In the eleventh hour, hard rock station 91.5 FM “The Species” survived a fate worse than oblivion thanks to the hard work and dedication of Tico headbangers who simply refused to let their beloved missing link fade away. The radio station had been slated for closure or change in format by parent company Cadena Radial Costarricense (CRC), a modest media group that counts nine radio stations in Costa Rica.

The passionate listeners of 91.5 FM are very deserving of CRC’s decision to keep the metal flame alive. After all, it was the enthusiasm and creativity of the fans that saved the station from changing to a trendier and more profitable format like reggaeton, Latin pop or talk radio.

The triumph of The Species was in stark contrast to the demise of 95.9 FM, a former classical music radio station that mostly played well-known abbreviated classical music selections like key passages from Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Fur Elise, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, etc. Listeners of 95.9 also tried to save the station from the fate that The Species escaped, but it is interesting to note that 95.9 is a sister station of 91.5, also owned by CRC. So what went wrong?

Radio is Still a Powerful Media Outlet in Costa Rica

For all the advances in wireless Internet technology in Costa Rica, and the popularity of personal computing devices like smartphones, radio still gathers a substantive amount of interest among Ticos. Costa Rica’s wireless infrastructure has vastly improved in the last few years, yet the population has hardly given up on radio. Ticos have shown a lot of love for social media, something that radio stations have been quick to embrace to extend their brand.

Amelia Rueda, a hard-working journalist who has a strong listener base in Costa Rica, is a firm believer in radio’s ability to empower the people. Over the last three decades, she has worked on television and Internet, but she admits that the radio program on Radio Monumental 93.5 FM is her anchor. Social media is a strong component of Amelia’s citizen empowerment network, but radio is still her foundation -as is proven by the seven radio journalism awards she has received during her career.

It can be said that a quick scan of the radio dial can reveal a lot about the diverse interests of the population. Assuming that Costa Rica is a social democracy with conservative tinges and a deep affection for its verdant land, the different formats on the radio spectrum confirm that idea. Rainforest Radio is one of the country’s most interesting radio stations thanks to its strong commitment to ecological conservation. Many stations, including Rainforest Radio, include programming in the English language that appeals to the growing expat community. Other stations that have programs catering to anglophones are: Radio 2 at 99.5 FM and Best FM at 103.5. On 91.5 FM, Fearless Leader is a popular English-speaking personality.

Online stations like Chile con Carne Radio offer Ticos modern eclecticism, and judging by the popularity of mobile apps like Central de Radios, Internet radio will likely continue to grow in Costa Rica.

Older Ticos, particularly those who grew up in rural areas, may still remember that traditional childhood ritual of being sent to la pulperia by parents to run a two-fold errand: to get some groceries and to listen to the time of day in Radio Reloj. Upon returning from la pulperia, the young errand runner could either calculate the amount of time it took to return from the store and add to the time heard on Radio Reloj; or let his or her parents figure it out.

Underestimating Listeners

Broadcast radio is hard work, and getting to know radio audiences can be even harder. In the case of CRC, the executive board may have underestimated The Species in the beginning, but once CRC owner saw the drive of 91.5 FM listeners, he told digital newspaper Costa Rica Hoy: “I am very proud of this action by The Species. Now we know how many listeners we have. Several advertisers are now interested in the station and thus we will keep going forward with the same format.” He also added to potential advertisers: “Our listeners have disposable income. According to our numbers, 80 percent are home owners, 70 percent own a car and it just so happens that from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm they are one person, but once they’re off work they don their black t-shirts.”

The Species was able to rally the metalhead army thanks to various social media outlets, but the most important factor is that they actually came out in force and engaged the radio station in real life. There’s no denying that solidarity runs through the ranks of The Species. The meta-format of 91.5 FM is all-inclusive: dinosaur rock from Alice Cooper competes against the mainstream of Metallica. For those who enjoy the jack-hammering beats and grating guitars of bands like Slipknot, 91.5 FM is paradise; an equal-opportunity station for all Tico headbangers.

The former 95.9 FM, on the other hand, failed to rally the Wagner-loving troops in the same fashion as The Species. The station owners could not yield to snobbish comments on a hastily concocted Facebook page. To this very day, posts on the Que no cierren la emisora clasica (95.9) still run the gamut of condescension, to wit: “Why did a hard rock station listened to the rallying cry of listeners, while a station like 95.9 that was listened to by more people with better education simply went off the air?”

Such comments belie the fresh attitude that The Species presented to CRC’s owners. Let this be a lesson that in Costa Rica, it pays to be a good radio listener. Those who miss 95.9 FM’s programming still have 96.7 FM, an excellent radio station operated by the University of Costa Rica.