New York, NY – November 14, 2008 -- United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., an independent leader in original network radio programming, today announced it has added a new weekend programming option titled SABADO PICANTE (Spicy Saturday) starring CARMEN, with WQHT, New York (Hot 97) as the first affiliate.   Carmen, who also has a fully-produced prank call feature currently airing in fifty markets including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Dallas, has been with USRN since 2006.  As Carmen’s popularity exploded across the country, affiliates asked for more of Carmen, and a 3-hour weekend program was the logical choice.  United Stations EVP/Comedy David Kolin made this announcement today from the network’s New York City Headquarters.

Sabado Picante is delivered in an innovative new, programming format that provides the tools for stations to create their own comedy-driven and “Hollyweird” weekend show featuring bits and other elements from one of the network’s most popular comedic characters.  Affiliates of receive access to a large, weekly menu of voice tracks and production elements from which they can build their own weekend program around the Carmen character.   While the Carmen elements include gossip, interviews, comedic news updates and more, stations can control all musical content and format clocks for the show locally.   The name Sabado Picante (Spicy Saturday) is a parody of the title of the television show, Sabado Gigante (Gigantic Saturday) which is a long-running fixture on Hispanic television.  This programming service is available on a market exclusive basis effective immediately.  

Carmen has been a fixture on the morning shows at KMEL, San Francisco, KIIS, Los Angeles with Ryan Seacrest, and currently at Hot 97 in New York.  Carmen’s comedic personality and charisma has been wildly successful among stations appealing to all ethnicities and has found a welcome home in the CHR, Rhythmic, Urban and Hispanic formats. 

United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., is the nation's largest independently owned and operated radio network.  The company currently distributes and produces multiple format specific services to nearly 4,500 rated radio stations across the country including Adult Contemporary, Album Rock, Contemporary Hit, Country, Oldies, Smooth Jazz, Talk and Urban.   Other Comedy Programming in USRN’s lineup includes Dr. Dave’s Comedy Drops, Laugh Attack, Prime Cuts, Country Comedy, and Solid Gold Comedy.  The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by radio pioneers Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.