Latino Public Radio Service Coming to Santa Barbara County

Local residents will soon be able to hear bilingual award-winning journalism, public affairs programs, and vibrant musical offerings all commercial-free.

The California-based Radio Bilinge National Latino Public Radio Network will expand its non-commercial programming service to north Santa Barbara County thanks to a $30,000 grant from The Fund for Santa Barbara.

The money will allow Radio Bilinge to build a broadcast transmitter and air its programming in Santa Maria, Guadalupe and Orcutt.

A second donation of $10,000 from private donor Ed Kissam will help with additional costs associated with bringing Radio Bilinge to the Central Coast including areas of San Luis Obispo County.

“I thank The Fund for Santa Barbara, Ed Kissam and our other local friends who have helped us reach this wonderful moment and I look forward to engaging and serving north County residents for years to come,” said Radio Bilingue’s Executive Director Hugo Morales. “I have been visiting and hearing from locals for decades about the need here for public service programming like Radio Bilinge’s that focuses on the interests of Spanish speakers and other Latinos.”

Radio Bilinge is a major player in Latino public radio programming in the U.S. and airs original programming in Spanish, English, Mixteco and other languages for Latino audiences. It broadcasts from Fresno, Salinas, El Centro and Oakland.

Radio Bilinge is expected to be on the air in north Santa Barbara County by the summer of this year.