WUKY 91.3 FM Adds 'Latino USA'

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 7, 2011) — WUKY 91.3 FM welcomes NPR’s celebrated "Latino USA" series to its schedule starting Sept. 9. The program will air weekly on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on WUKY and Saturdays at 4 p.m. on WUKY HD 2. "Latino USA" is hosted by award-winning multimedia journalist Maria Hinojosa.

“This compelling program is designed to educate Latinos and Americans about each other," said WUKY General Manager Tom Godell. "With the growing Latino population in the Bluegrass, the addition of 'Latino USA' to the WUKY schedule helps demonstrate our commitment to reaching a broad base of listeners that have been underserved.” 

"Latino USA" is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective. The radio journal offers politically balanced news about current issues in Latin America and the U.S. as well as Latino culture, art and music. A West Virginia listener said they were “learning a lot from the show... it has broken down stereotypes that I find in the media all the time. If more people had an open mind and listened to this program, we might have better dialogues about the shifting culture of the United States.”

In the new century, the drama of Latino immigration has become one of the most compelling yet divisive stories in our country. "Latino USA" is heralded by thousands of listeners who say that the program keeps them in touch with the pulse of a new America.  Over the past year, "Latino USA" has opened its airwaves and website to increasing the dialogue about what this change means.

Says Hinojosa, “When the hate mail I received began to spike, I decided I wanted our listeners to join me in the process of understanding this deep division while at the same time finding a place of communion. I write personal essays about this and invite my listeners to join me in this dialogue, and they have. And not everyone is on the same page. But if we can learn to understand more about these divisions, if we can talk about them on the airwaves of public radio, if we can share our fears and our celebration of this community, we are at least creating a place of common ground.”