Portillo, Ernesto Sr.

Ernesto Portillo was born in southern Chihuahua and grew up in Juarez in the 1940s and 1950s, where he became a part-time radio DJ. A full-time job offer drew him to Tucson in 1954, where he worked for new radio station KEVT, the first exclusively Spanish-language station in Tucson. Ernesto was involved in radio for over three decades after his start at KEVT, working at a reporter, ad salesman, general manager, and owner. This interview covers his personal experience and some observations about the community-building done by Spanish-language radio in Tucson.

The interview was recorded at the base of Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, AZ on February 28th, 2017.