Miami Radio: Soros-Backed Radio Mambi Drops Talk Format

Miami's iconic Radio Mambí (WAQI 710 AM), a 40-year pillar of the Cuban exile community and conservative Spanish-language talk radio, ended its live programming at midnight on December 12, 2025, with most staff laid off amid declining ratings and financial pressures.

The station, often called "La Grande," shifted to archived shows, music, and sports broadcasts (including Spanish-language coverage of the Miami Marlins and Heat), with most staff laid off.

George Soros

Founded in 1985, Radio Mambí became an iconic platform for political debates, denunciations of the Cuban regime, and community discussions among Miami's Hispanic population, particularly older Cuban exiles. It was acquired in 2022 by Latino Media Network (LMN), a Democrat-led group with funding linked to George Soros, as part of a $60 million purchase of 18 Spanish-language stations from TelevisaUnivision. 

The sale sparked controversy, with conservatives fearing it aimed to moderate or silence right-wing voices; several hosts defected to competitor Americano Media.

LMN intended to make the programming more "moderate, centrist, and factual," but critics argue little changed in tone, and efforts faltered due to low investment in promotion and resistance from staff.

WAQI 710 AM (50 Kw)

Ratings declined (to a 1.1 share in November 2025), and financial struggles led to the decision. This followed the earlier shutdown of sister station WQBA (1140 AM) in June 2025, which also went to an all-music format after failed reform attempts.

For more than four decades, Radio Mambí (WAQI 710 AM) served as a cornerstone of Miami's Cuban exile community and broader Latino audiences in South Florida.The station hosted presidents, governors, mayors, dissidents, former political prisoners, cultural figures, and everyday community members, fostering a platform deeply tied to anti-communist sentiment and conservative viewpoints.

Critics, however, long accused it of promoting right-wing extremism and spreading misinformation.

In 2022, Latino Media Network—a bipartisan but Democrat-led group backed in part by liberal investor George Soros—acquired Radio Mambí and sister station WQBA as part of a $60 million deal for 18 Spanish-language stations nationwide. 

The network aimed to shift both toward more moderate, fact-based news and talk programming.Efforts to revamp WQBA included hiring renowned broadcaster Oscar Haza to lead a new lineup launched in 2024. But by July 2025, the station ended all news and talk content, laying off staff and switching to an all-music format amid financial struggles.

Now Radio Mambí has followed suit, ending its live news and talk programming after 40 years—a decision attributed to economic pressures, declining audiences, and younger Latinos shifting to digital platforms.