“Charlando con La Gringa” just finished its first week on the air. Here’s what the bloggers are saying about this show, the host and the changes at KHRO:

Refuse the Juice Blog by David K gives a play-by-play Paul Strelzin vs. Lisa D. at the 4 o’clock hour.

The Avocadoan announces the show launch on June 23. The headline is very funny and very appropriate.

The Lionstar Blog post on June 25 announcing the show has received some great comments, one worth mentioning is the alleged use of a glamour shot in the logo as Lisa D. is not that pretty in person.

Paul Strelzin’s discussion forum been reporting on the changes at KRHO since plans were overheard in the bathroom and leaked out by fans.

As I write this post today, I’m very excited about week two. The staff at Univision has been totally professional and available and supportive along with everyone at El Paso Media Group.

Charlando con La Gringa is a new local radio show that broadcasts weekdays from 4-6 p.m. on KAMA 750 AM.

]]> http://epmediagroup.wordpress.com/2008/06/28/mi-vida-en-radio-kama-750-am/feed/ http://epmediagroup.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/charlando-means-chit-chat/ http://epmediagroup.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/charlando-means-chit-chat/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:07:28 +0000 epmediagroup http://epmediagroup.wordpress.com/?p=38

Day twelve of my internship.
Though I’d love to be sprawled out on a beach chair near the waves of some exotic location (Cabo, perhaps?), spending my summer afternoons with the El Paso Media Group has drawn me closer to this “real world” that college graduates speak of. And it’s actually delightful. Editing images, creating advertisements and manipulating typefaces can only instigate so much satisfaction. Really it’s the wonderful people at EPMG that make this leap into adulthood so exciting. Each member of this company is a real, funny, ambitious individual who makes me want to succeed, to join this march toward creating a great product.
Perhaps the funniest, most ambitious individual is Lisa D. And perhaps you’ve heard of her, this Renaissance woman. Editor of EPMG, mother of two adorable blond boys, office comedian and now host of Charlando con la Gringa, this white girl has her hands full. Yesterday was Lisa’s first day on air at KAMA 750 AM (tune in from 4-6, Monday through Friday!). She’s “totally awesome” and “totally cute” and she totally interviewed El Paso’s mayor, John Cook. Lisa D is charismatic, smart and entertaining. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my boss. Really, listen to her show. Listen to Lisa D learn Spanish. You might learn something, too.

-Lindsay Moore, Intern

Today El Paso Media Group started yet another media venture in El Paso, a bilingual talk radio show on an all-Spanish language station, KAMA 750 AM, called Charlando con La Gringa and I’m the gringa you are supposed to charlando with. And the totally fun part is I know about 17 words in Spanish (comer, dinero, adios, gracias, queso, malo, etc.). The bilingual part of the show comes when a caller only speaks Spanish to me and I say, “what?” Actually, today was a total success as I had Jessica Valdez and Christine Aguilar in the studio with me and they both speak lovely Spanish and Pete the board operator speaks Spanish too; The three of them handled the Spanish callers beautifully.

Mayor John Cook joined us during the second hour of the show and several callers had the chance to chat it up - once caller was a pro-recall and that added a little grit to the show. I prefer the callers add grit and I stay behind the scenes as a “moderator” - I think it’s better that way,sometimes…

Melina Castro was supposed to open the show but she had a family emergency and will reschedule. I plan to talk to her about fashion and how cute she is.

My college roommate that is spending the summer in upstate New York called the show to wish me well and several other fans. That was fun. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes. If you listen in and have comments, send them to lisad@epmediagroup.com or call the show between 4-6 p.m. weekdays at 880-5262, I would love to hear from you.

Lisa Degliantoni, Host of Charlando con La Gringa, KAMA 750 AM

Dear Jessica, 

I am going to be quite frank. I am dating my friend’s ex. They dated about two years ago for about a year and mutually decided that it was not working (or that is what was told to me by my friend). I recently ran into him (her ex) downtown about a month ago. At first it did feel very awkward but after a long night of cocktails and catching up, sparks ignited and we have been inseparable ever since. Though I feel like I am betraying my friend, I don’t want to miss out on someone that could be the love of my life. She is dear to my heart and I feel that we are serious enough for me to tell her that we are dating. Though it may break the unspoken code that comes with friendship and respect, is it really that bad if I feel this strongly for this person? Please help! 

Her EX. My Boyfriend.

Dear Her EX. My Boyfriend,

The only thing to do at this point is to sit down with your friend and confess your secret. Only then will you know what to do. If her reaction is positive and states she feels nothing towards him anymore and that she does not mind, then you can move on with him. If her reaction is negative and says she cannot believe you have done this to her, you can decide if you will choose your friend or your new man, her ex.

Personally, I could not date any of my friend’s exes. For one, none of us has the same taste in men (thank goodness!), and secondly, there are just way too many fortune cookies in the bowl for me to choose from, instead of taking the one she already unwrapped, cracked open, read the fortune and left as waste on the table. Plus, she already read me the fortune out loud and we already agreed it wasn’t that great!

To each his own! One woman’s scrap is another’s fortune.

