MEDALLAS DE CORTEZ 2024 WINNERS

This year’s Medallas de Cortez award winners were announced at a ceremony during Hispanic Radio Conference 2024. The Medallas recognize excellence in Hispanic radio programming, sales, and management, named in honor of Raoul Cortez, who founded the first Spanish-language radio station in the United States, KCOR, in San Antonio in 1946.

New Mexico Broadcasters Association President & CEO Paula Maes was honored with the special Medalla for Distinguished Leadership in Hispanic Media.

Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo was also given a surprise honor – during a live broadcast of El Show De Piolín from the Conference, he was awarded the Medallas de Cortez Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry and his role in inspiring Radio Ink Chairman Eric Rhoads to create the Hispanic Radio Conference.

This year’s winners are:

• Marketer of the Year – J.D. “Jimmy” Gonzalez, Audacy, Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
• Sales Person of the Year  – Heather Torres-Thomas, Cox Media Group, Orlando, FL
• Personality of the Year – Don Cheto, Don Cheto Al Aire, Estrella Media, Los Angeles, CA
• Program Director of the Year  – Julie Garza, Curtis Media Group, Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC
• DOS/Sales Manager of the Year – Elizabeth Paulino, Spanish Broadcasting System, New York, NY
• Market or General Manager of the Year – Fernando Bauermeister, Spanish Broadcasting System, Orlando, FL & Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
• Station of the Year – El Norte 107.9 (KQQK), Estrella Media, Houston-Galveston, TX