Radio Ink is pleased to announce the finalists for the prestigious 2023 Medallas de Cortez awards, recognizing excellence in Hispanic radio programming, sales, and management.
The awards are named in honor of Raoul Cortez, who in 1946 founded KCOR/San Antonio, the first Spanish-language radio station in the United States. Finalists are selected by an independent panel of judges following nominations by their peers.
Finalists will be honored, and the winners announced, at the Hispanic Radio Conference, to be held June 14-15, 2023, in Miami at the Intercontinental at Doral.
“The Medallas de Cortez Awards have recognized and celebrated the talents of the Hispanic radio community for 14 years,” said Deborah Parenti, President/Publisher of Radio Ink. “We are proud of our finalists and their accomplishments and are excited to recognize them in this way each year.”
Here are this year’s finalists:
Marketer of the Year
Tony Garcia, Global Media Services/Now! Media
Rick Ramos, Katz Media Group, New York, NY
Claudia De Leon, La Mega Media, Columbus, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA
Maria Del Pilar, Mega Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Maria Martinez, Bryan Broadcasting, Bryan-College Station, TX
Sales Person of the Year
George Sanchez, Spanish Broadcasting System, Orlando, FL
Heather Torres-Thomas, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
Martin Reyes, Broadcasters General Store, Gainesville-Ocala, FL
Andres Sanchez, Radio Rancho, Boise, ID
Diana González, Solmart Media, Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
Martha Mendoza, Bryan Broadcasting, Bryan-College Station, TX
Saul Martinez, Lazer Media, Modesto, CA
Personality of the Year
Epi Colon, WOEX-FM, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo, TelevisaUnivision
Everardo Lopez, WLKQ-FM & WTSH-FM, Davis Broadcasting, Atlanta, GA
Roque Gallart, WPYO-FM, Spanish Broadcasting System, Orlando, FL
Patricia De Lima, WLZL-FM, Audacy, Washington, DC
El Flow de Miami, WRTO-FM, TelevisaUnivision, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL
Alberto (El Terri / El Terrible) Cortez, SBS AIRE Radio Networks
Ruben (El Tarzan De La Radio) Perez, Lazer Media
Program Director of the Year
Andrea Becerra Prado, Entravision Communications, Sacramento, CA
Raymond Hernandez, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
Jose Luis Marquez, Davis Broadcasting, Atlanta, GA
Orlando Rosa, iHeartMedia, Atlanta, GA
Elena Jovel, Spanish Broadcasting System, Los Angeles, CA & San Francisco, CA
Julie Garza, Curtis Media Group, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC
Julissa Marcencia, Wine Down Media, San Francisco, CA
Oscar Rios, TelevisaUnivision, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio, TX & Chicago, IL
Arturo Sosa, Spanish Broadcasting System, New York, NY
DOS or Sales Manager of the Year
Crystal Gomez, Entravision Communications, Riverside-San Bernadino. CA
Jim Reilly, Spanish Broadcasting System, New York, NY
Normand Levy, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
Ernesto Caballero, Spanish Broadcasting System, San Francisco, CA
Jorge Castaneda, Radio Rancho, Boise, ID
General or Market Manager of the Year
JC Campese, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
Sabina Widmann, TelevisaUnivision, San Diego, CA, Las Vegas, NV & McAllen-Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Fernando Bauermeister, Spanish Broadcasting System, Orlando, FL & Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Shirley Davenport, Curtis Media Group, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC
Damien Galarza, Stephens Media Group, Merced, CA
Ben Downs, Bryan Broadcasting, Bryan-College Station, TX
Marc Guralnick, Mega Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Station of the Year
KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA, Moline, Rock Island, IL
WOEX-FM, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
WLKQ-FM/WTSH-FM, Davis Broadcasting, Atlanta, GA
WPYO-FM, Spanish Broadcasting System, Orlando, FL
WYMY-FM, Curtis Media Group, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC
KBUE-FM, Estrella Media, Los Angeles, CA
KLVE-FM, TelevisaUnivision, Los Angeles, CA
WSKQ-FM, Spanish Broadcasting System, New York, NY
