Radio UNAM

What Radio UNAM does

Radio UNAM is the university radio station of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), founded in 1937 and operated as a non-commercial permisionada broadcaster out of its main studios on Adolfo Prieto 133 in the Del Valle neighborhood of Mexico City. The station transmits on two frequencies, FM 96.1 MHz and AM 860 kHz, serving the Zona Metropolitana del Valle de M\u00e9xico with cultural, educational, scientific, and entertainment programming, and is led by Director Benito Taibo with a staff of 133 employees.

Its product surface spans live radio broadcasting, a proprietary digital podcast platform at radiopodcast.unam.mx hosting approximately 40,000 audio files across 325 series, an official iOS/Android mobile application for live streaming, the 160-seat Sala Julián Carrillo performance venue available for rental, and a small catalog of paid courses in voice, oratory, comedy/stand-up, and AI ($2,000–$2,500 MXN per enrollment). Supporting infrastructure includes the Sistema Digital de Almacenamiento Masivo, the Fonoteca Alejandro Gómez Arias sound archive, and the Discoteca Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras music library, the latter two of which are mirrored at Fonoteca Nacional for preservation. The bimonthly Revista Rúbrica magazine and active social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Spotify) round out its distribution footprint.

Radio UNAM is funded entirely through UNAM's public institutional budget and is statutorily prohibited from selling advertising under Mexican broadcast law; direct revenue is limited to immaterial course fees and venue rentals. Its cultural standing is evidenced by five UNESCO Memoria del Mundo inscriptions (2018, 2021, 2024), making it the most-recognized Mexican broadcasting institution by UNESCO, and by ISO 9001:2015 certification obtained in December 2024 with no observations. Distribution partnerships with Editorial Planeta and network memberships in RIU, RRUM, and La Red México extend its reach beyond the Mexico City broadcast footprint.

Name

Radio UNAM

Legal name

Radio UNAM (Dirección General de Radio, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)

Website

https://radio.unam.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Radio UNAM is the non-commercial university radio station of UNAM, broadcasting on FM 96.1 and AM 860 from Mexico City since 1937, serving the general public and UNAM community with cultural, educational, and archival programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Cultural radio programming
• University radio station
• Podcast streaming services
• Educational broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Ciudad de México

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public institutional funding: Radio UNAM is a university radio station operated by UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and is funded through public institutional budgets. As a permisionada (government-licensed) broadcaster, it does not sell advertising space. Programming serves cultural and educational purposes, primarily disseminating UNAM's academic and cultural content.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Radio UNAM is a non-commercial public university radio station operated by UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) that broadcasts cultural, educational, scientific, and entertainment programming on FM 96.1 and AM 860 frequencies serving the Mexico City metropolitan area. Beyond live radio, it offers a podcast platform with approximately 40,000 audio files across 325 series, a mobile streaming app, the Sala Julián Carrillo performance venue for rent, educational courses in voice and oratory, and the bimonthly Revista Rúbrica magazine.

Product overview

Radio UNAM is a university radio broadcaster operated by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), operating on two frequencies: 96.1 FM and 860 AM. The station offers a multi-platform media ecosystem comprising live radio broadcasting, a podcast platform (radiopodcast.unam.mx) with approximately 40,000 audio files across 325 series, a mobile application for iOS and Android, the Sala Julián Carrillo performance venue for rent, educational courses in voice and communication skills, and the bimonthly Revista Rúbrica magazine. The programming includes cultural, educational, and entertainment content across both AM and FM frequencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sala Julián Carrillo: Performance venue operated by Radio UNAM, featuring 160 seats, for music, theater, dance, and cinema events.
• Fonoteca Alejandro Gómez Arias
• Discoteca Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras

