The nation’s largest Latino public radio network has a new co-director. This is what we know

The country’s oldest and biggest Latino radio network, which was born in Fresno 45 years ago, is making its first change in leadership.

Radio Bilingüe founder/executive director Hugo Morales continues in his role, but he will share duties with a co-director, José Martínez Saldaña.

The new management model was announced during Thursday morning’s ‘Línea Abierta’ (Open Line) program. Radio Bilingüe owns and operates 13 radio stations in California, Arizona, New México and Texas, and has 92 affiliate radio stations across the country, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Morales, 75, said that since 1992, plans began “on how to continue the radio in my absence as the founder of the bilingual radio with a project and then as director.”

Five years ago, the board and Morales began a plan to integrate younger staff to give stability to the radio, said Morales, now co-executive director.

“It’s a new structure,” Morales said, adding that the board decided to have two co-executive directors for a transition year that will be evaluated to see if they continue together as co-directors.

“I see it as a shared decision,” Morales said. “I have shared the leadership of the radio quite a bit. As directors, we have provided direction to the institution.”

Since April 2, Radio Bilingüe has been led by “two executive directors who now manage the organization in a collegial manner,” said Samuel Orozco, host of ‘Línea Abierta.’

Co-director hails from Hollister

Morales mentioned that Radio Bilingüe is very fortunate to have found someone like Martínez Saldaña, who brings a lot of experience in administration and training young people to lead an organization like Radio Bilingüe.

Martínez Saldaña comes to his new position from Hollister, having served in a senior executive role for a youth-oriented nonprofit organization.”

Son of Mexican immigrants, Martínez Saldaña said that his father Jesús was from Santiago, Michoacán, and his mother Aurora was from a small ranch near Pénjamo, Guanajuato.

At the age of 8, he came to Santa Clara County, growing up in the city of San José. During the summers, he worked with his brothers in the fields until he was 16 years old, harvesting onions, apricots, pears, and other vegetables.

He completed his higher education at Santa Clara University, where he was the deputy director of the university’s radio station, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He earned his master’s degree from American Intercontinental University and a doctorate from the University of La Verne in Los Angeles.

For almost 30 years, Martínez Saldaña worked at state universities such as San José State, Monterey Bay, Long Beach, UC Riverside, and community colleges to help high school students gain admission to their studies, many of whom were low-income, immigrants, or children of agricultural workers known as migrants or migrant students.

Martínez Saldaña said that when he saw the opportunity to work at Radio Bilingüe, he was very interested because “I saw that it was an opportunity to amplify the service that I had started many, many years ago with the Latino community.”

“I saw that there is an organization that has a very strong foundation, that for decades has offered not only music but also a platform and an invitation to discuss topics that are very important to the community, not only to migrants but also to the Latino community in general,” Martínez Saldaña said. “And also to those who are on the other side of the border, because we know that we all have families there.”

Martínez Saldaña reflects the experience of many listeners as an immigrant from Michoacán and former farmer, recognizing the values of his history, Morales said.

“It is something that he shares with our audiences, our bilingual radio listeners, and it is very important to give direction and follow-up to a new stage of Bilingual Radio,” Morales said of the new co-director.

Other changes at Radio Bilingüe include the departure of María Araña as director of operations, now serving as producer and senior advisor, and the welcome of José Morán as incoming director of operations, who is a Spanish rock programmer.