A Class D AM radio station that must protect WEPN-AM in New York outside of daylight hours and its 130-watt FM translator covering a traditionally Spanish-speaking portion of Montgomery County, Md., have concluded their run as a Hispanic market-focused broadcast service for the District of Columbia.
Ahead of the Labor Day holiday, United Media Communications shared on its Facebook feed and at its main website for “La Mera Mera” that it was ceasing operations, and ending its lease agreement with WBQH-FM and W228DI owner Hubbard Radio.
In its statement, United Media addressed its “community, collaborators, clients, and partners” by offering both “deep gratitude” and “immense sadness” in sharing “that we have made the difficult decision to cease the operations of our company.”
UMC noted, “For years, we worked with dedication and passion to build a project that not only provided a service or product, but also created both human and professional value for everyone involved. However, the continued economic instability in the United States, rising market costs for sustaining independent radio stations, and increasing pressures on our community have brought us to this point.”
In Washington, D.C., La Mera Mera and its regional Mexican format were overshadowed from a strategic marketing standpoint by Audacy’s WLZL “El Zol 107.9,” a Tropical-tinged Spanish Contemporary FM that climbed to a 3.4 share of all listening in the July 2025 Nielsen Audio ratings for the National Capital region.
While “La Mera Mera” scored a 1.6 share, a big jump from a 0.5 in February, its cume was roughly one-third to one-quarter that of “El Zol.”
Other competitors in the Washington, D.C., market include Nueva Network’s “Qué Onnda” brand of contemporary Hispanic formats, which include regional Mexican “La Pantera.”
“Although this chapter is coming to a close, we walk away with pride in what we have built: La Mera Mera became the first AM station to surpass FM stations in ratings in the DMV area, the second most-listened-to Latino station in the market, and the number one Regional Mexican station in the DMV,” UMC said. “We close our journey with a strong and loyal audience, reaching a rating of 1.6 and climbing, even to this day. We carry in our hearts the relationships we built, the experiences we shared as a team, and the role we played in supporting the community, local businesses, and brands. We trust that what we have learned on this journey will continue t o bear fruit in the future-for all of us who were part of this story.”
