IN THE NEWS!

              York College's Radio Caliente Provides York's only Latino radio voice
                    Local man helps people understand Hispanic Culture
 
 
  Radio Caliente es un show dedicado a toda la audiencia Hispana de York y a toda la gente que disfruta de los sonidos y ritmos latinos. Dirigido completamente en español, Caliente se ha convertido en el primer programa de radio en español en York.

El programa empezó en Febrero de 1999 y hasta hoy ha tenido un gran éxito. Al principio llegaba a los hogares de York unicamente una noche en la semana, pero por la gran demanda de la comunidad, ahora puede llegar a nuestra audiencia latina tres veces por semana. Esperamos que en el futuro la programación aumente pero siempre con el apoyo de los radioescuchas.

Nuestra frecuencia es 

La estación esta ubicada en el segundo piso del edificio " Iosue Student Union" en el campus de York College, en York, Pennsylvania. Estamos en el aire todos los Miércoles de 4 a 7pm, Jueves de 7pm a 10pm y los Sábados de 8am a 1pm.

En Radio Caliente uno puede escuchar una variedad de música latina, desde Shakira, hasta Juan Luis Guerra. Se escucha música de todos los ritmos y para todas las edades: Balada, Bachata, Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, Mexicana, Reggae, Hip Hop, Rock en español y hasta Tecno. También hay varios programas dedicados especialmente a la comunidad de York.

Durante el programa uno puede solicitar sus canciones favoritas o mandar saludos a su familia amigos y demás. Por medio de Radio Caliente uno puede informar a la comunidad de eventos especiales que pertiene a los Hispanos. Es nuestro placer considerarnos comunicadores de esta gran comunidad hispana. Para anunciar sus eventos, por favor llene este formulario.

Las líneas telefónicas en la estación son:  717-815-1311 o 717-815-1932 (Por favor llamar unicamente durante la programación en español)

Para más información sobre auspicios o anuncios pueden comunicarse con Inés Ramírez

    York Daily Record
     LOCAL NEWS
    Mon., Oct. 8, 2001

York College’s Radio Caliente provides
                           York’s only Latino radio voice

                           By ANDREW BROMAN
                           Daily Record Staff

                           To “shout out” to a friend in York,
                           there’s only one way to do it in
                           Spanish.

                           That would be on Radio Caliente, a
                           show run by two people with a taste
                           for all types of Latin music.

                     Inés Ramírez created the show two
                           years ago after she picked up radio
                           skills as a York College student in
                           1997. Back then, her Latin show
                           was done in English.

                           After she graduated, Ramírez stayed
                           to work at the college. She also had
                           a chance to get off campus and see
                           just how big the Latin community
                           was.

                           “I was just a little more aware, not being a student anymore,” she
                           said.

                           So she started Radio Caliente and made it all in Spanish. It airs on
                           the college’s radio station, 99.7 FM.

                           The show gets 50 to 70 calls a night from people looking to
                           “shout out,” a way to say hello over the air to friends, Ramírez
                           said.

                           But she’s not the only one jotting down “shout outs.” Juan
                           Chow-Kai is the other disc jockey. He heard the show a couple
                           years ago and asked Ramírez if she needed help.

                           She did, and he started to volunteer. He helped gear the music to
                           every type of Latin listener. It has Ricky Martin pop-rock for
                           South American fans. There’s bachata and merengue from the
                           Caribbean and Salsa for the Cuban natives. Central American
                           listeners tend to go for the cumbia. There’s Spanish rap and
                           reggae, too, Chow-Kai said.

                           On Saturday, he plays two hours of Christian music.

                           All the play has attracted advertisers, too, such as the Tropical
                           Grocery Store on South Queen Street. The store promotes its
                           famous Viagra Soup, a special blend of clams, shrimp and other
                           seafood to rev up the sex life. The store’s owner said the ads pay
                           off.

                           Ramírez said the city has failed to fully appreciate the size of
                           its Latino market and expects a Spanish commercial station to hit
                           the air someday. In the meantime, she and Chow-Kai struggle to
                           get as many minutes as they can from the college. Because
                           Ramírez works at the college, she can get air time, but the
                           students get first dibs.

                           Someday, Ramírez said, she might do radio full time. Chow-Kai
                           said this is a part-time hobby for him, but he wants more air time,
                           too. The show, for example, goes off air in the summer.

