The Dominican Republic's Chamber of Deputies held a minute of silence on Tuesday in Santo Domingo to honor radio broadcaster, media personality, and arts promoter Francis Méndez following his death at age 75.
Lawmakers stood in the assembly hall after Modern Revolutionary Party deputy Cirilo Moronta requested the tribute for the veteran announcer, who died on Tuesday, September 8, according to a family statement.
Chamber of Deputies President Alfredo Pacheco presented the request to the full legislature and asked lawmakers to rise from their seats. Pacheco explained that Moronta had requested the minute of silence following Méndez's passing, describing the late broadcaster as a key voice for the Dominican diaspora living abroad.
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Dominican Republic's National Congress, operating alongside the Senate in the capital city of Santo Domingo. Moronta represents District Number 1 of the United States, an overseas legislative constituency created to give official parliamentary representation to Dominican citizens living across North America. The Modern Revolutionary Party, known as the PRM, is one of the nation's principal political organizations.
Tribute in Santo Domingo
Following Pacheco's request, the assembled deputies stood together in the legislative chamber to pay homage to Méndez's memory. The Chamber of Deputies subsequently published a message on social media acknowledging the minute of silence requested by Moronta for a professional who made significant contributions to national and international broadcasting.
Méndez, who earned the popular moniker The Voice of Dominican Identity Abroad, was born in Jarabacoa, in the central province of La Vega, on March 28, 1951. His entry into broadcasting occurred by accident during his teenage years, when he began helping a promoter for the Bermúdez liquor company announce commercial products through a loudspeaker in his hometown.
Jarabacoa is a town situated in the mountainous Cordillera Central region of the Dominican Republic, known for its agricultural production and cool climate within La Vega province. Following his early experience with loudspeaker announcements, Méndez moved into professional radio after arriving at Radio Guarachita.
At Radio Guarachita, station director and owner Radhamés Aracena, together with his wife Zunilda Read de Aracena, welcomed Méndez and provided him with his first major opportunity to develop his talent in front of a studio microphone. Radio Guarachita was an influential Dominican AM station that built a massive national audience by championing local music styles for listeners across the country.
Emigration to New York
In 1990, amid an economic crisis in the Dominican Republic, Méndez emigrated to the United States and settled in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. From that community, he built a broadcasting career focused directly on serving the rapidly expanding Hispanic population across the tri-state area.
His radio broadcasts reached audiences across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Méndez joined the broadcasting team at La Mega 97.9 FM, where he participated in El Vacilón de la Mañana, which became one of the highest-rated morning shows in New York radio history.
Washington Heights has long served as the main cultural and residential center for the Dominican diaspora in New York City. The tri-state metropolitan area contains one of the largest concentrations of Spanish speakers in the United States, creating a major audience for Spanish-language radio stations such as WSKQ-FM, known on air as La Mega 97.9.
Success with Señor Bolero
In 2000, Méndez took over as host of Señor Bolero, a radio program dedicated to bolero music and romantic songs broadcast on Amor 93.1 FM. The show achieved first place in regional radio audience rankings according to Nielsen measurements, consolidating Méndez as one of the most recognized Dominican radio personalities in New York.
The bolero is a genre of Latin American romantic song defined by slow rhythms and poetic lyrics about love. Broadcast on WPAT-FM, known on air as Amor 93.1 FM, Méndez's show attracted a dedicated audience for traditional Latin ballads as measured by Nielsen audience tracking.
Méndez also expanded his career into television and feature films. He served as the official station voice for Univisión Channel 41 between 1993 and 1999, having previously worked for Discovery Channel. He later held the official voice role at Telemundo Channel 47 and joined the cast of the feature film El Vacilón, The Movie.
Private Funeral Services
Univisión WXTV Channel 41 and Telemundo WNJU Channel 47 are the flagship Spanish-language television network stations serving the New York television market. Network station voices provide station identifications, program promotions, and commercial announcements that make their voices familiar to millions of daily viewers.
Following his express wishes, Méndez's family announced that no public viewing or burial services will take place. His remains will be cremated during a strictly private ceremony held for his immediate family and close relatives.
Following the announcement of his death, his family confirmed that Méndez is survived by his wife, four children, and a large extended family, alongside a broad community of colleagues and friends. His family expressed gratitude for the messages of respect, affection, and solidarity received after the loss of a broadcaster who left a lasting mark on Dominican radio and diaspora media.
