Snail Radio

Caracol Radio is a Colombian radio network and radio conglomerate. Since 2003 it has been owned by the Spanish group PRISA.

History

Caracol Radio was born in Medellín in 1948 as Cadena Radial Colombiana S.A. after the radio station La Voz de Antioquia acquired 50% of the shares of Emisoras Nuevo Mundo de Bogotá (founded in 1945 by the Inter-American Broadcasting Society). At the end of that year, the station Radio Cacique de Ibagué joined and, in the 1950s, Emisoras Fuentes from Cartagena de Indias, Emisoras Unidas from Barranquilla and Radiodifusora de Occidente from Cali joined. The first exclusive broadcasts of the Tour of Colombia stand out from this time. In 1986, it acquired the radio station Núcleo Radial Bienvenida and was strengthened in 1990 with the purchase of Radio Sutatenza, which reformatted it to the basic chain.

The first radio station derived from Caracol was Radio Reloj, a station that began its broadcasts in 1951 in Medellín, 1952 in Bogotá and 1954 in the city of Cali, disappearing in 2008 (with the exception of the Medellín frequency, until 2013 it changes its name to Q'hubo Radio). In 1958, it acquired the stations Mil XX, (the first station released Caracol records in the country during the 1960s, over time, its content changed, remaining as a Vallenato music station until its disappearance in 1991) and La Voz of Colombia as classical and romantic music. In 1963, it acquired Emisoras El Dorado in Bogotá and Radio del Comercio in Bucaramanga, the following year, in 1964, it acquired Radio Visión in Medellín. Later, the FM channel was launched, which began broadcasting on September 1, 1973 under the name Radio Punto Azúl 99.9 and three years later, in 1976, renamed Caracol Estéreo. In 2003, with the arrival of Grupo Prisa, the chain changed its format and its name to W Radio.

Other spin-off stations were Radio Deportes (1983-1996), Nota Estéreo (1987-1989), 'Musicar FM (in alliance with Carvajal S.A.) (1984-1993), Bienvenida Estéreo (1986-1992), Radionet (1997-2004), Corazón Estéreo (1989-2003), Radio 15 (1963-1977), La Deportiva (2001), La Vallenata (1994-2016), Radio Recuerdos (1985-2012) and Oxígeno (1998-2022). At the same time, Caracol stood out for launching the first children's programming station in the country, Colorín Colorradio, in 1992 (it went off the air in 2006 and finally disappeared in 2013). Caracol also launched Radio Mercadeo, considered the first 24-hour station dedicated to to sell products and services similar to telesales. This station only operated in Bogotá on the frequency 1220 AM; Some time later the frequency was sold to Radio Maria Internacional.

Sale to PRISA Group

Initially, the chain belonged to Coltejer, owner of La Voz de Antioquia. Later, it was acquired by a group of businessmen headed by Fernando Londoño Henao and Alfonso López Michelsen, and since 1987 it was sold to the Bavaria Business Group of the industrialist Julio Mario Santo Domingo. In 1999, the Spanish multinational PRISA bought 19% of the company's shares with the aim of creating a Latino radio network. In 2003, and as a consequence of economic readjustments, Grupo Bavaria sold Caracol Radio to Grupo PRISA and months later sold the 17% that some of its companies still retain in its subsidiary Grupo Latino de Radio S.L., which acted as holding company of the radial group. In this way, Caracol Radio ceased to have business ties with Caracol Televisión, but they have an agreement for the use of a joint brand.

The most recognized programs of the Caracol Radio station are 6 AM Hoy por Hoy, a morning news program directed by journalist Gustavo Gómez El Pulso del Fútbol with César Augusto Londoño and Óscar Rentería directed by César Augusto Londoño himself, La Luciérnaga, a national humor, news and current affairs program that is broadcast in the afternoons, directed by Gabriel de las Casas. Other historical formats that have disappeared are Novels of Impact, La Polémica, Monitor, El Asylum of Vargas Vil, Buenos Días Night, Enigmas del Mundo, Todo Fútbol (broadcast from the basic network in conjunction with Radio Deportes, and finally with Radionet), the Caracol Sports Combo, Cinco Reporteros, El reportero Caracol, Caracol on land Spend the afternoon with Caracol and Hablar por Hablar.

On August 12, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. (local time), its headquarters was attacked by a car bomb. The explosion was heard during the Caracol Radio program 6 AM Hoy por Hoy. Likewise, W Radio, Los 40 Principales and Radioacktiva were broadcasting at that moment.

Its president was Ricardo Alarcón, who left the company in March 2017, and its CEO is Felipe Cabrales Urdaneta. The general directors of the company were Cristian Dieb, Juan Manuel (Jon) Ruiz Ituarte and José Ignacio Reglero.

Headquarters

Headquarters in Bogotá

In its first years in Bogotá, the headquarters were in the center on Calle 19 between Carreras 8 and 9. At the beginning of the nineties it moved progressively to the Puente Aranda Industrial Zone (Carrera 39A # 15-81) in facilities that belonged to Radio Sutatenza. The main headquarters of Caracol Radio remained there until June 2005. Since then, the main offices of Caracol Radio have been on Calle 67 with Carrera 7 in Bogotá in the town of Chapinero.

Stations

These are the stations that belong to Cadena Caracol: Radioacktiva, Tropicana, Los40 Urban, W Radio, W+ and Bésame, the popular stations Radio Santa Fe and Radio Reloj, the online station LOS40 and its satellite signals Caracol Radio Satelital and W Radio Satelital.

Caracol Radio and W Radio cover the entire national territory with stations in the country's capitals, from where they also originate local news and connect with the basic network to report in each region.