SãO PAULO — 89 FM Rádio Rock, dedicated to rock music in São Paulo, is arguably one of the city’s most popular radio stations, with approximately 2 million monthly listeners, according to Yuri Danka, the station’s manager. Covering the São Paulo metropolitan area, which has a population of 22 million people, the station broadcasts on FM within the city and streams online globally. It also operates three other stations under the same brand in other cities, though these are smaller.
Located in the famous Avenida Paulista, a central avenue in São Paulo and the headquarters of financial and cultural institutions, the station features three studios: Two audio studios — one for broadcasting and a backup studio for recordings — and a dedicated video studio with synchronized background screens.
The station’s facility is part of a large building that houses two other stations also owned by Grupo Camargo de Comunicação: Alpha FM and Radio Disney. Besides São Paulo, the company’s other stations air in Goiânia, Curitiba and Ribeirão Preto.
The station employs a team of 22 hosts, which Danka says is significant. “We usually have three hosts for our talk shows, such as mine from 10 a.m. to midday, and sometimes up to four hosts in other shows!”
The station regularly hosts Brazilian and famous international artists performing in São Paulo. It also features numerous contests for listeners, offering prizes such as concert tickets, household appliances and cash. Participation is via phone, WhatsApp or their website, fostering a lively and engaging atmosphere. “We have lots of fun here,” says Danka.
Event coverage and audience
São Paulo is renowned for its vibrant events and festivals, which are extensively covered by the station, with journalists and production teams onsite. “We also host 89 Rock Boat, a festival inside a cruise ship, and our own festival in São Paulo, Somos Rock Festival,” says Danka. Recent coverage by dedicated teams for external reporting includes Lollapalooza Brazil, metal festivals and other major music events, featuring the Scorpions and other prominent international bands.
The station broadcasts 24/7, blending music, news and talk shows, and special programs such as a live alternative rock show from midnight to 2 a.m.
“São Paulo is one of the largest radio markets globally,” Danka points out. “Given the city’s size, the station’s audience of approximately 2 million listeners is substantial and impressive for a station that exclusively plays rock music. It’s also amazing because, although we play new songs, most of our music scheduling consists of older music.”
The station’s transmitters are located at one end of Avenida Paulista, and the building housing 89 FM Rádio Rock is located at the other end. “We therefore use a fiber optic link and an FM link as backup,” says Danka.
Features and operations
Danka has worked at 89 FM Rádio Rock for 22 years, serving not only as station manager but also as host of a daily morning show. He decided to upgrade the station’s equipment while renovating the studios. “I love technology, and explored various software options at NAB 2023 and 2024,” says Danka. ‘In the end, I was convinced by WinMedia and chose to implement their solution in November 2024.”
Danka points out that WinMedia’s integrated automation, business and management systems offer a comprehensive solution for radio and TV management, encompassing music scheduling, advertising planning, automation and video content management. “We are a commercial radio station, so with their scheduling system for advertising, we simply need to enter a commercial spot, which can then rotate throughout the entire programming schedule,” he says. “Their music scheduling is so much better than the one I was using before.” When the station installed the WinMedia system in February 2025, it introduced visual radio capabilities that included synchronized video clips and background images, thus creating a fully integrated visual radio experience.
Renovation project and customization
The modernization project involved both remote and onsite setups, staff training and customization to meet the specific needs of 89 FM Rádio Rock. It started with a visual radio concept — distributing video files and managing studio cameras, backgrounds and screens behind the hosts. This enabled WinMedia to develop a comprehensive visual radio system, managing audio, video, images and social media content, providing the station with everything needed for broadcasting and playout through WinMedia and WinCam. This included the evolution of the on-air playlist and cart software functionalities for the Brazilian market.
“It’s a comprehensive installation that ingests the tracks, manages our library, prepares our daily broadcast list, and plans advertisements,” says Danka. “The broadcast videos can also be streamed on the internet or social networks. Several journalist workstations are available along with WinMedia software for music programming and advertising planning, as well as system administration software.”
For WinMedia the project was evidence of its systems’ flexibility. “The collaboration with 89 FM Rádio Rock has shown that our software can be customized to meet 100% of the clients’ needs while maintaining a standard product that benefits all users,” says WinMedia CEO Stéphane Tésorière. “It was a case study for WinMedia in Brazil.”
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2025 edition of RedTech Magazine.
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