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May 22, 2012 11:16 PM UTC

Election-season brings heavyweight guests to Fernando Sergio's Spanish-language radio show on KBNO

  • 1 Comments
  • by: Jason Salzman

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

When KBNO radio host Fernando Sergio launched his weekday Spanish-language talk show in 2004, you’d have been completely crazy to predict that the President of the United States would call in for a chat about seven years later.

But now, who’s surprised? Well, I was, but I shouldn’t have been.

Sergio’s show, “La Voz del Pueblo,” has grown to be the biggest and most trusted Spanish-language talk show in a state where Hispanics could easily decide the next presidential election.

And so, on Tuesday morning, a woman’s voice on KBNO said, “Hi, give me one moment, the President will be on the line.”

“No problem. No problem,” replied Sergio.

Then a minute later, Obama said, “Hello, Fernando?”

So began an interview that was scheduled for ten minutes but ran about 20. (Read about it here.)

“To the best of my knowledge it’s the first time a sitting president called into Spanish-language radio here in Colorado,” Sergio told me. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t appreciate that. It was a very positive experience for me and [my listeners] to have the most important man in the world calling.”

So how’d Sergio land Obama?

“We approached the Obama campaign,” Sergio told me. “They did their research and expressed interest. And then we approached Secretary Salazar, and the Secretary said, ‘I will ensure that they know your show is an important show, and the President should speak to you.’  We heard back in a couple days.”

“Four years ago, I was able to speak with John McCain twice, but we were unable to speak with Obama,” Sergio told me. “Instead, we got Joe Biden.”

Republicans are reaching out to Sergio this year as well.

“I had a conversation with [Colorado Republican Party Chairman] Ryan Call,” Sergio said. “He told me, ‘You can be sure that I will have Governor Romney on your show at least twice this year.”

Has a date been set for Romney?

“Not yet,” Sergio replied. “It’s just  a promise. It’s up to him. The doors are wide open. We will be as respectful with Governor Romney as we were with the President.”

“At some point during this process I will make the case for one of the other,” Sergio said. “Twenty or 30 days before the election. Here is who I’m going to vote for, and here are the ten reasons. But let people become well informed first. ”

“I stress how important it is to vote. Every single day, I say, you go out there and you vote. Don’t let anyone else decide this for you . This will be a permanent theme until November.”

It’s an approach that’s in keeping with how Sergio runs his radio show, which he sees as a “platform is to try to help people.”

The show, which airs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 1280 AM, mostly addresses consumer issues, like problems with banking industry and issues with police and immigration. Immigration attorneys make regular appearances on the program.

“The platform has worked out for us,” says Sergio, who’s been doing radio for 18 years. “It’s kind of like Martino’s show, but we’re more into helping people than promoting businesses.”

Sergio has an active presence on facebook, but his show isn’t streamed online, because of steep fees that are required due to the fact that KBNO mostly airs music, Sergio told me. He hopes a solution can be found and online streaming will be added at some point.

Asked about the issues he thinks are most important to Hispanics, Sergio said:

“From my perspective, of course, it’s the economy, but immigration for me, it’s a matter of respect. It’s emotional. I feel it. There is no other issue that has the same emotional impact. I was born in United States. But I witness the difficulties they face. I listen to the phone calls and the abuse.”

“I am an independent,” said Sergio, who supported Michael Bennet in 2010 and is leaning toward Obama. “I try in my own wisdom to do what’s right for my listeners.”

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One thought on “Election-season brings heavyweight guests to Fernando Sergio’s Spanish-language radio show on KBNO”

  1. But I’m not shocked, POTUS needs to shore up his hispanic base. There are a number of reasons for this, but let me touch on just a couple.

    After Fast and Furious many are upset due to the extension of violence projected onto Mexican and American nationals. Whether or not you were in your country or traveling to the other, your potential to be on the receiving end of heightened criminal activity soared. Obama needs to take responsibility for the failure to control his law enforcement follies, his management failures resulted in needless deaths.

    Second, deportations of central and south Americans have soared under Obama. The economic failures of this administration can’t be overlooked as a driving force, however we need to examine other causes.

    Like the Colorado Assembly and Democrat Governor in the 2000s; Obama, Reid and Pelosi had cart-blanche. During their years in the Sun they failed to deliver to their purported constituencies Gay Marriage, citizenship for illegal aliens, and a host of other matters; instead they chose to enact tax increases, more spending and government expansion. Their successes have led to massive debt increases with no appreciable economic value.

    Sure they took over GM by strong arming the debt holders and wiping out elder income seeking equity holders to save union jobs, delivered us failing altenergy cars, and killed the affordable used car market for millions of needy Americans.

    Not to worry though, POTUS is coming to town. Tomorrow he’ll be at the Hyatt for an exclusive and massive fundraiser. How do I know it will be such … well I get their hourly emails and they know my zip, yet not once was I informed that I could come see POTUS in Denver this week for a $10-50-100-250 contribution.

    Instead I learned from a loved one that he’d be holding court for the political and upper business classes at the Hyatt. His afternoon fundraiser (there is probably ones in Boulder and CherryHills book ending the DT event) will be between 130p and 5p. Streets will be closed. These include: Welton, California and 14th. I’d suggest any afternoon travels avoid these areas unless of course you’ve been invited to the exclusive and expensive fundraiser.

    Interesting that the Denver media has not been promoting Obamas exclusive fundraiser.

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