ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County commissioner candidates may soon become a staple on local radio airwaves thanks to an unusual election cycle and federal law.
Victor Martinez, owner and morning DJ of La Mega 101.7, has launched a campaign for Lehigh County commissioner as a Democrat. The part-time office, he said, is attractive to him because it would allow him to continue working on the air without shirking his responsibilities if he's elected.
- Because Lehigh County commissioner candidate Victor Martinez is a radio DJ, his opponents are entitled to equal time on La Mega 101.7 FM
- Martinez, who owns the station, believes other candidates would anger regular listeners if they kick him off the air for their own shows
- Most media personalities, including Mehmet Oz and Ronald Reagan, quit their day jobs once they entered politics to avoid the equal-time rule
But if Martinez is on the airwaves, that means other commissioner candidates could demand free airtime, too. The Federal Communications Commission enforces an equal time rule that requires TV and radio stations that give airtime to one candidate to offer the same opportunities to their opponents.
Martinez confirmed Wednesday he would welcome other candidates onto his station, either in interviews with local hosts or in their own shows. Candidates who don't speak Spanish would be offered translators if they agreed to interviews, he said.
"Anybody is welcome, but they'd have to deal with the consequences," Martinez said.
Calculating the reaction
Martinez is co-host of "El Relajo De La Mañana," a music program that airs 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. If other candidates insist on matching his 20 hours of air time, he would pull his show to make the slot available to them, he said.
But he's betting that regular listeners to the Spanish-language station wouldn't be so appreciative. People who don't normally vote may go to the polls purely out of spite, he said.
"I believe the entire Latino community would go up in arms. It would be fun and it would be interesting," he said. "That's like me taking over Sean Hannity's show and praising Joe Biden. How do you think the Hannity listeners are going to feel about that?"
"Anybody is welcome, but they'd have to deal with the consequences."Victor Martinez, La Mega Radio personality and a Lehigh County commissioner candidate
Carole McNall, an attorney and assistant professor of communications at St. Bonaventure University, said Martinez's strategy is a unique one. Most station managers aren't willing to interrupt their regular business, and media personalities who turn to politics usually resign or end their shows before campaigning.
Equal time
McNall cited Dr. Mehmet Oz, who ended his daytime TV show last year to run for U.S. Senate, as an example. Before that, Ronald Reagan quit "Death Valley Days," a Western anthology series he hosted, to run for governor of California. But Martinez, as the station owner, doesn't have the same constraints a typical disc jockey might face elsewhere.
"Because he's the one making the rules, he can say, 'I grant me permission to run for office," she said.
Martinez hasn't avoided local politics on La Mega. In 2021, the station hosted multiple interviews with Republican Tim Ramos and Democrat Matt Tuerk even though Martinez endorsed their opponent, Democrat Julio Guridy, in the race for Allentown mayor.
Martinez said he intends to reach out to the other commissioner candidates about going on the station after next week's candidate filing deadline.
Language barrier
"During political season, the door has always been open. We have encouraged candidates to come," said Martinez, who's made bridging the gap between English- and Spanish-speaking communities part of his platform.
It wasn't immediately clear how many will take him up on hosting their own programs. Democrat Dan Hartzell, the only incumbent county commissioner seeking re-election, said he would need time to consider his options. He speaks "virtually zero" Spanish, he said.
"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there," he said.
Four at-large seats on the nine-member Lehigh County Board of Commissioners are up for re-election this year. Democrats currently hold a 6-3 advantage. Republicans, who dominated the board for 30 years, would need to win two of the four spots to win back the majority.
