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WMNF cancels longtime program Latino 54

 
Franco Silva, host of Latino 54 on WMNF, points to musician Gumbi Ortiz. Latino 54, which educates the community on the Latin culture, has been cancelled.
Franco Silva, host of Latino 54 on WMNF, points to musician Gumbi Ortiz. Latino 54, which educates the community on the Latin culture, has been cancelled.
Published Nov. 25, 2016

Famed Latin musicians Tito Puente, Gumbi Ortiz and Eddie Palmieri have each joined Franco Silva inside one of community radio station WMNF's studios, as have countless other artists and historians and politicians.

They have all done so in support of Silva's goal to educate the Tampa Bay area on the Latin culture that is so prevalent in this community.

Whether WMNF's audience has been receptive is up for debate.

WMNF leaders say no, so as of January, the program Latino 54 that Silva voluntarily hosts is cancelled after 20 years of broadcasting.

"This station is supposed to represent and reflect the community," Silva said. "My show fulfills that agenda."

According to the United States Census Bureau, 27 percent of Hillsborough County reidents identify themselves as Latin or Hispanic.

Latino 54's cancellation leaves WMNF with one program geared toward that community - Latin Jazz & Salsa.

Silva is a fan of the program, but he said it doesn't replicate his.

"That show is all about great music and only the music," Silva said. "I play music but I also have guests who talk about the Latino culture. We are a Latino community and I thought that was important. But I guess that doesn't matter because I don't bring the station enough money."

During the call-in marathon fundraiser this past fall, Latino 54 listeners donated $551 to the station, Randy Wynne, WMNF program director, said. The goal Silva was given was $1,900.

Latino 54 broadcasts Sundays at 2 p.m.

The show Caribbean Cruise that follows it raised $3,000.

Wynne said the cancellation is not about the total amount of money Latino 54 brings in but the lack of volume of callers during these fundraisers.

"It gets only a handful," he said, adding that Caribbean Cruise received 50 calls during the last fundraiser. "The silence from the listeners is stark."

Wynn said he likes Silva's program "but it hasn't been connecting unfortunately. It's like that great show on TV that never got good ratings."

Still, Silva retorted that the lack of calls during fundraisers are not indicative of Latino 54's popularity.

He faced the same situation in 2002. His show, then named Oye Latino, was also cancelled due to supposed lack of listenership, he said, based on the same criteria. But after a groundswell of emails and calls from listeners demanding his show remain on the air, proving the program's worth, Silva received a second chance.

He changed the name to Latino 54, a joking response to his run time being cut from 90 minutes to 54. He was later rewarded two-hours but kept the title.

Silva can continue Latino 54 as a podcast and WMNF has agreed to allow him to produce it in one of their studios. He is still considering it.

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Maura Barrios holds out hope that WMNF will give Silva a third chance.

As an activist for educating the area on the Latin culture, she was among those 20 years ago who lobbied WMNF to provide Silva a forum and he has since fulfilled his duties, she said.

"WMNF is community radio and Latinos give and gave us our unique identity," she said. "We are the fastest growing population. We are the future and we are the past."

Contact Paul Guzzo at pguzzo@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3320. Follow @PGuzzoTimes.