                           For now, Radio Caliente airs 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays and 8 a.m.
                           to 1 p.m. Saturdays. The first two hours on Saturday are
                           dedicated to Spanish Christian music. For more information,
                           check out the radio station’s Web site at www.ycp.edu/wvyc.

                           Reach Andrew Broman at 771-2035 or abroman@ydr.com.

 BY SHAWN LEDINGTON
 Daily Record staff
 Monday, September 30, 2002

Local man helps people understand Hispanic culture

 As three boys left Ferguson Elementary School last Wednesday, one by one, they shouted, “Adios” to
 Juan Chow-Kai.

 And, patiently, 39-year-old Chow-Kai returned the gesture.

 A few minutes later, a teacher asked Chow-Kai for some help. A little girl in her class seemed sad and
 since the girl speaks Spanish, the English-speaking teacher wasn’t able to find out if there was a
 problem.

 A short conversation in Spanish between the girl and Chow-Kai revealed the girl had had a tooth pulled
 and it was bothering her a little.

 Problem solved.

 As he left her room, the dark-haired little girl grinned a gap-toothed smile and waved.

 The scene was typical of the 39-year-old Chow-Kai, who brings a touch of Hispanic culture to
 everything he does.

 As the country celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month until Oct. 15, Chow-Kai is helping his school
 celebrate as well. He is doing his best to teach the children in his school about all the Hispanic
 cultures, which he said is important since many people only know of Puerto Rican and Mexican cultures.
 

 Chow-Kai usually gives the morning announcements over the school intercom system for the students in
 both Spanish and English.

 In the next month, though, he will spice up his announcements with Hispanic music and explanations of
 the different music and dances, such as Salsa and the Bachata.

 He has also decorated the front-door bulletin board with tons of Hispanic heritage memorabilia that
 kids gaze at going in and out the door. He asked some of the students’ parents to bring in some of
 their favorite things as well.

 He has invited several York College students from Hispanic countries such as Guatemala, Columbia,
 Bolivia and Brazil to visit the students at his school next month to discuss their country’s specific
 culture and traditions.

 Chow-Kai came to the United States in 1980 from Panama to attend high school in Virginia. He moved to
 York in 1985 for personal reasons and never left.

 Immediately, he became involved in the Hispanic community through the Spanish American Center.
 Chow-Kai is Chinese as well, and grew up submersed in both cultures. Growing up, his grandmother would
 cook Spanish food for lunch and his grandfather would cook Chinese for dinner, he said.

 Chow-Kai relates more to his Hispanic heritage, though, he said.

 In 1992, he and a few others helped convince York’s cable company to begin airing the all-Hispanic
 cable network, now called Univision.

 Chow-Kai said he was asked to participate in that endeavor because of his business-minded philosophy.
 At the time, there were about 5,000 to 6,000 Hispanics in York County, he said.

 “Money smiles in every language,” he said.

 A few years later, he created a Hispanic newspaper column, which ran in the Heritage News newspaper, a
 black newspaper that folded but is now up and running again. The column related social, school and
 local news in Spanish. Chow-Kai no longer writes that column.

 Instead, he’s deejay for York’s Radio Caliente, the only Hispanic radio station in York. It is aired
 three days a week on the York College radio station.

 The radio show is so popular that he gets 50-75 calls a night from community members wanting to give
 “shout outs” to people.

 His friend and colleague on Radio Caliente, Inés Ramírez, said Chow-Kai is the person she goes to when
 she wants to get Hispanic people in York to an event that she puts on at York College.

 “He’s a sociable guy,” she said.

 Chow-Kai agreed. He said he can throw a party.

 “Just give me the tools,” he said. “I can put a party together real quick.”

 Additionally, Chow-Kai is a youth advocate for three kids, coaches soccer and helps Hispanics fill out
 their income tax forms — and it’s all through volunteering.

 “I like to stay busy,” he said. “It helps my hair fall off a little faster.”

 The only job he gets paid for is his job as a home schooling liaison at Ferguson. Even at the school,
 though, he is doing more than just one job. He is also truancy officer, a translator and, at times, a
 dad.

 “Some of these kids don’t have dads at home,” he said.

 That’s why he makes sure that when a child at school takes the time to speak to him, he always returns
 the gesture with an “Hola!” or an “Adios.”

 Reach Shawn Ledington at 771-2048 or sledington@ydr.com.