New Oregon Latino public affairs radio show starts Saturday, broadcasting from Portland to the coast

Roger Rivero has big plans for his new Spanish-language public affairs show, one of the few of its kind in Oregon.
The show, called "Enlaces," -- meaning "links" -- will air from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saaturdays starting July 12. Listeners can tune into KGDD La Gran D at 1520 AM or 93.5 FM in Portland, and 95.1 FM from Woodburn to the coast.
"Enlaces" is name with purpose. Rivero wants to cover topics relevant to Oregon's rapidly growing Latino population, now at 466,000 or 12 percent of the state total. That means talking with experts about such topics as gangs, education equity, Latino leadership and driving permission for undocumented residents.
"There is a big lack of confidence between our community and political leaders, the police," he said. "That could be broken through conversation."
The kick-off show focuses on Spanish media and will feature news anchor Jorge Ramos, who works for the national broadcast television network Univision. Rivero plans to record and upload every show to SoundCloud and Facebook.
Rivero has a colorful history in journalism, chased away from working in radio, broadcast and newspapers in his native Cuba for voicing criticism of the communist government before defecting to the United States in 1996. Since 2011, he has worked as a Spanish news anchor for Bustos Media, which owns five radio stations in the Portland area.
"Enlaces" is an extension of Rivero's current work. He conducted a three-month trial of public affairs programming in November 2012, but couldn't find the financial support to continue.
"The reaction was great," he said. "It depended on the topic, but when we talked about immigration, for example, the phone board (would) almost melt."
This time around, "Enlaces" has $25,000 in support from the Oregon Community Foundation, plus $10,000 from the Gray Family Foundation. That total is expected to last six months, after which time "Enlaces" will need to look for additional sponsors. Part of OCF's funding is targeted for a simultaneous interpreter during shows that feature English-speaking guests.
Roberto Franco, director of OCF's Latino Partnership Program, said radio is the most culturally appropriate tool to engage Latinos, who don't always have access to other centers of information.
"We're using that commitment of six months to see its impact and see if it reaches the goal we envision as a foundation," he said. "As it comes to radio, there is no other program that serves the community in that regard...All the other media are reducing or are still slowly figuring out how to serve the Spanish-speaking population."
Ultimately, Rivero said, "Enlaces" should be a forum that facilitates understanding between Latinos and the larger community.
"Latinos are here to stay," he said. "They aren't going anywhere."

 *"Enlaces" is one of the few Latino public affairs shows in Oregon, not the only. Similar shows are found on PCUN's Radio Movimiento and KBOO's Buscando America, which is a mix of Latino public affairs and music.