| Broadcast area | Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 580kHz |
| Branding | WKAQ 580 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| History | |
First air date | December 3, 1922; 102 years ago (1922-12-03) |
Former frequencies | 830 kHz (1922–1934) 1240 kHz (1934–1942) 620 kHz (1942–1951) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 19099 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 18°25′56″N66°58′59″W / 18.43222°N 66.98306°W /18.43222; -66.98306 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www.wkaq580.com |
| Repeater | |
| WUKQ | |
| Frequency | 1420 kHz |
| History | |
First air date | June 3, 1958; 66 years ago (1958-06-03) |
Former call signs | WEUC (1958–2000) |
| Technical information[2] | |
| Facility ID | 9352 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 50,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 17°59′23″N66°37′21″W / 17.98972°N 66.62250°W /17.98972; -66.62250 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
WKAQ (580kHz) is a commercialAM radio station inSan Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently owned byWAPA Media Group, the station airs a Spanish languagetalk radio format. Its programming is repeated onWUKQ, which broadcasts on 1420 kHz inPonce, andWYEL which broadcasts on 600 kHz inMayagüez. The station was the first radio station to broadcast in Puerto Rico.[3] According to Ernesto Vigoreaux, in the early days of music in Puerto Rico, the musicians would record musicat the WKAQ radio station.[4] WKAQ is the Puerto Rico primary entry point station for theEmergency Alert System.[citation needed]
WKAQ was owned for many years by Angel Ramos, owner of theEl Mundo newspaper, and eventual namesake forWKAQ-TV, branded asTelemundo. TheEl Mundo operated until 1986 when labor strikes and acts of terrorism ended its operation.
On May 9, 2022,Hemisphere Media Group, the owners ofWAPA-TV, announced they would purchase WKAQ,WKAQ-FM, WUKQ,WUKQ-FM and WYEL from Univision Radio. The deal marks Hemisphere's entry into the radio business. During WAPA's 2023 upfront presentation, the network's management alluded that talent from the channel would also be joining the radio stations in the future and vice versa.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
On September 1, 2023, Hemisphere Media Group announced that the deal to buy WKAQ-AM and WKAQ-FM had been finalized and that they would be spinning off their media properties into a subsidiary called WAPA Media. The conglomerate would include WAPA-TV, WAPA Deportes (WAPA-TV Sub-channel), WAPA América, and the two radio stations.[12][13][14][15][16]
