Americano Media
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Founded | March 2022 |
| Founder | Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo |
| Headquarters | Miami , United States |
Area served | United States (primarily Hispanic audience) |
Key people | Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo (founder), Thomas G. Woolston (chief investment officer) |
| Products | Radio broadcasting, digital media |
Americano Media was a U.S.-based media enterprise launched in March 2022, focusing on serving the Hispanic audience. It operated the Miami radio station WAXY (790 AM), marketed as "Radio Libre," alongside digital platforms. Its content primarily featured Spanish-language conservative talk programming.
History
Established in March 2022 by Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo, a former telecom executive and spokesperson for the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, Americano Media sought to fill a perceived void in Republican-oriented Hispanic media by creating a "Fox News in Spanish." Garcia-Hidalgo had previously hosted Batalla Política on NTN24 in Colombia, recognized as one of its highest-rated shows. Other notable Republican figures involved included Michael Caputo. The initial principal investor was former patent attorney Thomas G. Woolston, who contributed $1.2 million in loans and assumed the role of chief investment officer.
The company debuted its audio programming on Sirius XM satellite radio in March 2022, primarily as a strategic move to garner industry attention despite limited listenership. Throughout the summer, Americano attracted several prominent broadcasters from Radio Mambí, a Miami-based station known for its conservative and Cuban-focused content, following its acquisition by Latino Media Network, an organization associated with Democratic interests. Among those who transitioned were Dania Alexandrino, Lourdes Ubieta, and Nelson Rubio; former congresswoman Mayra Flores also joined as a contributor.
In September 2022, Americano entered into a lease agreement for WAXY (790 AM) with Audacy, Inc., rebranding the station as "Radio Libre." This move to local broadcasting reflected recognition of limited interest in Spanish-language conservative content outside the Miami market. By April 2023, Americano's programming had expanded to include three stations in central Florida and one in Bakersfield, California—the latter serving the district of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. The Bakersfield outlet, KNZR AM, began airing Americano content on June 29, 2023.
Plans for growth in 2023 encompassed launching television operations and establishing studios in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., aiming to be present on 50 stations within key political regions by year-end. The Miami facility was already outfitted for television production. Nevertheless, financial challenges emerged; by August 2023, Americano had not compensated staff since March and was pursuing new capital or potential acquisition by Voz Media. Internal accounts attributed difficulties to mismanagement and overextension into TV ventures. After negotiations failed, the company announced an immediate cessation of operations effective August 25, 2023.