CORAL GABLES, FLA. — While the whole of South Florida is today a ribbon of flags and voices representing all of Latin America, Cuban Americans remain a vital part of the political and economic engine that is El Gran Miami. That could explain why an individual who has spoken out against loosening the 39% national broadcast TV ownership reach cap has decided to acquire two of the most historically important radio stations to Cubans outside of Cuba.
Paperwork dated October 23 and submitted for FCC regulatory approval late Friday confirms that Boca Raton, Fla.-based Newsmax, known for its conservative-tilted cable TV news service, has through its Newsmax Radio LLC entity agreed to acquire WAQI-AM 710 & WQBA-AM 1140 in Miami.
Tucson-based Kalil & Co. served as the exclusive broker in the twin transactions, which marks what Newsmax terms “a significant investment in South Florida and a renewed commitment to serving one of America’s most vibrant and influential Hispanic communities.”
“We are excited to serve the communities of South Florida through these legendary radio stations and to expand the Newsmax brand in this important and dynamic market,” said Ralph Renzi, CEO of Newsmax Radio and Audio. “WAQI and WQBA have deep roots in South Florida, and we look forward to building on their legacy while creating new opportunities to inform, engage, and connect with their audiences.”
WQBA is valued at $540,000, paperwork confirms. The WAQI agreement sees Newsmax paying seller Latino Media Network (LMN) $1.26 million for the facility, with 10% placed in escrow.
For generations — until late 2025 — WAQI as “Radio Mambí” served as a gathering place and trusted voice for a Cuban exile community born in the early 1960s and grew and evolved across the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, as well as across the last 25 years in a vastly changed Hispanic marketplace.
On October 23, 1985, at the height of the Reagan Administration’s fight against Communism, businessman Amancio Suarez decided to purchase a forced divestment by Jefferson-Pilot Communications of what was WGBS-AM, a mid-level Pop/Adult offering branded as “Musicradio 7000” circa 1978 to demonstrate it was “bigger than Y-100.” He converted the fornlorn frequency to “Radio Mambí” and took a hard-right approach to talk programming. It was a hit, with the $3.5 million investment leading to subsequent ownership by Heftel Broadcasting, Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., and Univision Communications. By time time Univision merged with Televisa to become TelevisaUnivision, however, “Radio Mambí” — to management — two decades of an aging audience hadn’t been addressed. Rather than reboot the station, it was sold alongside WQBA and 16 other radio stations to LMN.
That transaction proved to be a point of concern for many Cuban exiles hopeful for not only a Cuba Libre back “home” but for an owner that would bring the respect brand a fresh coat of paint. Instead, “Radio Mambí” and WQBA (formerly “La Cubanísima”) failed to generate significant audience and revenue growth under LMN. For some, this was viewed as intentional, as LMN was funded by Soros Fund Management and tied to George Soros, a known liberal and Democratic Party supporter. While that’s simply based on speculation, financial challenges were factual. On December 12, 2025, WAQI General Manager Mike Sena said the station would “close our live news/talk chapter and will forge on to new frontiers. We are proud of this legacy and deeply grateful to the colleagues, listeners and advertisers who made it possible.”
Under Newsmax ownership, “Radio Mambí will embrace that proud legacy while beginning a powerful new chapter” as WAQI will also get a new lease on life. “Radio Mambí is an institution,” Ruddy said, in prepared comments. “For decades, it has been the voice of a community that understands the value of freedom because it has fought to preserve it. We are honored to continue that tradition and ensure Radio Mambí remains a trusted source of news, information, and conversation for generations to come.”
He added that WAQI and WQBA “will expand Newsmax’s growing audio platform while strengthening its connection to the Miami market and the broader Hispanic audience.”
While Newsmax Radio is largely known for its Noon-3pm Eastern offering “The Rob Carson Show,” seen by some as a successor program to that of the late Rush Limbaugh, Newsmax “plans to restore and enhance Radio Mambí’s role as South Florida’s premier destination for Spanish-language news, talk, commentary, and community engagement.”
This is in contrast to Salem Media’s acquisition of WWFE-AM 670 “La Poderosa” and FM translator W276DV at 103.1 MHz, announced in October 2022. Today, WWFE is English-language Christian Talk & Teaching-formatted “The Word.” That wasn’t the original plan. “The stations currently broadcast Spanish-language formats and it is Salem’s intent to continue broadcasting in Spanish post-closing,” the company said at the time. However, ratings and economics proved that anti-Communist content on a home other than Radio Mambí or WQBA isn’t an easy task.
Similarly, Audacy Inc.’s WAXY-AM 790 in South Miami is still seeking to find its fullest voice as “Radio Libre.” From September 2022-September 2023, Americano Media operated it under a partnership agreement with Audacy. However, after one year the station’s fiscal portrait was bleak, leading Americano to end the agreement. Eventually, after temporary music programming to fill time slots was put in place, a slate of new and returning hosts came back to the daytime lineup.
Today, Actualidad Media’s WURN remains the top Spanish-language spoken word and information station on the radio dial. Radio Libre has a 0.2 share, compared to WURN’s 3.0 rating. WSUA “América Radio” 1260, a station with its own recent history of fiscal challenges, did not appear in the Nielsen Audio ratings for Miami.
Newsmax is eager to add Radio Mambí back into the ratings mix, while making WQBA a Cuban appealing flanker. At present it is airing programming from the U.S. government’s “Radio Marti” on a temporary basis.
“For many in Miami, the return of Radio Mambí’s historic voice represents more than a business transaction,” Newsmax said. “It symbolizes the preservation of a cultural institution that has played a critical role in informing, connecting, and inspiring members of the Cuban exile community for decades. Newsmax will invest in local programming, community outreach, and expanded news coverage designed to strengthen the stations’ connection to listeners throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties.”
Meanwhile, the sale terms indicate that LMN “shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, prior to the closing, an extension on the same terms, through the 2028-2029 NBA season,” of the Spanish-language radio broadcast rights agreement between LMN and the Miami Heat, forged in October 2024.
Latino Media Network’s counsel is Francisco Montero, of the now-closed Fletcher Heald & Hildreth; the legal counsel for Newsmax is David Berns of Lerman Senter PLLC.
