Spanish Broadcasting System Chairman and CEO Raúl Alarcón is emphasizing operational progress and digital growth even as the company’s financial pressures deepen in comments about the company’s Q1 performance, which was released last month.
“We continued to make substantial progress in executing on our strategic plan while significantly reducing our operating expenses during the first quarter, successfully launching our start-up station in Houston, delivering on our digital ‘DAVid Initiative’ and continuing to invigorate and strengthen our premier radio brands as well as LaMusica, our top-ranked digital music and entertainment platform,” said Alarcón.
The company eliminated an additional $3.2 million in operating costs and corporate expenses compared to the same period in 2024.
Despite those efficiencies, the numbers reflected ongoing challenges. SBS posted a net loss of $5.65 million in Q1 2025, more than triple the $1.62 million loss reported a year ago. Revenue across its core businesses declined 18% year-over-year to $27.57 million, with radio revenue falling from $32.32 million to $26.46 million. Television revenue slipped from $1.41 million to $1.12 million.
Operating income dipped to $93,000, compared to $5.22 million a year earlier, impacted by severance costs and the absence of nearly $2 million in one-time income recorded in the prior year.
Still, Alarcón underscored recent growth drivers, including the launch of Houston’s Raúl Brindis Show on KROI, which he described as achieving “stunning ratings success in record-breaking time,” reaching No. 1 in morning drive among Hispanic listeners and No. 2 overall in the market. He noted KROI achieved profitability by May, only three months into full operations.
In Tampa, WSUN-FM’s Nandy & Cristy morning show is also contributing to growth, supported by live video streaming on LaMusica.
On the digital front, Alarcón spotlighted expansion plans for LaMusica’s video platform. A newly announced partnership with Roku will extend LaMusicaTV’s distribution to millions of U.S. and Mexico viewers via Roku’s platform, with additional rollouts planned on Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon Fire TV throughout 2025.
“Our multi-station portfolio, combined with our digital LaMusica assets, our AIRE Networks syndication and affiliation service and our live events business represent a unique platform for advertisers seeking to reach the nation’s growing Hispanic population, including its most coveted younger consumers,” said Alarcón. “We are committed to strategically investing in our growth while continuing to drive efficiencies across our operations, to the benefit of all our stakeholders.”
Spanish Broadcasting System has scheduled its Q1 2025 earnings call for this morning at 11a ET.
