Last month, KUNR Public Radio launched its first Spanish-language news segment. It runs every Friday and is called "Al Aire" which means "on air."
The host of the show is Maria Palma, a bilingual journalist who is committed to bringing information to the northern Nevada community in both Spanish and English, she specializes in reporting on under served communities.
We caught up with Palma at the KUNR station on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.
"I was born in La Serena, Chile,” Maria shares, “It's a city similar to Reno but more on the Pacific Ocean". Palma says she loved growing up in Chile and by the time she was 23, had received her first college diploma and was ready for a postgraduate degree. "I came here (Reno) in 2021 to pursue my Masters in Journalism. I completed my Masters at UNR."
In 2022, KUNR, Reno's member station of NPR - National Public Radio - hired Maria. Like many reporters, Palma loves telling stories about people.
"Especially people who cannot have the chance to speak for themselves. I’ve done stories on several communities that are unheard. Right now, I’m working on a story about the deaf community in Reno."
Palma does most of her stories in English and Spanish;
"My main duty is to report in English, but we have launched this newscast that is completely in Spanish."
KUNR’s Managing Editor, Vicki Adame explains how it came to be. "When I first got here, I knew that the station already had a strong bilingual presence in terms of news on the website, so I knew that the natural next step would be taking it to the air waves."
So, Adame created "Al Aire" with Maria Palma as reporter and host. Al Aire is a four-and-a-half-minute newscast entirely in Spanish for the KUNR airwaves, which up until now, only broadcast entirely in English.
Al Aire means "on air" and you can hear Palma’s Spanish language segment on air every week. The report is more than just news translated from English to Spanish.
"I try to make the newscast in a very, in a way that is actually like, targeting Latino audiences," affirms Palma.
Most census data show Nevada's Hispanic or Latino population is close to 30%. KUNR and Palma want to serve the Spanish-speakers among them
"They're looking for information, but it's not there. I feel like this is really helping and like I said, I can help with my language skills. I want to inform my community."
Palma, Adame, and KUNR believe "Al Aire" is just the just beginning of a new wave of communication.
"We're confident that our community is growing and is expanding and I hope one day we can provide our services in many other languages."
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You can hear Maria Palma’s reporting throughout the week on KUNR public radio or by listening to their livestream. A new segment of the Spanish language "Al Aire" can be heard every Friday at 8:44am and 5:44pm - with a repeat on Sundays at 4:30pm on 88.7 FM in Reno
Al Aire - https://www.kunr.org/search?q=al+aire#nt=navsearch
KUNR en epanol - https://www.kunr.org/en-espanol
Escuche Al Aire, el nuevo segmento de noticias en español de KUNR
Este resumen de las noticias de la semana se emite en la radio todos los viernes a las 8:44 a.m. y a las 5:44 p.m. y domingos a las 4:30 p.m. en 88.7 FM en el área de Reno. También está disponible en www.KUNR.org
