Coyotec: the AI radio host that is rewriting the rules of Latin American broadcasting
José 97.5 FM in Los Angeles broadcast something the media industry had never seen: a radio host that does not exist. This is not a metaphor — Coyotec is an artificial intelligence bot developed by ElevenLabs, based on voice recordings from Eduardo Maytorena, president of Entravision's audio department. He appears on the show _Al Aire y Sin Permiso_, co-hosted by Geraldine "GeeGee" Guzman, a Los Angeles native who refers to him as "my little coyote" and who receives the reply "my queen."
What sets Coyotec apart from any other radio automation is real-time interaction. He does not read a pre-recorded script. He processes news, answers listener calls, comments on Dodgers games, local elections, and immigration enforcement, generating spontaneous commentary in Spanish with an accent that resembles Maytorena's. Sometimes, he uses language prohibited by programming standards or runs out of material. "I never know what he's going to say," Guzman told the LA Times. "And that's the beauty of it."
How Coyotec was born
Coyotec was launched during deportation raids in Los Angeles, when part of the human programming went silent — some talents feared losing sponsorships or facing legal consequences if they covered the topic. Entravision saw an opportunity: a host with no fear of being controversial, who could cover breaking news without personal risk. He started with pre-recorded segments, but by May 2026 he was broadcasting live.
The technology behind him is sophisticated. ElevenLabs trained a synthetic voice model on Maytorena's recordings. But the production process is not cheap: Maytorena admitted that Coyotec costs more than some human hires to develop and maintain. Entravision, however, sees the investment as worthwhile because the bot can be programmed to sell ads literally during the broadcast. "For every dollar I spend," Maytorena said, "if I can generate 10 dollars, I'm making 10 times more."
The impact on listenership
The numbers are impressive. According to Nielsen Audio data, the _Al Aire y Sin Permiso_ program grew 75% among Hispanic males aged 25-54 in Los Angeles, compared to the broader Hispanic market which grew only 4%. Entravision expanded the show from once a week on weekends to weekday prime time, and now broadcasts Coyotec also in English across markets like Sacramento, Las Vegas, El Paso, Modesto, and Palm Springs.
The digital character, who wears a mustache, brown leather jacket, and hat, and calls himself "trafficker of truth" (a reference to border smugglers), has achieved something no human DJ could replicate alone: the ability to produce content 24/7, in two languages, without fatigue, without medical leave, without ego conflicts. He is, in practice, the first Latino AI-powered radio personality, and there are plans to launch LIA, an AI news anchor also at Entravision.
The industry's reaction
Unions are not impressed. SAG-AFTRA, which represents radio personalities, condemned the practice: "Attempting to replace humans with synthetic substitutes deceives audiences, erodes public trust and undermines the livelihoods of the professionals who dedicate their lives to delivering authenticity," a spokesperson said. John DeSantis, who lost his job as an afternoon host at KCAL-FM when the station switched to automated programming, said "if they expect to achieve the authentic connection that live and local DJs create, then there's no chance."
The radio industry is in structural decline. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that radio broadcasting jobs dropped from 85,000 in 2019 to 66,000 in 2025 — a 22% decline. IHeartMedia, Audacy, and Cumulus Media have been cutting local DJs, automating programming, and adopting AI to reduce costs. Coyotec is the symptom, not the cause.
What this means for the future
What Coyotec reveals is not just that AI replaces humans in repetitive tasks — it's that in certain contexts, it can outperform humans in specific dimensions. A host who doesn't get tired, who doesn't need vacation, who speaks two languages, who has no fear of sensitive topics, who responds to listeners in real time. The question is no longer "will AI replace people?" — the question is "in what contexts does AI surpass humans in creating authentic connection?" The listeners of José 97.5 FM say they like Coyotec. They were told they were listening to AI. And they keep tuning in.
The future of local media may not be human vs. machine. It could be human and machine — a symbiosis nobody anticipated when Coyotec started, but which now seems inevitable. The question is whether unions and the industry are prepared for this shift, or whether they will fight a tide that is already moving.
Sources: Los Angeles Times, LavX News, Capital Gazette
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
