Bienvenido! La Poderosa becomes the first all-Spanish radio station in Michigan to broadcast in FM

Grand Rapids-based La Poderosa has made the switch to 93.3 FM (WMJH) after over 10 years of broadcasting on 640 AM.

Efrain Cano, owner of Cano's Broadcasting, says the move reflects the growing Latino audience in West Michigan and is a "big opportunity" for his company as he now provides more access to any company that wants to connect with the Hispanic market. Cano estimates that with the move to FM he can now reach an estimated 124,000 Latinos in West Michigan.

Cano describes his listener base as being unusually loyal as compared to other radio audiences, who might tune into several stations throughout the day. "We have a very dedicated and loyal audience," he says. "They listen throughout the day, almost exclusively to La Poderosa." Cano describes the programming as "a little bit of everything and very participatory," including community, state and international news, sports (from Mexico), music, and talk.

Cano launched La Poderosa in 2004, broadcasting with just a couple CD players, microphones, and a few hundred CDs. Now Cano's Broadcasting is the only all-Spanish broadcaster in West Michigan.

To support the his growth, Cano says he has recently added two jobs to his team. La Poderosa can be heard on 93.3 FM and on 810 AM in the Grand Rapids area.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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