Tomas Martinez and Mercedes Soler’s Solmart Media closed on its $700,000 purchase of 910 WTWD Plant City/102.1 W271CY Lakeland FL from Salem Media Group and flipped the station to Regional Mexican “La Numero 1“.
The station duplicates the format and branding on the company’s 1280 WTMY/99.1 W256DI Sarasota and 105.3 WZSP-HD2 Nocatee. WTWD will carry Univision’s “El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo” in mornings and local programming in other dayparts.
WTWD/W271CY had been simulcasting Salem’s Christian Preaching “Faith Talk” trimulcast along with 570 WTBN Pinellas Park and 760 WLCC Brandon FL
A Regional Mexican format now greets listeners of WTWD 910 AM, licensed to Plant City and its 102.1 FM translator licensed to Lakeland. The transition from an all faith-based programming format was dictated by the demographic changes in the area, according to new station owner Solmart Media LLC. which sees the growing strength of the Spanish language listening community in southwest FL as a winning combination for expanding its privately owned radio footprint in the region.
“We looked into a half dozen prospective broadcast properties before deciding that the Salem Media Group station offered the highest potential to reach the widest audience in the demo we serve, which is primarily Mexican and Central American in origin,” said Tomas Martínez, Chief Executive Officer, Solmart Media LLC.
The new WTWD AM-FM combo will allow Solmart Media LLC. to sell the coveted I-4 advertising corridor by reaching over 1 million listeners in the following towns and cities:
Tampa
Clearwater
St. Petersburg
Wimauma, Brandon
Riverview, Dover
Holiday
Lakeland
Bartow
Winter Haven
Hanes City
Polk City
Plant City
Zephyrhills
Lake Buena Vista
KissimmeeThe New La Numero1 will carry El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo, the Nielsen rated #1 Spanish language Morning Show in the U.S. It will also generate local programming.
Solmart Media LLC. also owns and operates La Zeta WZSP 105.3 FM and LaNumero1 99.1 FM and 1280 AM with 2 additional HD signals transmitting from their state-of-the-art studios in Sarasota, Florida. These stations reach 9 counties with an estimated audience of half a million listeners.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com