WACO, TX — September is Hispanic Heritage Month and we have plenty of heritage to celebrate in Texas because we started out as part of Mexico.
Since its start, about a decade ago, one Central Texas radio station has grown to one of the most popular around, by laying a foundation of trust among a group, largely leery of authority.
"La Ley was the lonely one for a long, long time here in Waco," explained Hector Sabido, General Sales Manager of "La Ley" 104.1.
Radio "La Ley" debuted to a Spanish-speaking audience practically starving for music and news in its own language.
"And La Ley means the law. It's very common in the Spanish language and so it does mean the law," said Sabido.
Now, 104.1, lays down the law every day, with a fun mix of traditional music from Mexico, weather, news, sports and traffic woven into a sarape of constant entertainment.
The name means "the law" but it also picks up a little more.
"The law means that hey we are the way, we are the correct way to doing things We are the ones that call the shots we are the ones that set the trends," said Sabido and boy did 104.1 set trends.
"We started with a team of three people, and it was just amazing how the listenership it was there they were needing us," said "La Ley" Operations Manager Cynthia Perez.
So "La Ley" gave back, not just with fun and music but with concerts at the Heart of Texas Fair and a little fun in the studio, as when the DJ's reviewed the new McDonald's Chicken Sandwich live on the air.
This magic formula, satisfied its hungry audience, turning them into loyal listeners.
"The popularity and the station has grown since then. I mean, you can see it in our Neilsen numbers. Not only are we number one in Spanish stations, but we're definitely in the top three in general market stations," said Sabido, with a smile.
"La Ley" executives credit their track record of dependable, honest information, wrapped in music the audience loves.
"We are the "to go" station. If people want to learn about immigration, they turn to La Ley, if they want to know about sports they tune into La Ley. They believe in us, we always say the truth and try to keep our audience informed," said "La Ley" Operations Manager Cynthia Perez.
"If you go to Austin, if you go to San Antonio especially where the majority is Hispanic or Latino, you'll see that, and I think Waco, we're heading that direction," Sabido predicted.
