News 14 Carolina's Jonathan Lowe has more on how Jose Isasi built Que Pasa Media Networks into a local powerhouse.
WINSTON-SALEM -- A local media executive is receiving national attention for building the state's largest Hispanic media outlet.
Jose Isasi of Winston-Salem-based Que Pasa Media Network has been named one of the top 50 Spanish language media executives in the country.
Que Pasa’s humble beginnings were in the basement of a house in 1994.
"We used to have three persons and we used to put out a newspaper that came out once a month," Isasi said.
In seven years, Isasi has built the media company into a weekly publication, and it's paid off. He'll receive the award Thursday in San Antonio, but he says it's not just a one-man effort.
Jose Isasi
"An award is given to a person but really it's earned by the organization, so the first thing you have to recognize is that really whatever we have accomplished has been accomplished by the Que Pasa organization," he said.
Officials say Que Pasa is No. 1 for information in the Hispanic community throughout the state. Isasi calls it being a trustee of information for the community.
Que Pasa has multiple radio stations in the Triad and Raleigh. It also has its newspaper which tackles community issues and such controversial topics as illegal immigration.
Isasi says immigrants have a responsibility to learn American laws and customs. That's why Que Pasa forms bonds with outreach organizations in the community.
"It also gives them news of their countries, they hear about what's going on in their countries," says Pauline Morris, director of Forsyth Tech’s Hispanic Center.
The Hispanic Center at one time had a program on Que Pasa radio.
"We would always talk about what we were offering our new classes but we would always give information to the community," Morris adds.
Continuing the flow of information. For that reason Isasi’s sending someone else to get his award in San Antonio.
"I will miss Vicente Fox, that really hurt, they say he has a powerful speech so I'm gonna miss that but you gotta take care of the business first.”
Que Pasa, the newspaper, and its radio stations reach 85 percent of the state’s 800,000 Hispanics each day.