Money

Los Angeles –  Hispanic population growth has sparked new online radio stations in Spanish like the three created recently by the Slacker Radio company, most particularly one that features regional Mexican music.

"The increase in Spanish-language radio stations is a trend related to the growth of the Hispanic population in this country," Slacker Radio programmer Jackie Madrigal tells Efe.

"The biggest format in Spanish-language radio, whether terrestrial or via Internet or satellite, is regional Mexican, and that's because the biggest population among U.S. Hispanics is Mexican," she said.

San Diego-based Slacker Radio is a provider of more than 130 channels in English and Spanish, which can be accessed by computer or the Internet-capable mobile phones that began operating in 2007.

The provider has contracted experts in programming music to suit Latino tastes, and therefore, besides regional Mexican and pop in Spanish, there is a station dedicated to broadcasting reggaeton/hip-hop and alternative rock.

"We know that another big segment of the Hispanic population is from Central America, and that they like regional Mexican music as well as tropical and Caribbean rhythms," Madrigal said.

According to 2009 figures from the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics in the United States make up 15.7 percent of a total population of 310 million inhabitants.

"People want to hear a little music from their country of origin, for the nostalgia and also to keep in touch with their roots, and that's why there's a need for radios on the Web - to reach places where the Hispanic population has just begun to grow," Madrigal said.

With more than 10 years' experience in Spanish-language radio, Madrigal programs norteño, ranchero and other Mexican rhythms for the online station.

"We have a little more freedom in programming music and so can give stations much more exciting vibes - we only have to use our Latino experience and intuition to decide what gets played because we're not tied to ratings," Madrigal says.

Mathew Bates, programming director at Slacker Radio, told Efe that they have created Hispanic stations because they want to serve every community in the United States and Canada.

"The doors are open for radio on the Internet, and in the near future more and more stations in Spanish are going to pop up on the Web," says Slacker Radio programmer Alex Cortez.