“How can I fail? I’m always in survival mode. I’ve spent 15 years in the radio industry. When I look in the mirror, what I think about is bringing innovation. We’re in an industry that’s declining.”
As president of Audio at Entravision, Maytorena is challenging conventional ideas about AI and radio, building a model that brings technology, human talent, and community together.
It was two o’clock on a Saturday morning. Eduardo Maytorena was trying to connect the dots. As the leader of sales strategy and business development in one of the most competitive markets in the country—Los Angeles—he had two challenges to solve.
“It was literally two in the morning. I was walking around my house, through the kitchen, thinking about how to connect our radio station with the community. We didn’t have enough of a presence or local talent on the air. That’s when the idea came to me: create an AI host who could work alongside a human host and build that local connection.
“I sent a message to the company’s CEO on a Saturday morning! What was incredible was that he replied, and then we spoke on the phone. ‘I want to share this idea I have with you in one sentence,’ I said. He loved it. ‘Let’s go!’ he said. That’s how Coyotec was born,” says Maytorena, who at the time was Senior Vice President and General Sales Manager for Los Angeles and is now President of Audio at Entravision.
Coyotec is an artificial intelligence-powered radio personality developed under the leadership and through the collaboration of Eduardo Maytorena, president of Audio at Entravision, and LeaAnna Hernandez, executive vice president of AI Strategy. It was introduced in September 2025.
Since its launch, Coyotec has sparked debate about the introduction of AI into a spoken-word format deeply rooted in the Latino community, particularly in Spanish-language radio. The character has been featured in press coverage and discussed at conferences and conventions. In just a few months, it has revolutionized how people think about talk radio.
“There’s one thing we need to be clear about: an algorithm cannot create human connection. AI has been a tool to address a problem I had. Maybe if I’d had that local talent, I would never have created Coyotec. It was a solution to a problem I faced.
“But surrounding it with human elements is vital and indispensable to me. I’m not replacing the human element. I have GiGi (Geraldine Guzmán) as the human presence on the show. She comes from a family of Latino working people, from the heart of the community. She understands it and connects with it because she’s part of it. With this concept, I’m rebuilding the human connection with the community. I care about people and the community.
“I’m not the company’s CEO. I have the wheel, and those are my principles. If at some point they ask me to eliminate the human connection, fine. I’ll let go of the wheel and get out of the car. It’s that simple,” Maytorena says.
The program launched on José 97.5 FM in Los Angeles and expanded to five markets across the Fuego network in August 2026, adopting a more bilingual format.
Audience response has been equally impressive. Following a two-hour expansion in April 2026, Al Aire y Sin Permiso has continued to gain momentum, significantly outperforming broader market trends and attracting younger Hispanic male listeners at a rate well above the overall market. According to Nielsen Audio, Los Angeles.
Eduardo Maytorena has loved cinema for years. His film Soledad, co-written and co-directed with Wayne Mitchell, won an honorable mention at the 2015 Dances with Films festival.
Maytorena: A Script on Which He Has Written His Life
Eduardo Maytorena worked his way up from the bottom. He worked in sales at Hoy, a Spanish-language publication from the Los Angeles Times.
“They still ask me to tell the story of the first ad I sold. It was a tiny ad, worth just a few dollars. I felt like I was floating. I was so happy. I felt like I could conquer the world,” says the man who is now president of Audio at Entravision.
With an open, outgoing personality and an impeccably polished appearance, Maytorena always had his own distinctive style. Every strand of hair was in place, his shoes were shined, and his clothes were carefully put together. He walked back and forth with the same sense of urgency he still carries today.
He has always loved cinema. People would often find him talking about his scripts and his dream of one day seeing his name on a movie marquee: Written and Directed by Eduardo Maytorena. Years later, that dream came true.
“It seems like with Coyotec, you’re directing your own science-fiction movie,” I asked him, half-jokingly.
“And it could be that way. Cinema has always been part of my life. With Soledad, those dreams became reality. I presented it at several festivals, and I was able to fulfill a promise to my daughter: that one day she would see my name on a movie marquee. We saw it together. I looked at her, and she looked at me. I thought, ‘I’ve kept my promise,’” he says.
The film follows Víctor, a limousine driver who leads a solitary life. One night, he intervenes to defend a young woman named Raquel from a sexual assault by her companion. That act sets off a series of events that force him to confront a past he had tried to escape. The story takes place in Los Angeles.
“There are moments when I visit my mother, María, and sit beside her. My mother has seen everything I’ve been through. She knows all my battles. And then I tell her, ‘Mom, can you believe it? I’m the president of Audio at Entravision.’” His voice breaks.
He has another script ready, one that came close to being picked up for a major production but ultimately never moved forward. The setback hit him hard.
