| WKAQ | |||||||||||||||||||
| City: | San Juan, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||||||||||
| Area: | Puerto Rico | ||||||||||||||||||
| Branding: | WKAQ 580 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Frequency: | 580 kHz | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Talk radio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Power: | 10,000 watts | ||||||||||||||||||
| Facility Id: | 19099 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Class: | B | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former Frequencies: | 830 kHz (1922-1934) 1240 kHz (1934-1942) 620 kHz (1942-1951) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner: | WAPA Media Group | ||||||||||||||||||
| Licensee: | WLII/WSUR License Partnership, G.P. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website: | www.wkaq580.com | ||||||||||||||||||
| Embed Header: | Repeater | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Licensing Authority: | FCC | ||||||||||||||||||
WKAQ (580 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently owned by WAPA Media Group, the station airs a Spanish language talk radio format. Its programming is repeated on WUKQ, which broadcasts on 1420 kHz in Ponce, and WYEL which broadcasts on 600 kHz in Mayagüez. The station was the first radio station to broadcast in Puerto Rico.[1] According to Ernesto Vigoreaux, in the early days of music in Puerto Rico, the musicians would record music at the WKAQ radio station.[2] WKAQ is the Puerto Rico primary entry point station for the Emergency Alert System.
WKAQ was owned for many years by Angel Ramos, owner of the El Mundo newspaper, and eventual namesake for WKAQ-TV, branded as Telemundo. The El Mundo operated until 1986 when labor strikes and acts of terrorism ended its operation.On May 9, 2022, Hemisphere Media Group, the owners of WAPA-TV, announced they would purchase WKAQ, WKAQ-FM, WUKQ, WUKQ-FM and WYEL from Univision Radio. The deal marks Hemisphere's entry into the radio business. During WAPA's 2023 upfront presentation, the network's management alluded that talent from the channel would also be joining the radio stations in the future and vice versa.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
On September 1, 2023, Hemisphere Media Group announced that the deal to buy WKAQ-AM and WKAQ-FM had been finalized and that they would be spinning off their media properties into a subsidiary called WAPA Media. The conglomerate would include WAPA-TV, WAPA Deportes (WAPA-TV Sub-channel), WAPA América, and the two radio stations.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]