City Gretna, Louisiana First air date 1980s | Frequency 1540 kHz Format Spanish Tropical | |
Broadcast area New Orleans metropolitan area Branding "Radio Tropical Caliente" | ||
KGLA, "Radio Tropical Caliente", is a Spanish -language radio outlet serving the New Orleans area. The station, which is owned by Crocodile Broadcasting, operates at 1540 kHz with 1,000 watts of power daytime only and is licensed to Gretna, Louisiana.
History
KGLA was a Top 40 station prior to its flip to Spanish-language programming in the 1970s. They are also New Orleans' first and oldest Spanish outlet. Initially called Radio Mil, it served as a much-needed link for the growing Hispanic community. The founders of the Spanish-language broadcast at the station were, supposedly, Julio Guichard, from Cuba, and Alberto Carrillo, from Costa Rica. Guichard is no longer involved with the station but has maintained local media presence. Carrillo moved out of New Orleans several years ago, reportedly to the West Coast. The station has remained faithfully committed to serve the community's interests even while successfully transforming itself into a viable enterprise. It was acquired by a family consortium in the 1980s headed by entrepreneur Ernesto Schweikert. It has recently been awarded all sorts of accolades after its prompt recovery from Hurricane Katrina, reportedly using a small gasoline-powered generator to broadcast emergency messages for those who had no other means of communications in the first few days following the storm.