Don't Turn the Radio Off: Why This Media Dominates Hispanic Waves

Among Hispanics and Latinos in the United States, radio remains a steadfast companion for news and music, a medium that has served this community for generations.

Whether AM, FM, or the latest digital broadcasts, radio stations across the U.S. cater to the needs of millions of Hispanic listeners like Erika Flores, a healthcare provider in Marietta, Georgia.

"My mother used to turn the radio on at 6 in the morning and it went on until midnight back in Morazan," Flores told The Latin Times. "After we moved to the U.S from El Salvador as refugees, she kept the same custom and now I continue that tradition at my own household."

Flores says she listens to many of the same shows her mother tunes to online.

"At the beginning, we had to listen to what everyone hears in the radio in metro Atlanta, mostly local stations catering to Mexican immigrants or Caribbean people. But thanks to the digital platforms we can tune in to Salvadoran stations, like SonoraFM. We're also fond of Willie Maldonado, a Salvadoran radio celebrity," Flores said.

According to research by Nielsen, Hispanic populations are devoted radio listeners, with 97% of Latinos listening to AM/FM on a monthly basis. In fact, Nielsen reports that while many demographics are cutting their radio time, Hispanics are listening more.

Hispanics are also fiercely loyal to their radio stations, as Katz Radio Group states as part of its findings in a survey. According to Katz, two-thirds (67 percent) of Hispanics have a favorite radio station, with music taking the lion's share with 9 out of 10 favorite frequencies.

In terms of news, the Pew Research Center found out that 42 percent of Hispanic adults get their news from the radio at least sometimes.

Regarding language, Radio is a bilingual medium. Many radio stations in the United States broadcast in both English and Spanish, with this one dominating the airwaves.

A study published by Harvard University's Observatorio Cervantes noted that the number of stations that exclusively emit in Spanish has surpassed the one that decides to adopt a format in two languages, "something that makes us think that this type of preference influences the consumption of radio." According to the study, Hispanics who dominate Spanish consume radio for more than 13 hours a week, while Hispanics whose dominant language is English, do not reach 12 hours a week