The Bader Award, given annually for a single stunning innovation or a lifetime of vital contributions to community radio, will be presented to Morales at the 2008 Community Radio Conference, March 26-29, in Atlanta, Georgia. The award recognizes a lifetime of vital contributions to community radio and honors individuals or groups whose work has advanced the vision and values of community radio, whether in programming, management, infrastructure development, technology or development of the field.

“Radio Bilingüe fills a critical void by providing immigrant communities news and information that not only informs and educates, but also plays a pivotal role in raising awareness of health issues specific to low-income communities,” said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. “Hugo’s commitment to elevating the voices of these communities is laudable and deserving of this prestigious national award.”

The award is named for the late Washington D.C. attorney Michael Bader whose clients included community radio stations. He was an ardent supporter of community radio and helped many pioneering community stations get on the air. Bader died in 2001 at age 72.

Currently, Radio Bilingüe owns six full-power FM stations in California, serves over 100 affiliate stations via satellite, and provides live webcast, podcast, and text news service through its Internet site. Radio Bilingüe provides audiences with news, information and cultural programming from its award-winning programs Noticiero Latino and Línea Abierta. The network also distributes selected programming acquired from partnering networks in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe and Latin America.

Recently, Radio Bilingüe has become available on HD and several major English-language public radio stations throughout the U.S. are now offering the bilingual programming on the second-channel service to its Spanish-speaking communities.

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California. To date, The Endowment has awarded approximately 9,500 grants across California totaling more than $1.7 billion. For more information, visit The Endowment’s Web site at www.calendow.org