Products and services

• Radio UNAM 96.1 FM Broadcast Live FM radio broadcasting at 96.1 MHz serving the Mexico City metropolitan area with cultural, educational, scientific, and entertainment programming for the general public and UNAM community. Free to tune in.
• Radio UNAM 860 AM Broadcast Live AM radio broadcasting at 860 kHz providing medium-wave coverage of talk shows, news, cultural programs, and music for the Mexico City metropolitan area. Free to tune in.
• Radio UNAM Podcast Platform On-demand digital podcast platform at radiopodcast.unam.mx offering access to approximately 40,000 audio files across 325 series of radio programs, cultural content, and archived material for the general public and UNAM community. Free to access.
• Radio UNAM Mobile Application Official mobile app available on AppStore and PlayStore enabling live streaming of Radio UNAM's FM 96.1 and AM 860 broadcasts for listeners worldwide.
• Sala Julián Carrillo Venue Rental 160-seat performance venue with dressing rooms, restrooms, and piano, available for rent to host music, theater, dance, and cinema events. Located at Radio UNAM's headquarters in Del Valle, Mexico City. Inquiries via phone 55 56 23 32 73.
• Radio UNAM Educational Courses Educational course offerings in voice training, public speaking/oratory, and comedy/stand-up, taught by industry professionals. Standard fee MX$2,500 per course, with MX$2,000 discounted rate for UNAM community members (students, faculty, alumni, workers, retirees) and INAPAM members.
• Revista Rúbrica Magazine Bimonthly print and digital magazine covering Radio UNAM programming, cultural events, and university cultural activities, with archives from 2013 to present (over 180 editions).
• Radio UNAM Fonoteca (Sound Archive Services) Sound archive services preserving radio programs, sound fiction collections, and historical audio recordings through the Discoteca Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras (music library) and Fonoteca Alejandro Gómez Arias (audio archive), accessible via the podcast platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 UNESCO Memoria del Mundo registrations — the most for any Mexican broadcasting institution
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Radio IPNmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024Radio IPN co-organized the Sinergia, Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024 alongside Radio UNAM and other university and public radio stations, dedicated to promoting alternative music and youth audiences.
• UAM RadiomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024UAM Radio participated as co-organizer of Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024 alongside Radio UNAM, Radio IPN, and other university radio stations.
• Ibero 90.9majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024Ibero 90.9 was a co-organizer of Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024, representing the Universidad Iberoamericana's radio station in the collaborative event.
• Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024IMER, Mexico's public radio system, participated in organizing Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024, emphasizing the importance of public radio recovery and community building.
• Red de Radios Universitarias de México (RRUM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024RRUM is a network of Mexican university radio stations of which Radio UNAM is a member. The network organizes collaborative events and programming initiatives.
• Radio EducaciónmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2024Radio Educación participated in Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024. This station is celebrating its centennial and has been a key partner in university and public radio networks.
• Instituto Latinoamericano de Comunicación Educativa (ILCE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 October 2024ILCE provided international broadcast support for Sinergia Festival 2024, enabling transmission through Canal 22, Canal 23, and Once Digital, extending the festival's reach beyond Mexico City.
• UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio UNAM is a broadcasting unit operated by UNAM. As UNAM's university radio station, it receives institutional support, funding, and operates under the university's academic and cultural mission. All programming serves UNAM's educational and cultural dissemination objectives.
• Fonoteca NacionalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFonoteca Nacional, Mexico's national sound archive, maintains a mirrored copy of Radio UNAM's digitalized audio collections. It collaborated in the digitization and cataloging of Plaza Pública archives and serves as a preservation partner for the station's sound heritage.
• Fonoteca NacionalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFonoteca Nacional holds a mirrored copy of Radio UNAM's digitalized sound collections, including the Foro de la mujer archive, providing an additional layer of preservation and public access through the Red Virtual de Audiotecas.
• Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCENART served as the venue host for Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias 2024, providing its facilities for the day-long event featuring alternative music for youth audiences.
• Editorial PlanetaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio UNAM co-produced the program Saben las palabras (about the richness of the Spanish language) with Editorial Planeta. Laura García, lexicographer and conductor of the series, has ties to Editorial Planeta's projects.
• Red Internacional Universitaria RIUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio UNAM is a member of the Red Internacional Universitaria RIU, an international network of university radio stations facilitating cultural exchange and collaborative programming.
• Red de Radiodifusoras y Televisoras Educativas y Culturales de México (La Red México)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio UNAM is affiliated with La Red México, a network of educational and cultural broadcasters in Mexico, facilitating content exchange and collaborative initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): U.S. flagship public radio network. Comparable as a global benchmark for non-commercial, member-supported cultural/educational radio with podcast distribution, even though operating at vastly larger scale and under a different funding model.
• BBC World Service: BBC's international public radio broadcaster. Comparable as a globally recognized public-service radio operation with cultural-archive legacy and multi-platform distribution, serving as an institutional analogue rather than direct competitor.
• Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER): Mexico's national public radio network operating multiple frequencies nationwide. Comparable as a larger, broader public-radio incumbent within the same regulatory and non-commercial framework, though with a wider geographic mandate than Radio UNAM.
• W Radio: Major commercial Mexican news-talk radio network broadcasting in Mexico City. Comparable as a Mexico City FM/AM broadcaster competing for the same listener pool, but operating under a commercial (not permisionada) model.

Regional players

• Radio Universidad de Chile: Chilean university radio station operating under a comparable public-university, non-commercial cultural mission. Comparable as a Latin American university-radio peer, though serving a different national market.

Direct peers

• Radio Educación: Mexico's centennial public cultural/educational broadcaster operating under Secretaría de Cultura. Comparable as a permisionada non-commercial cultural broadcaster and partner in the Sinergia Festival and RRUM network.
• UAM Radio: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana's radio station, a direct peer of Radio UNAM in the Mexican university radio ecosystem and partner in the Sinergia Festival and RRUM network. Operates a similar non-commercial, culturally focused format.
• Radio IPN: Instituto Politécnico Nacional's university radio station and direct co-organizer of Sinergia Festival de Radios Universitarias with Radio UNAM. Both are non-commercial Mexican university broadcasters serving cultural/educational missions with comparable scale.
• Ibero 90.9: Universidad Iberoamericana's radio station serving Mexico City with a comparable university-radio, culture-oriented format. Co-organizer of Sinergia Festival alongside Radio UNAM and peer university stations.

Others

• Fonoteca Nacional de México: Mexico's national sound archive and Radio UNAM's preservation partner, holding mirrored copies of Radio UNAM's digitized audio collections. Comparable as an adjacent cultural-heritage audio institution serving overlapping academic/research audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RadioUNAM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/radiounam
• Facebookfacebook.com/radiounam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/radiounam
• Instagraminstagram.com/radiounam
• TikToktiktok.com/@radiounam

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Radio UNAM