By David Hormell and Adam R Jacobson
In mid-October 2025, a format change at an Urban One radio station in the Washington, D.C., market led some to question if a stunt was underway. It wasn’t one: the company that largely superserves Black consumers had switched “Praise 104.1” to a format decidedly committed to reaching the fast-growing Spanish-speaking community across the National Capital Region.
Now, “Latino 104.1” and its simulcast partner at 87.7 MHz have their first Program Director.
Taking the post is Raúl López-Bastidas, putting him in the pilot’s chair for WLNO “Latino 104.1” in Waldorf, Md., and “FM6” service partner WDCN-FM 87.7.
A native of in Cali, Colombia, López-Bastidas arrived in New York in 1980 and within three years broke into broadcasting as one of the first on-air talents for WSKQ, the pioneering radio station owned by Spanish Broadcasting System. He went on to serve as Program Director for the former WKDM and, later, for SBS’s WPAT-FM “93.1 Amor” before relocating to Washington, D.C. in early 2000 to direct three stations for Alfredo Alonso’s Mega Communications. From 2005 to 2019, he served as the General Manager for Washington market AMs WZHF and WLXE and from December 2022 to December 2025 he worked as Operations Manager for Costa Media D.C. under José Villafañe.
In a brief statement, Urban One Audio Division Co-President Eddie Harrell Jr. said, “We are thrilled for Raul to join our team here at Urban One. Raul is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of success, and we look forward to him leading Latino 104.1/87.7 to new heights.”
