Special Projects

Latino Parents Host Radio Show About Health

s one of the most popular information sources in the Spanish-speaking community, radio can be a powerful tool in helping immigrant parents cope with the challenges of raising healthy children in an unfamiliar culture and country.

That’s why Radio Bilingüe—a Spanish-language, nonprofit radio network—is using the airwaves to create healthier Latino families. La Placita Bilingüe is an hour-long, interactive radio program that features local parents as hosts for discussions about a wide range of health issues facing immigrant families.

La Placita was launched in 1998 with funding from TCWF to serve Latino families in the Salinas and Imperial valleys. With a two-year, $250,000 grant this year from TCWF, Radio Bilingüe is expanding its reach by producing the show in Fresno.

"Radio is definitely the communication medium of choice in Latino communities, said Hugo Morales, Radio Bilingüe’s executive director. "It is accessible and cheap, requiring neither English- nor Spanish- language literacy. It’s a great way to reach our target audience."

The program is aimed at lower-income, less-educated families who live in largely agricultural communities. The talk-show format presents an unparalleled opportunity for broadly disseminating information that fosters healthier families.

"This concept can be easily replicated elsewhere, providing a means for even more non-English-speaking parents to feel comfortable in seeking advice, sharing concerns and learning how to use community resources, Morales said.

La Placita Project Coordinator Frances Sivak works with schools and health agencies to recruit both parent hosts and listeners for the new weekly show that began airing in Fresno this past summer.

Sivak started training five Spanish-speaking parents in May and hopes to add five more hosts this year. Parents suggest topics for the shows and have identified such concerns as the acculturation of the Latino family, changes in diet and nutrition in a new environment, health insurance and male responsibilities during pregnancy.

"These host parents have never been on radio before, and they’re learning as they go, said Fresno La Placita Producer Lupe Carrasco. "We’re teaching them how to conduct a talk show, how to keep the conversations lively and how to use the broadcast equipment."

Hosts invite experts to appear on the show and ask them questions from a parent’s perspective, eliciting answers in terms parents can understand. Listeners are invited to call in on a toll-free number with questions and opinions. Extensive outreach, marketing and real audio webcasts encourage listenership and audience participation.

"Callers find it refreshing to talk to nonprofessionals who have the same problems and are willing to share their personal experiences in child-rearing, Carrasco said.

Carrasco and other staff members meet with the hosts after each show to review the broadcasts. The number of phone calls are also tracked to gauge the extent and nature of the audience. Focus groups have shown that the program is having a positive impact among parents and families.

"Training parents to become hosts requires a commitment of resources and a dedication to skill building within the community," said Lucía Corral Peña, TCWF program officer. "The format is unique and makes a real contribution to health promotion within the immigrant Latino population."

For more information about Radio Bilingüe, visit www.radiobilingue.org

Fall 2000

INSIDE:

Grantees Use Policy Advocacy

Interpreters break down language barriers

Home visits connect kids to health care

Teen-to-teen pregnancy prevention

Violence prevention for incarcerated youth

Workplace wellness programs

Padres promote health on radio

Grants Program

Application process