Jessica, 

After 11 years of marriage and two kids, I recently found out that my husband has been cheating on me for the past five months. I didn’t “discover” it, he confessed to me, and claims that he is over his affair and that he only ever started seeing another woman because we hadn’t been intimate in way too long. About a year ago, I got laid off and have since been working two jobs. I am often on my way to work before he wakes up, or coming home way too tired to cook, let alone exert myself in the bedroom. I still love my husband and he claims he still feels the same way about me. We’d like to try and make things work between us, and I feel that I might be able to trust him since he did confess. But I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same. I’m constantly blaming myself for neglecting that area in our lives but I’d hate to break our family apart. Our children, just 4 and 9, need us both…and so do I. 

–Is there hope?

Dear Is There Hope,

My first reaction to your story was, “Why is she the one working two jobs?”

And my next reaction was, “If he had the two jobs and she weren’t getting enough sex, would it have been okay for her to sleep around FOR FIVE MONTHS???” Absolutely not!

I am not going to pretend to know what it is like to be married for 11 years and have two children, but I will say I can only imagine that if this happened to me, I would definitely be out the door (well, actually, he would have to leave the house). There is no excuse for cheating. He should have come to you the moment he felt the need to go with someone else. If this “no sex” really bothered him so much, why is the first time you are hearing about it five months too late? Your husband is selfish. He gives up too quickly on what a lifetime commitment is supposed to define.

You are going to do what you want, but my advice (since you are asking for it) is to leave him. The reality of cheating is that you may forgive him and tell yourself you can forget about it, but you won’t. I took a poll with five of my girlfriends (who are all married) and asked them about their husbands and cheating. Out of the five, three admitted their husbands had cheated. I asked them about the aftermath and the obvious forgiveness that took place and all three said they struggle with the thought of the affair every day of their lives. Two of them suppress it so much, they suffer from headaches and stress and the other brings it up constantly and can’t get it out of her head. There is no way I could live like this.

You must first think about the children and what they will be exposed to if you stay. If you feel you can carry on with him knowing he betrayed you, your children, your unity and your commitment, then go for it. If you do forgive him, though, he must be punished. He must prove to you this will never happen again. Or there is an alternative. He must allow you to cheat for five months. When five months is done with, you can start all over again. I cannot guarantee this will make the situation better, but it can certainly serve as your reset button. It’s up to you.

It’s 134 degrees outside, but I’m sitting inside the El Paso Media Group office where Jessica keeps the A/C at the temperature of an igloo. But she keeps me warm with her laugh-out-loud dialogue and quirky comments. I’m approaching the end of my second week as a graphic design intern for EPMG. I’ve photoshopped my little heart out, designed a few letterheads and been thrown head first into a real live professional atmosphere. 

When I threw my graduation cap into the air, tassel shimmering in the hot El Paso sun, the only thing stopping me from leaving my little border town was three long months until my first semester at Texas Christian University. And finally, miles away from home, I became a freshman sorority girl who progressed into a sophomore graphic design major, a junior anti-sorority girl and a senior with a victory lap remaining.

And while I grew four years wiser away from home, the west Texas town of El Paso has drawn me back for a summer of culture, Mexican food, old friends, family and Jessica’s relationship advice. This is my last summer as a kid, as an undergraduate, as free as a bird. And I’m scared to death. But my afternoons as an intern keep my brain from shrinking. I’m preparing for the day my parents officially kick me out of the nest, for the real world, for an adventure that begins here at EPMG. 

Lindsay Moore

According to the El Paso Police Department from 2006 to 2007 the crime rate in El Paso decreased but as we see crime never actually goes away and in this time of complete chaos in our neighboring twin city we find ourselves in complete disarray as we are faced with real dangerous situations. New articles were posted on Newspaper Tree:

I was on the radio this morning promoting my new column. It’s called What’s Love Got to do With It, where I basically give you my two cents on life, love, relationships, and anything you’d like! So please write in and let me know what’s bothering you. Is your boyfriend going out a lot with his friends? Is your girlfriend always putting you down? Do you want to get married, but your loved one isn’t ready? Write me at jessica@epmediagroup.com or go to newspapertree.com and click on my column under culture.

-Jessica Valdez

Jay Koester at the Best of Times (http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/best/) or whatever the heck his blog is called gave NPT a little shot Wednesday — May 28, 2008 — for posting this image (http://newspapertree.com/culture/2497-juarez-mexico-it-ain-t-kansas ) in the form of an article. He calls it a “lame story.” Whoever said every single item we post has to be a story? His postings sure aren’t always (maybe even ever) stories. Then he goes and says we usually have “ok” stuff. That disappointed me a little, until I realized two things: 1) We have our own blog and 2) Jay’s just a blogger (albeit on a relatively large — El Paso speaking, that is — platform) and about the only significant thing he’s ever done is to call Theresa Caballero crazy. But other than that, Jay’s a good guy, and he usually has ok stuff.

My Monday and Friday radio show from 10-11 a.m. on 1650 KHRO radio allows me to meet some of the most interesting people in the region - locals and people traveling through. Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Matula Kiladi, a very young, ambitious artist who wants to put El Paso on the map, in a hip hop kind of way.

Kiladi’s first song “My Rims Keep Spinnin” has a slick beat, that is hard to resist. Written and produced with Kappa of CDG Productions, this first track shows promise of big things to come from this new talent.

You can read more about Kiladi on his myspace page and you can see him perform live at the Best of El Paso Magazine party on June 26 at Grace Gardens.

We’re going to try and do our best to get Kiladi the recognition he deserves for his talent and drive, and if you can help spread the word, great.

-Lisa Degliantoni