Draft:Radio Astral

Radio Astral is a Salvadoran radio station providing rock and metal music, founded on August 21, 1993, by Elías Antonio Saca. It was the first station of the Grupo Radial Samix (currently Radio Corporación El Salvador). It ceased transmission on 94.9 FM in December 2014 and definitively closed its online broadcasts in 2019. The frequency was renamed as "La Urbana", adopting an urban radio format. However, on December 1, 2022, the station returned to the airwaves on102.9 MHz, replacing Radio 102Nueve.

History
Radio Astral was founded in 1993, broadcasting on 94.9 MHz in San Salvador. The radio station was first directed by Manuel Ernesto Martínez. Initially, its programming targeted an adult contemporary audience, but in 1997, its format changed due to a lack of success. Radio Astral became the first 24-hour uninterrupted rock radio in the Central American region. In 2011, Francisco Parada became the director of the radio. On December 17, 2014, Radio Astral announced its disappearance from the airwaves, and its programs would be moved to an online website. In its place, Radio La Urbana emerged, a station dedicated to urban music and reggaeton

Technological adaptation
Radio Astral underwent a technological revolution. Initially, various devices were used to broadcast music and commercials, as well as to communicate with the audience. CD players, cassettes, and minicassettes were used for programming music. Instant replay and half-inch tape were employed for commercials. Beepers and landline phones were used for communication with listeners. Later, computers were introduced to the station, and radio automation software such as ZaraRadio and Radio 5 started being utilized. The adaptation of the announcers to these new technologies was a self-taught and progressive process

Online stage
From 2015 to 2019, Radio Astral remained online. Despite the advantages of online radio, it ceased broadcasting because it couldn't leverage itself due to a lack of economic resources. This caused many inconveniences, such as having fewer radio presenters. Moreover, the biggest disadvantage of this radio format is that it doesn't have the same level of audience and reach, as internet penetration in El Salvador is not widespread.

Disappearance and resurrection of the station
The definitive disappearance of Astral occurred in 2019 due to a lack of economic profitability generated by the fact of broadcasting rock music. Since Salvadoran society still holds prejudices against this genre. According to a Focus Group study conducted by Astral in 2011, radio advertisers perceived that the radio was listened to by people with a lower purchasing power. This perception was influenced by prejudices against rock, as it was believed to be associated with Satanism, vagrancy, and criminal behavior. Consequently, they did not have sufficient economic income, and profitability is crucial for the survival of a media outlet.

On December 1, 2022, thanks to the request of rock fans in El Salvador, Radio Astral returned to the airwaves on 102.9 FM (replacing Radio 102Nueve, which in November 2022, was broadcasting a rock programming).