing on too specific of a market, Alegria said.

Alegria, who has worked in radio since he was 13, moved to Norfolk five years ago from Los Angeles. Coming from a radio market where Mexicans constituted the largest majority, he said he had to adapt to fusing different Latin American cultures.

"Our listeners include Hondurans, Salvadorians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans," Alegria said. "We have to mix up our music, so we'll play a reggaeton song, then some salsa, and then something for the Mexicans."

Alegria warns that if they lean too far one way musically, they risk alienating some listeners.

According to 2007 census figures, South Hampton Roads has a Hispanic population of almost 50,000, but counting officials and Selecta's staff say those numbers are inaccurate.

The population has grown steadily in the past decade and is likely much larger because many census surveys go unfilled, said Patricia Knight, a regional census representative.

The staff regularly researches popular music from the charts in different genres in an effort to better cater to their diverse listeners.

Alegria is from El Salvador; Mangu Power, the afternoon show host, is from the Dominican Republic; and go-to receptionist, Evelin Husk, who handles traffic and news reports, is Guatemalan.

Together, they relay important current events from various Latin American countries around the world.

In Honduras, the recent ousting of President Manuel Zelaya created a violent and tense political environment abroad and has become the topic of discussion for many Hondurans worldwide.

For lighter topics, Alegria's morning show operates much like a sitcom. At the punch line of every joke, he pushes a button and laughter floods the studio, giving the impression a live audience is present. Listeners rarely know Alegria is often the only person in the cabin.

For now, the station enjoys the niche it has carved out. Its listeners tune in for an average of 20 hours per week, which is rare in radio, Hindlin said. Most listeners keep the station on throughout the day at work and at home.

He and his sales manager, Dave Bowling, are the only non-Hispanics at the station, but they don't mind being the "gringos," or white guys.

Hindlin, however, will quickly point out he is technically Jewish.

"You have to learn the language of radio, and the fact of the matter is you deliver a station that is conducive to your audience," Hindlin said.

With that clear mantra and their years of experience in radio, they hope to stay in business for years to come.

"I'm in it for the long haul," Hindlin said. "I ain't going nowhere."

Ricardo Lopez, (757) 222-5125, ricardo.lopez@pilotonline.com