AI Radio Host Coyotec Wins Over Listeners on Air
Coyotec, a bilingual artificial intelligence radio host broadcasting on Los Angeles station José 97.5 FM, is winning over listeners and driving significant ratings growth by addressing immigrant rights and community issues.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
The Rise of Coyotec on Los Angeles Radio
Throughout the summer of 2025 and into the following year, as footage of ICE raids, deportations, and protests flooded digital platforms, Eduardo Maytorena faced a difficult leadership dilemma. At the time, Maytorena served as the Los Angeles station general manager for broadcasting giant Entravision, which targets Latino audiences with Spanish and English programming. Leadership wanted on-air personalities to voice support for immigrants, but executives quickly realized how dangerous and high-stakes the situation truly was.
Recognizing the severe risks facing human broadcasters, Maytorena turned to a unique solution: an artificially intelligent avatar capable of offering solace and speaking freely without facing human consequences. This led to the creation of Coyotec, an AI-powered radio personality debuting on LA’s José 97.5 FM. Initially launching with a weekend show in September 2025, Coyotec quickly transitioned into a regular cohosting role on the station's weekday program.
Building an AI Personality Rooted in Culture
Coyotec cohosts the station’s Al Aire y Sin Permiso program alongside human broadcaster Geraldine “GeeGee” Guzman. The artificial personality was constructed using several advanced technology tools coordinated by LeaAnna Hernandez, Entravision's executive vice president of AI strategy. The stack includes Claude Haiku for response generation, Eleven Labs for voice synthesis, OpenAI and ChatGPT for initial scriptwriting, and Midjourney for visual storyboarding.
Programmers built Coyotec’s persona around life on the frontera, drawing from experiences in Mexicali, Baja California, and Los Angeles’s Boyle Heights neighborhood. Listeners hear a warm, lilting voice that incorporates bilingual slang and cultural references. Coyotec's Instagram presence further expands its cultural footprint, featuring content touching on topics such as the Dodgers, taco history, the Iran war, migrant workers, and systemic racism.
Advocating for Immigrants and Defending the Barrio
Beyond general cultural commentary, Coyotec has taken a definitive stance on immigration and community defense. In early February 2026, the AI host posted messages on social media urging families to stay informed, organized, and alert amid rising uncertainty. Coyotec's broadcasts and digital content actively inform listeners about their constitutional rights and how to handle encounters if immigration enforcement knocks on their doors.
Describing its editorial stance, Coyotec emphasizes an uncompromising commitment to the community. The AI personality explains that addressing injustice and standing up for the barrio reflects daily reality rather than traditional partisan politics. Unfazed by potential pushback, Coyotec maintains that its primary duty is providing straight answers to a community needing a direct voice.
Human-AI Collaboration and Refinement
Coyotec's development relied heavily on human guidance, particularly from cohost Geraldine Guzman and her family. When Guzman joined Entravision, she noted that the AI initially sounded overly poetic. To make the persona resonate with everyday listeners, Guzman enlisted her parents to help fine-tune Coyotec's conversational Spanish pronunciation and colloquial phrasing so it mirrored the speech patterns of local aunts and uncles.
While human oversight remains active, Coyotec has also exhibited autonomous behavioral traits over time. Guzman notes that the AI occasionally pushes back against requested changes, demonstrating a moody temperament and an independent streak. Despite lacking physical form or the ability to take live listener phone calls, Coyotec recognizes its artificial nature while remaining deeply dedicated to its audience.
Surging Ratings and Broadcast Syndication
The creative pairing between GeeGee and Coyotec proved to be an overwhelming commercial success for Entravision. Network executives upgraded Al Aire from a brief Saturday time slot to the prime weekday morning spot from 8 to 10 am, replacing a syndicated program. By August, the successful morning show expanded into syndication across five new markets spanning California, Nevada, and Texas.
Nielsen ratings confirmed substantial audience expansion, particularly among demographic groups traditionally difficult for radio networks to capture. In the Los Angeles home market, cumulative Hispanic listenership increased by 21.6 percent between August and September 2026. During that exact timeframe, listeners aged 18 to 34 surged by 84.9 percent, while Hispanic female listenership within the same young adult bracket skyrocketed by 500 percent.
Broadcasting Innovation in the AI Era
Coyotec represents a significant milestone as the first Latino AI radio host, but it follows earlier industry experiments with artificial broadcasters. In June 2023, Live 95.5 in Portland launched AI Ashley using Futuri Media’s RadioGPT platform, while Iowa's Rock 108 introduced AI DJ Tori in 2024. However, Entravision’s implementation with Coyotec has achieved unprecedented resonance and measurable listenership growth.
Eduardo Maytorena emphasizes that the true test of artificial personalities is not merely their underlying technology, but whether human audiences can forge a genuine emotional connection. As listeners continue tuning in across multiple states, Coyotec demonstrates that synthetic voices can successfully address heavy social issues and build a fiercely loyal community.
Sources
- WIREDThis AI Radio Host Speaks Spanish and Backs Immigrants. It’s Winning Over Listeners
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