WAQI (Radio Mambi) to End Live Talk Programming

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, December 12, 2025 | 10:45am CT

WAQI (Radio Mambi 710) in Miami

Latino Media Network will end live Spanish-language conservative talk programming on WAQI (Radio Mambi 710) in Miami at 11:59pm Friday, closing a four-decade chapter for one of South Florida's most influential Spanish-language radio stations.

In a statement, Radio Mambi General Manager Mike Sena cited financial pressures and broader shifts in the media landscape. He said the station, its audience, and the industry are "rapidly evolving," creating challenges across the marketplace. Sena called the decision a difficult one, adding that the station is proud of its legacy and grateful to colleagues, listeners, and advertisers who supported it over the years.

Following the shutdown of live news and talk, WAQI will air archived programming, music, and Spanish-language broadcasts of the NBA's Miami Heat and MLB's Miami Marlins. Reports indicate that all live programming staff will depart, with a minimal operation remaining that includes one board operator and one salesperson to meet existing advertising and sports broadcast commitments.

Radio Mambi launched in 1985 after Mambisa Broadcasting Corporation, led by Amancio Su¡rez, purchased the former WGBS and flipped it to a Cuban exile-focused Spanish-language talk format. The station became closely identified with Miami's Cuban community and anti-communist viewpoints, later evolving into a strongly conservative talk outlet. It would eventually join Univision's Miami cluster before being acquired in 2022 by Latino Media Network as part of a larger purchase of 18 Spanish-language stations nationwide.

The end of Radio Mambi's live talk programming follows Latino Media Network's shutdown of news and talk on sister station WQBA 1140 AM last June. Latino Media Network has said both decisions reflect economic and demographic headwinds facing Spanish-language news and talk radio, particularly as younger, more bilingual audiences increasingly turn to digital and social platforms for information.

With the change, Radio Mambi's uninterrupted 40-year run as a live talk station comes to an end, marking a significant shift in Miami's Spanish-language radio landscape.