Latinos Protest NPR Move to Ax ‘Enfoque’

Citing low listenership and a lack of adequate funding, National Public Radio has announced that it will abandon its only Spanish-language newscast, the weekly 30-minute magazine “Enfoque Nacional.” The decision drew immediate protests from Latino leaders and has stirred some interest in Washington.

The final broadcast of “Enfoque,” produced by San Diego’s KPBS-FM and carried in Los Angeles by KALI-AM (1430), is scheduled for March 24, a Sunday.

NPR’s move raises the larger issue of whether Spanish-language public-radio programs should be broadcast by English-language public-radio stations or by Spanish-language commercial stations.

“My argument from the beginning has been to go to commercial stations,” NPR President Douglas J. Bennet said in a telephone interview. “The point is to reach the Spanish-speaking audiences.”

But Arnold Torres, a Sacramento lobbyist on Latino issues, said that airing Spanish-language programming over commercial stations rather than public radio flies in the face of NPR’s mandate for minority programming.

“NPR has never encouraged its network of stations to carry (Spanish-language) programming,” Torres said. “NPR has always ghettoized minority programming. The problem is (that) public radio was not designed to simply have white liberals listen to what they want to listen to. It is designed to provide alternative programming.”

Jose Mireles, “Enfoque” executive producer, implied that NPR is using a double standard by permitting the broadcast of public-radio programs in Spanish over commercial radio but restricting such English-language public-radio programs as “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” to non-profit, public-radio stations.

Mireles said he has contacted several Congressmen, including Rep. Jim Bates (D-San Diego) and Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), asking for their support in restoring “Enfoque’s” funding. Spokespersons for Bates, Wilson and Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) confirmed that the legislators are looking into NPR’s decision to drop the program.

NPR officials in Washington said “Enfoque Nacional,” which includes breaking news, profiles and features compiled by a stable of 50 free-lance reporters across the country, was canceled after years of declining numbers of listeners.

Only 6% of some 350 NPR-member public-radio stations subscribed to the program in October, according to NPR. Last February the program’s funding was cut to only six months this fiscal year.

“We feel we have given it every chance that we could,” NPR’s Bennet said, adding that the weekly audience of 11,000 did not justify the program’s $180,000 annual budget. “I’d rather take a risk with something new.”

Bennet said “Enfoque” will be replaced by a similarly formatted program, in English, that will air daily. The new show--10 or 15 minutes in length, Bennet said--will probably be produced out of Washington, with a Spanish-language version being offered to commercial stations if the funding for it can be found.

Mireles questioned NPR’s estimate of 11,000 listeners for “Enfoque.” An NPR official acknowledged that because fewer survey diaries are placed in Spanish-language households, the Arbitron rating may not be accurate.