Where’s DJ Laz? Local fave left Hits 97.3, but here’s how to find him on the airwaves
Radio silence for Miami’s DJ Laz?
Fans who grooved to the popular music producer and DJ had to wonder what was up when they could no longer hear him on his morning show on WLFC Miami’s Hits 97.3, his terrestrial radio home for the last five years. Before that he was at Power 96 from 1990 to 2012. Then he did a morning host gig via Spanish Broadcasting Systems for KXOL Los Angeles and WRMA 106.7 in Miami.)
But on Nov. 25, DJ Laz (Lazaro Mendez) exited the DJ booth at Hits 97.3 and hasn’t used his social media presence to tell fans why.
Word is Laz was let go when Apollo Global Management acquired Cox Media Group’s radio and television properties and Northwest Television, Radio Insight reported.
Cox was WLFC’s parent company.
As is common when media companies are bought and sold, DJ Laz didn’t make the transition, Distractify reported.
Cox Media Group didn’t respond to a Miami Herald email and the phone number we had for Laz rang through. But Cox Media Group’s director of operations Jill Strada did give Distractify a statement on Monday that read:
“WFLC and DJ Laz have parted ways amicably. The staff here wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”
But for the multi-hyphenate Miami music man, the future is now.
He can still be heard on the airwaves, after all.
DJ Laz continues his satellite Sirius XM gig as a part of Pitbull’s Globalization Channel 13. There, Laz hosts a two-hour Sirius XM show at 10 a.m. Saturdays.
On Saturday, DJ Laz used his Instagram page to tout his gig on Globalization.
“Freestyle fans listen up. Live from the 305 kicks off at 10 and you are going to love the mix today on Sirius XM,” he posted. He used the hashtag #newbeginnings.
The satellite station spins “worldwide rhythmic hits,” not unlike Laz’s collaboration with Pitbull on Mr. 305’s 2010 single “Alcoholic.”
The two have long been simpatico.
When he was still at Power 96, DJ Laz gushed about Miami as a music mecca led by people like Pitbull, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled.
“There’s a lot of talent here ... and there’s a magnifying glass on Miami, and on Florida for that matter, for talent,” Laz told the Miami Herald at the time. “People love to come here from all over the world and musically we’re sitting on top of the world right now. Everybody is doing something that represents Miami or Florida, so, no, we are just scratching the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling there will be a lot of new artists coming out of here in the next couple of years.”
Glad to hear Laz is still scratching the 305.
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 4:40 PM.
