Spanish-language radio show brings U.S. politics to listeners.

Spanish-language morning radio usually comes down to sex and crudity.

Then there's Radiovisa Corp.'s "Gerardo por la Manana," an upstart talk radio show on KMXE-AM (830) that focuses on current events and politics.

In the past month, the show's Los Angeles-based host, Gerardo Lorenz, has snared an interview with vice presidential candidate John Edwards and held a rally protesting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to legally obtain drivers' licenses.

In Washington, D.C., where political discourse is serious business, the syndicated show already has knocked the Spanish Broadcasting System Inc.-syndicated host El Cucuy out of the ratings lead among Spanish-language morning shows.

"We haven't reached that level of competition yet in Los Angeles," Lorenz said.

Radiovisa's strategy is to offer Spanish-speaking listeners the kind of politically savvy programming common on English language radio. Part of the challenge, he said, is to convince Mexican-born listeners that they can be a part of the political discourse. "Little by little, the message is getting inside their brains and souls that it is important to participate in society," Lorenz said.

To date, the show is airing in San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Kansas City, Mo., in addition to Los Angeles and Washington.

Morning drive time radio in Los Angeles is still dominated by top-rated hosts like El Cucuy on KLAX-FM (97.9) and Piolin on KSCA-FM (101.9). Besides Lorenz, there are only two other Spanish-language talk radio stations: Lotus Broadcasting Corp.'s KWKW-AM (330) and Miami-based Radio Unica Communication Corp.'s KBLA-AM (1580).

The latest ratings from Arbitron Inc. show the audience of "Gerardo por la Manana" listens longer than that of either of its talk-radio competitors in its 6-10 a.m. slot.

Integral to the show's success is the 42-year-old Lorenz, a Mexican native whose career in radio spans more than two decades. In 1997 he created a trade magazine focusing on the Latin music and radio community called Los Programadores. When that folded in 2001, he was recruited to help start the Radiovisa network and create a morning show with co-hosts Antonio De Carlo and Naibe Reynoso.

Unlike other Spanish-language shows, "Gerardo por la Manana" is geared toward listeners of Mexican origin, rather than trying to draw in a wider audience of Central Americans and other Spanish speakers.

"It's important that you think like the people you are trying to reach," said Lorenz, who was born in a small town outside Mexico City.

Education, the economy, immigrant rights and health care are common themes. Lorenz also features scholars discussing topics such as Middle East politics and the origins of the universe.

During the 10-minute interview with Edwards, conducted in English, Lorenz peppered the vice presidential candidate with questions about affordable health care, unemployment, education and Schwarzenegger's veto of the drivers' license bill.

Producers have already booked interviews with Mexican President Vicente Fox, state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. They are trying to get time with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Kerry.

Cal State Northridge journalism professor Jose Luis Benavides, who studies Latino media, said magazine-style programming like "Gerardo Por La Manana" is in short supply.

"The majority of folks here are coming from Mexico and they have a well-established tradition of using the radio as their main source of information," Benavides said. "With 6.6 million Latinos in the metro area, I believe that the Spanish language market deserves better than what it's getting now."

Radiovisa is run by Stephen Lehman, the founder of Premiere Radio Networks and syndicator of personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Launched in 2002, the company purchased Orange County-based KPLS-AM (830) last December for $38 million in an effort to capture a piece of the growing Spanish-language radio market.

Led by Lehman and financed in part by Quetzal JPMorgan Partners, a private equity fund backed by media heavyweights Clear Channel Communications Inc., Viacom Inc., Tribune Co. and News Corp., Radiovisa plans to continue syndicating its original programming and eventually acquire more stations. In addition to "Gerardo Por La Manana," Radiovisa airs six talk shows covering topics from sports to relationship advice to the paranormal.

"We're very happy with our movement so far and we are getting more and more traction every month," said Chief Operating Officer Ray de la Garza. "We're getting a lot of inquiries from other cities across country to syndicate the show."