Spanish language radio station launches in Spokane; replaces classic rock station OZ 95.7

Spokane-based Legend Broadcasting LLC recently launched a new commercial Spanish language radio station, making it the first of its kind in the Spokane market, the company says.

Legend Broadcasting, which owns KYOZ, replaced classic rock station OZ 95.7 with Ke Buena 95.7 on Monday. Ke Buena is also broadcast on 1330 AM.

Legend Broadcasting general manager Tom Hodgins made the decision to switch the station’s format after conducting internal market research and discovering a growing market for Spanish-language programming.

“It gave us an opportunity to grow, whereas I don’t know if we could have continued to grow in the prior format,” Hodgins said, adding that Spokane has two other classic rock stations in addition to the former OZ 95.7.

Ke Buena also fills a programming gap for Spokane’s Hispanic community, which was lacking a local Spanish language radio station, Hodgins said.

Spokane County’s Hispanic population grew from 5% in 2015 to 6.1% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The closest Spanish language stations to Spokane are in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.

Ke Buena, which is expected to reach nearly 500,000 people and more than 50,000 Spanish speakers, will broadcast MLC Media’s “La Numero Uno,” a Los Angeles-based syndicated radio network. It will also broadcast “Erazno y la Chokolata” in the afternoon, a program that includes news, comedy and music, said Benjamin Reed, programming consultant for Ke Buena and Spanish-language radio host.

Ke Buena plans to work closely with the Spokane community to bring local elements to the station and it will soon be releasing apps to tune into the network digitally, Reed said.