Entravision launches AI radio host Coyotec, boosting Latino audience engagement by 500%
Entravision has introduced an AI-powered radio host named Coyotec on its Los Angeles station José 97.5 FM, cohosting a program alongside human broadcaster Geraldine “GeeGee” Guzman. The move has coincided with a 500% surge in Hispanic female listenership among younger audiences and expanded syndication to five markets.
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30 SEC SUMMARY
- Entravision debuted AI radio host Coyotec on José 97.5 FM in LA, cohosting with human broadcaster GeeGee Guzman.
- Coyotec’s launch drove a 500% increase in Hispanic female listenership aged 18-34 from August to September 2026.
- The program Al Aire y Sin Permiso is now syndicated in California, Nevada, and Texas.
- AI tools including Claude Haiku, Eleven Labs, and Midjourney were used to develop Coyotec’s voice and personality.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Coyotec, an AI radio host, cohosts Al Aire y Sin Permiso on José 97.5 FM alongside human broadcaster Geraldine “GeeGee” Guzman.
- Hispanic female listenership aged 18-34 grew by 500% from August to September 2026, with overall listenership up 21.6% in LA.
- The program is now syndicated in five markets across California, Nevada, and Texas.
- Entravision used AI tools like Claude Haiku, Eleven Labs, and Midjourney to create Coyotec’s voice, personality, and image.
AI cohost drives audience growth
Entravision’s AI radio host Coyotec, introduced on Los Angeles station José 97.5 FM, cohosts the program Al Aire y Sin Permiso with broadcaster Geraldine “GeeGee” Guzman. Coyotec was designed to reflect Latino culture, particularly life along the U.S.-Mexico border, using bilingual slang and addressing social issues affecting immigrant communities.
According to WIRED, the debut of Coyotec led to a 500% increase in Hispanic female listenership aged 18 to 34 between August and September 2026. Overall listenership among Hispanic audiences in LA grew by 21.6%, while listeners aged 18 to 34 increased by 84.9%. The success prompted Entravision to move the program from a weekend slot to weekday mornings and expand syndication to five markets across California, Nevada, and Texas.
How Coyotec was built
Entravision developed Coyotec using a combination of AI tools. Claude Haiku powered the large language model for generating responses, Eleven Labs provided the voice, and Midjourney created the visual representation. OpenAI and ChatGPT were used for scriptwriting. Coyotec can respond to Guzman in real time but does not interact with callers or listeners on air.
Entravision’s executive vice president of AI strategy, LeaAnna Hernandez, described the development timeline as just 10 days. The AI host’s personality and voice were modeled after cultural influences from Mexicali in Baja California and LA’s Boyle Heights, aiming to resonate with Latino audiences.
AI’s role in radio production
Entravision’s leadership, including Hernandez, has emphasized that AI tools like Coyotec are intended to streamline production rather than replace human talent. The company denies laying off staff due to AI but acknowledges reducing reliance on contractors, as reported by WIRED.
Industry research firm MoffettNathanson supports this approach, asserting that radio will continue to rely on human-created content while using AI to make production faster and less expensive. This aligns with broader trends in media, where AI is increasingly used to augment rather than replace human roles.
AI adoption in global radio
Coyotec is part of a growing trend of AI adoption in radio broadcasting. Other examples include SiriusXM’s AI cohost qd.pi on the show Will.i.am Presents the FYI Show, an AI DJ in Sydney that operated undetected for six months, and Radio Tel Aviv’s AI host Odelia, which presents music and traffic updates. In Poland, a station briefly replaced journalists with AI presenters.
However, not all broadcasters are embracing AI. iHeartRadio has positioned itself as 'guaranteed human,' resisting the integration of AI personalities into its programming.
What this means
Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.
Entravision’s experiment with Coyotec demonstrates how AI can be tailored to specific cultural audiences, driving engagement and expanding reach. For founders and operators in media, this signals an opportunity to leverage AI not just for efficiency but as a tool to deepen audience connection—particularly in niche or underserved markets. The 500% growth in Hispanic female listenership suggests that AI, when aligned with cultural identity, can unlock significant audience segments that traditional formats may overlook.
The story also highlights the practical limits of AI in media: Coyotec’s real-time interactions are confined to scripted responses with its cohost, and it does not engage with live callers. This mirrors broader industry caution, where AI augments human roles rather than replacing them entirely. For startups considering AI integration, Entravision’s approach—using off-the-shelf tools like Eleven Labs and Midjourney—shows a low-cost, rapid prototyping model that could be replicated in other markets or languages.
Key takeaways
- AI-driven content can significantly boost engagement in culturally specific markets, as shown by Coyotec’s 500% increase in Hispanic female listenership.
- Startups can prototype AI personalities using existing tools (e.g., Eleven Labs, Midjourney) without building models from scratch.
- AI’s role in media remains primarily augmentative, with human oversight critical for live interactions and unscripted content.
- The success of Coyotec’s syndication across multiple markets suggests scalability for AI-driven formats in regional or niche audiences.
Related on Lazyfounder
Sources
- WIRED · 2026-10-26
This AI Radio Host Speaks Spanish and Backs Immigrants. It’s Winning Over Listeners
This story is an original summary drafted with AI by Lazyfounder from the reporting listed above and checked by automated validation. Facts are attributed to their original publishers; sections marked as analysis are Lazyfounder's. Where a source is in another language, facts were machine-translated and quotations are reported, not reproduced. Read the original coverage via the links, and see our AI policy and corrections policy.
About the author
Editor, Lazyfounder
Tarun Mottlia edits LazyFounders, covering Indian startups, funding rounds, AI and product launches. Every story on the site is AI-assisted and checked against its cited sources before publication.
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