Two of Florida’s leading Republicans are raising alarms about leftist billionaire George Soros taking over a Cuban-American radio station in Miami.
Both U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis say Soros’ move is an effort to further purge an already liberal media landscape of conservative voices.
On Tuesday, the news website El American spelled out the details of the transaction.
Latino Media Network, led by two Democratic activists with close ties to Barack Obama, was paying $60 million to acquire 18 Spanish-language radio stations in 10 markets, mostly major cities: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, McAllen (Texas), Fresno (California) and Las Vegas. El American noted that would give the company direct access to a third of the Hispanics in the U.S.
Almost all of the stations have formats devoted to music, sports, or other entertainment.
Radio Mambi in Miami stood out.
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As El American noted, over its 30-plus years on the air, Mambi had “established itself as one of the most listened to radio stations in all of Miami,” becoming “the leading voice of the Cuban American community.” A community, by the way, that is distinctly anti-Castro and conservative.
“With its astute conservative editorial line,” El American continued, “Radio Mambi distanced and differentiated itself from other Spanish-language media in Florida, taking as its insignia the values of freedom, the struggle against socialism, and the Castro regime.”
“However, today this historic radio station, according to Cuban exile voices, is in danger of being silenced.”
The reason is Soros.
El American noted that the conservative Salem Media Group practically had sealed a deal to buy the stations for $46 million. Then, along came Latino Media Network and its $60 million.
The primary financier of Latino Media Network is Lakestar Finance, a company connected to the Soros Fund Management firm.
One source told El American, “In the end, the intention is to break the radio and silence it.”
On Twitter over the weekend, Sen. Rubio said, “After years of trying to censor conservative Cuban-American radio left wing activists are buying the top conservative station @radiomambi710 so they can silence it forever.”
In another tweet on Monday, Rubio added, “The purchase of a conservative spanish (sic) language radio station @radiomambi710 by left-wing investors is part of the leftist plan to wipe out Hispanic conservative voices.”
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On Monday, Gov. DeSantis’ campaign announced it was taking out ads in Spanish to warn Hispanics in Florida “of the pro-socialism, radical agenda behind The Latino Media Network,” Fox News reported.
“Warning, voters! The Left is taking control of our local media,” the ad’s English translation said, according to the Washington Free Beacon. “George Soros, known for financing extreme leftist causes, is now financing the purchase of Hispanic radio stations right here in Miami.”
In a tweet on Monday, DeSantis added, “The Soros-funded radical Left is running a scheme to manipulate local media in Florida to push their Marxist agenda on voters. In Florida, we reject the professional Left & their attempt to infiltrate our state & will always stand for truth and freedom.”
The Washington Times reported on Tuesday that South Florida GOP Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Salazar, and Carlos Gimenez issued a joint statement denouncing the purchase.
“Radio Mambi became a legendary home for anti-communist voices in South Florida because it was one of the few places where those who value freedom of thought could speak their minds and argue against socialist tyranny in our hemisphere,” the lawmakers said.
“If this is an attempt by the left to sell Hispanics on their woke ideology and culture wars, then we predict this venture is doomed to fail the way Air America did,” they said. “Hispanics are much smarter than that.”
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