Casey Gallegos, General Manager of KDCE 950 AM was kind enough to give us a little bit of perspective on the differences between AM and FM Spanish-language stations in the state.

His Española station, with its appropriate “Qué Dice” callsign, has a very local approach, “covering, for instance, local news, weather, sporting events, [and] obituaries.” He describes the station's demographic as "the community," meaning that the programming is relevant to anyone interested in the events happening directly in their own neighborhood.

In Santa Fe, Gallegos pointed out, similar local coverage is provided by KSWV 810 AM (Que Suave). A key difference between these stations and their larger FM counterparts is in the actual music that they broadcast. Qué Dice and Que Suave emphasize New Mexican rather than Mexican music.

While there are similarities between the two genres, New Mexican music is often more traditional, relying on folk and Spanish influences. This is not to say that there have been no developments in the scene since Al Hurricane. Anyone interested in top contemporary acts should check out Los 15 Grandes de Nuevo Mexico, an annual awards event that “celebrates excellence in Latin New Mexico Music.” This year's ceremony took place on Nov. 17 and featured Lorenzo Antonio.

Accordion image via Wikimedia Commons.