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22 OCT 04: RITMO ADIOS?

The nightclub is still on North Lumpkin Road. I drove by it Thursday night. But the budding "Ritmo Latino" empire seems to be in major decline. Now it's been kicked off Columbus radio - meaning about the only salsa you'll find in wide distribution is in grocery stores, next to the taco dinners.

A check of WSHE-AM's "church news" confirmed Thursday that Ritmo Latino Radio is no longer on the station. It's now "southern gospel" seven days a week - so does that mean the prayers of Southern Baptists work better than those candles burned to "lucky" saints?

(WSHE's Jim Foster hosted a big fundraising concert Thursday night for the Valley Rescue Mission. Apparently the Republicans were too busy campaigning to provide a mouthpiece like Oliver North this year.)

But back to Ritmo Latino: I noticed something was different at AM-1270 last Sunday morning, when gospel music was on instead of the usual Spanish-language weekend hosts. For one thing, southern gospel music doesn't tend to have any
accordion players....

Since I didn't hear any Spanish-language music, I suspected something was up. Certainly Ritmo Latino's entire staff couldn't be here illegally, could it?

Acting on my suspicion, I called Clear Channel Radio Monday and asked what happened to Ritmo Latino Radio. But the people who answered the phone didn't know anything had happened. Maybe they thought those unusual-looking people on weekends were members of the cleaning crew.

Thursday's announcement on WSHE actually is the latest slip in a long slide for Ritmo Latino. Only 15 months ago, it had a weekly Thursday night telecast on TV-16. It lasted - well, it lasted about as long as most of the other shows on TV-16....

In the summer of 2003, Ritmo Latino Radio was on AM-1270 almost 60 hours a week. Now Jim Foster suggests it MIGHT return once in awhile on Saturdays. For instance, if the hosts are willing to say "hallelujah" at least once an hour....

Ritmo Latino dreamed of being a Spanish-language media conglomerate. But have you seen any copies of the monthly newspaper "La Voz Hispana" lately? All they had to do was bury a stack of them under copies of "Playgrounds."

Is it only coincidence that the reduction in hours and ads for Ritmo Latino Radio began right after founder Jose Ricci was indicted in July? Something told me back then I should have bought a couple of 90-minute cassettes - to record the music,
so I wouldn't feel the urge to buy any CD's for awhile.

This is actually the second setback in terms of Spanish-language radio in Columbus. I moved here just as "Radio Continental" was going off the air in 1997. Perhaps Ritmo Latino Radio was simply too much of a "Continental carbon."

But this is the strange part: Clear Channel Radio just announced a new commitment to Spanish programming, beginning in Atlanta. A good radio at the north edge of Muscogee County can pick up FM-105.3, now called "Viva!" Does a Columbus station really have to die, so this can live?

On Tuesday night, the Ritmo Latino nightclub on North Lumpkin had a van with a AM-1270 logo parked outside. I didn't notice that van Thursday night - but then again, maybe the owner was down the street at Brito's Market buying beer for weekend dances.

Signs on South Lumpkin Road businesses indicate the Ritmo Latino nightclub still has a dance concert planned Saturday night. And the annual "La Feria Hispana" fair is coming up October 31. After that -- well, has this staff considered shuttle
service between Columbus and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas?

Now some quick Instant Messages, as the weekend draws near:

+ To the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: What's wrong down there? You didn't have a single article bashing Marshal Ken Suddeth anywhere on Thursday's front page.

+ To Winn-Dixie stores: I'll assume the Florida hurricanes are why lettuce costs up to two dollars a head right now. But calling Chips Ahoy cookies for $2.88 a bag a SALE price? We're in Columbus, not San Diego.

+ To the Hardaway High School football team: I know you've qualified for the playoffs - but what's with the switch to black home uniforms? Haven't you noticed the baseball trend? Red IS the winning color this fall.

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© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.