Community First Broadcasting has brought the syndicated “Juan” Spanish Variety Hits format to a second northwestern Iowa market.
Community First Broadcasting’s KSOU/1090 and K268CZ/101.5 (Sioux Center) switched to Juan under the name “Sioux Ritmo” on Monday. The company’s KAYL/990 and K260BS/99.9 (Storm Lake) also carry “Juan.”
“Sioux Ritmo” replaces a Classic Hits format that had launched eight years ago on the AM station and a little over three years ago on the FM translator.
The station’s announcement of the new format says news, weather, and sports updates will be in English, but community calendar and school announcements will be in Spanish. General Manager Piet Westerbeek told the Sioux Center News that’s because Spanish speakers have told them that they want to hear some English as they learn the language.
Census data indicates about 8 percent of people in Sioux County speak Spanish at home. KSOU also has a fringe signal to Sioux Falls and Worthington, which both have significant Hispanic populations but no Spanish-language stations.
In Sioux Center, Community First also owns Adult Contemporary outlet KSOU-FM/93.9 and “Hawk Country 107” (KIHK/106.9 Rock Rapids).