After serving in the infantry in World War II (during which time he hosted Spanish-language shows for Armed Forces Radio in London[2]), Safir became a pioneer in Spanish-language broadcasting in San Antonio, helping to develop KCOR (1350 AM), an all-Spanish radio station in San Antonio started in 1946 by Raúl Cortez.[2] Station development was slow: by 1954, there were just ten Spanish-language radio stations in the country,[6] and people sometimes thought the station broadcast directly from Mexico.[1] Safir would also serve three years as general manager of KCOR's television expansion, KCOR-TV (later KWEX-TV), as well as 44 years as general manager of the radio station, retiring in 1990.[1] During his time at the station, he was said to oversee "the whole ball of wax", from programming to community involvement.[2]
In his later career, Safir was recognized as one of the leading lights of Spanish-language radio, being elected president of the Spanish Radio Broadcasters of America and the Texas Association of Broadcasters.[2] In 1984, Tichenor Media, which owned KCOR and other Spanish-language media properties, created a Tichenor Spanish Media Group and named Safir its president, with CEO McHenry Tichenor calling him "the premier Spanish broadcaster in the U.S." and "the dean in the field".[7] He was inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1989;[2] NAB chairman Lowry Mays, founder of San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications, noted that "he has never wavered or doubted the ultimate success of the Spanish format".[5]
Safir died on September 7, 1996, from complications of diabetes. An obituary in the San Antonio Express-News described him as "a trailblazer in Spanish-language broadcasting in the United States".[1]