With the help of PBS affiliate WCNY and a number of community members, including several faculty and staff at Syracuse University, a first-in-the-region Spanish-language radio station has come to fruition.

“This really was the collaborative work of many people that were involved in the project,” said Tere Paniagua, executive director for the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community at Syracuse University.

Paniagua says the idea of a Spanish-language radio station has been floating around for over a year.

“The first thing was to bring together a task force with representation from many different areas of our Latino community, not only in Syracuse but many of the neighboring communities as well,” said Paniagua.

Pulso Central reaches listeners in 19 counties from the North Country to Central New York to the Mohawk Valley. It’s also accessible online worldwide.

Jade Aulestia is a senior at Syracuse University studying broadcast journalism. She is also a cohost for the Syracuse University Student Show for Pulso Central.

“Being able to bring everything that I’m learning at SU and then putting it into practice here but also be able to give back to the community and have my identity as a Latina represented and being able to just step closer to that goal of becoming a bilingual storyteller one day,” said Aulestia.

“This means a lot to me as a Hispanic and a Latina,” said Stephanie Rowlings, a producer at WCNY for Pulso Central.

Rowlings says being a part of a show that connects to her culture is rewarding.

“The theme is more like how do we get these Hispanic stories out there so that others may know about this and bridge gaps even between shared communities. I may be Mexican but I don’t know what’s going on in Puerto Rico or Cuba,” said Rowlings.

It's creating a space for people to feel connected.

“I love that this project has really opened an opportunity for many voices to be heard, to participate, to contribute,” said Paniagua.

Rowlings says she is working on an app for the radio station that people will be able to use to connect to Pulso Central.