The story follows a young man struggling to break free from a trafficker to whom he is indebted. He journeys to meet legendary Mexican singer Vicente Fernández and give him a song written by the beloved father he has just lost.
Inspired by real events, the story is deeply personal.
“It was a huge blow. The project was ready to be picked up, and when it fell through, I fell apart. I reacted in ways that weren’t positive, and that led to major changes in my life. But I moved forward. I still hope that one day I’ll make that film, that deeply personal story,” he says.
Running from one place to another, preparing budgets for advertising sales and developing marketing plans, Maytorena eventually left print media and moved into radio, first at Radio Centro and then at Spanish Broadcasting System. He later joined Entravision.
“That’s why, when I walked into the meeting to present Coyotec, many executives disagreed with the idea. They questioned it and said the community wouldn’t like it. My answer was clear: ‘Which community are you talking about? In this room, I am the community. I represent the community. I’ve spent years working with these people, from those on the street to local businesses and corporations. I am the community in this room.’
“The project was approved, and within a few months, we expanded from a Saturday show to weekday programming, with plans to reach other markets. But we’re not done. This experience has led me to create other shows and other characters. We’re still in the discovery stage,” he says.
Coyotec, AI, and the Community
According to information from Entravision and Maytorena himself, the show’s ratings have increased substantially. Final figures are not yet available, but its impact has undoubtedly been evident.
“I had interacted with ChatGPT and other tools experimentally when I was writing my scripts. That was how I first became familiar with AI. Then I started testing it in other areas, and with Coyotec, I brought in people who knew more about it than I did. That’s how we built the initial model.
“I wrote around 12 episodes, played around with the content, and created a show that, instead of calling it Coachella, I called Coyochela,” he says, laughing as he describes his playful approach to using these tools.
“There’s also the human element. We have to create a balance, not swing too far in either direction. I remember listening to El Cucuy de la Mañana with my mother many years ago. Well, I don’t want to create another Cucuy. I want to reinvent that role, that personality within the community.
“The Spanish-language talk show host has traditionally been like a priest in our community. These hosts are characters, figures people trust. I want to reinvent that experience, not replace it. I want to reinvent it.
“Economically, it’s inexpensive, and it will become even more so. But that gives me the opportunity to create jobs around it. That’s what’s happening with Coyotec,” he says.
“Yes, I have a higher role, but the stakes are the same. The job is just starting. Criticism? I don’t have time for that,” he says.
Maytorena is convinced that Latinos need to immerse themselves more deeply in AI. His own life is an example: he uses it at work, in his personal life, and in his projects.
“I just found out that Coyotec is an excellent salesperson!” he says enthusiastically. “He makes excellent pitches to clients. We’re testing him, and he’s making a good impression on them. We also talk…”
To demonstrate, he connects me with Coyotec on a three-way call. Maytorena introduces himself, presents me as a good friend, and Coyotec greets me naturally. He explains that Maytorena created him and that he operates using algorithms.
I ask a few questions, which he answers normally. We joke around, and Maytorena asks him to explain how he sells. Coyotec explains that his strategy is not simply to sell a product without a story. Instead, he incorporates human elements and explains them to clients. At a certain point, he says the salesperson steps in to explain the other elements.
“Many people think Latinos are late adopters. I tell them they’re wrong. We’re early adopters, and we have to offer them that opportunity. AI is so new that there are many opinions and interpretations. I insist that connecting it with the human element is what matters to me. For others, it’s a fun toy. They treat it as simple entertainment,” he says.
When it comes to the criticism he has received, Maytorena is straightforward.
“How can I fail? I’m always in survival mode. I’ve spent 15 years in the radio industry. When I look in the mirror, what I think about is bringing innovation. We’re in an industry that’s declining. We have to think about how to rescue it and succeed. We have to work with those elements: inspiration and innovation.
“I lead by example. Every day, I feel a sense of urgency. I’ve learned a great deal from everyone. I remember Julián Posada and Juan Navarro, two great mentors who set me on the right path. I learned a lot from them.”
“Yes, I have a higher role, but the stakes are the same. The job is just starting. Criticism? I don’t have time for that,” he says.
Maytorena is a modest man, ‘mucha raza’—one of the people, you might say. I tell him he reminds me of a little workhorse, always running and looking straight ahead, never to the sides. His mind races at a thousand miles an hour, filled with new ideas and projects. He is enthusiastic, like the main character in a movie that blends every genre.
“Yes, there are moments,” Eduardo says when I ask him to look inward.
“There are moments when I visit my mother, María, and sit beside her. My mother has seen everything I’ve been through. She knows all my battles. And then I tell her, ‘Mom, can you believe it? I’m the president of Audio at Entravision.’”
His voice breaks, and the conversation comes to an emotional close.
Tune in to Al Aire y Sin Permiso Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT on José 97.5 FM Los Angeles or stream on elboton.com
