Midwest Radio: Number Of Hispanic Stations Increasing

For many Latinos in Cleveland, Ohio, waking up on January 1st to the sounds of Marc Anthony on WLFM-FM 87.7 FM-LV(Channel6 on old analog TV) was a dream come true,  according to NBC News. The arrival of "La Mega" was a welcome arrival in the state's second most populous city. But the story of the Cleveland station's switch to español and bilingual programming mirrors what other Midwestern radio managers have discovered - the potency of the Hispanic radio audience.

“[Latinos are] the only growing population that exists in those markets, and there was nothing for them,” said Murray Hill Broadcasting Director of Advertising Josh Guttman, explaining the company's decision to introduce the station in Ohio. Since 2000, the state's Latinos have increased by over 63 percent to account for about 10 percent of the state's population.

Hispanics have the highest inclination to listen to radio of any ethnic group; numbers provided by Nielsen make this pretty clear. More than 93 percent of all Hispanics - roughly around 40 million - use radio each week. On average Hispanics spend about 12 hours and 13 minutes a week consuming radio. Mexican regional music is the most popular format.

Luis Montoto

For many Hispanic radio stations in the Midwest, understanding their local Latino audience is key. Luis and Lupita Montoto took a circuitous route toward their current roles as programming directors at WLMV 1480 AM La Movida in Madison, Wisconsin. The husband and wife duo had always dreamed of having their own radio station. After years working in central Wisconsin, they got their opportunity in April 2000. Tom Walker, the President of Mid-West Family Broadcasting, had a frequency that was only being used for simulcasting that he hoped to transition to a full-time Hispanic network.

Since the station's debut Wisconsin's Latino community has grown immensely; it is the second largest but fastest growing minority in the state. Though Wisconsin's Hispanic population is about 6 percent, the median age is 23, and many analysts believe the demographic will grow even further.

A year ago La Movida expanded to a full radio network with another station in Rockford, Wisconsin. With the support of the Mid-West Family Broadcasting, the Montotos hopes to bring stations to even more communities in Wisconsin.

The growth of stations in the Midwest is part of a national trend: the number of Spanish language formatted radio stations grew from 547 in 2000 to 895 in 2012, according to the National Association of Broadcasters.

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