National Weather Service translation paused for metro Spanish speakers
SHAWNEE, Kan. (KCTV) - The National Weather Service is no longer providing translation services and a Spanish radio station in KC is stepping in to help bridge the language gap.
The lives of Spanish speakers are on La Mega KC radio host Ana Duin’s radar when thinking of the agency’s decision to pause translations. Since 2023, the agency has been working with a company called Lilt to provide the service and a spokesperson said their contract has lapsed.
“What if someone you loved were in a foreign country and then there was a service that was offered in English and that was cut out, how would you feel,” said Duin.
Duin’s voice is a familiar one to listeners throughout the KC Metro. The roots of her listeners stem from all across the world, from Mexico to South America, and Spanish is the language that binds them.
“They love to listen to Spanish music. I mean, we talk Spanish at home. I think we do like a Spanglish type of thing and it’s always nice going back to our roots and where we come from,” said La Mega KC radio host Ana Duin.
This is why she translates severe weather and news updates on the radio in their native tongue. However, she acknowledges that other non-Spanish speaking platforms are unable to offer that same benefit.
“Having that service offered, down the road if a catastrophe is coming, if something big is coming, it could save lives,” said Duin.
The radio host warns that people not having access to this information in a way they can understand can create room for miscommunication.
“Tornado season is right around the corner. What if there’s a tornado warning and everything is in English and you don’t understand exactly what they’re saying and something bad happens? What would you do then?
According to 2022 U.S. Census data, the KC Metro is home to approximately 116,000 people who are native Spanish speakers. Now Duin is stepping up to the mic and continuing to use her platform to reach Spanish-speaking audiences across the airwaves.
“I think it’s just vital to have Spanish-speaking media, it really is,” she said.
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