June 8, 2007
Country Stations Implement Recommendations in CRB Hispanic Study
by Ed Salamon
Executive Director
Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
Nashville, TN

Why are KMPS’s Becky Brenner, WKIS’s Carole Bowen, KHEY’s Steve Gramzay and Edison Media Research’s Larry Rosin optimistic that more Hispanics will be joining the ranks of Country radio listeners? The answer has a lot more to do with promotion than with programming.

Country radio stations have initiated marketing campaigns targeted at Hispanics as a result of the first ever study of Hispanics and Country radio and music, which was commissioned by The Country Radio Broadcasters and presented in March at CRS 38. “The Hispanic American Relationship to Country Radio and Music,” conducted by Edison Media Research, revealed an opportunity for Country radio stations to grow their audience by marketing specifically to Hispanics.

As a followup to the study, Edison Media Research President Larry Rosin and I talked with three Country stations which have been successfully marketing to Hispanics.

After seeing the CRB Hispanic study at CRS, KMPS Program Director Becky Brenner recognized the value of “inviting them to the party”. As a result, KMPS targeted Hispanics in the station’s most recent television campaign. Becky relates that although Hispanics make up only about six to seven percent of KMPS listeners, there has been an influx of Hispanics in the market and KMPS wants to prepare for the future.

WKIS, Miami, General Manager Carole Bowen says that Hispanic listeners represent about 21% of the station’s cume and 17% of its average quarter hour audience. Carole mentioned that WKIS promotions follow an 80/20 rule; 80% are aimed at the general market and 20% at Hispanics. In Miami, the Hispanic population is mostly composed of Cubans as well as immigrants from Central and South America.

The El Paso market is 81.5% Hispanic, largely immigrants from Mexico. Therefore it is not surprising that KHEY Program Director Steve Gramzay tells us that the majority of his listeners are Hispanic. As Morning Air Personality, he is conscious that he is a minority. KHEY promotions focus on what their listeners have in common.

Larry Rosin commended the actions that he heard on the call. He expressed concern that there was a misperception about the study from those who did not see it presented at CRS, who felt that that it advocated that Country radio change its programming in order to appeal to Hispanics. Rather, the study recommends outreach. Larry notes that given the population growth of Hispanics, if Country radio does not make an effort to attract Hispanic listeners in some markets it won’t be viable to be a Country radio station. Larry hopes to see the outreach begun by stations like those on this call will  grow on a number of fronts.

All participants were optimistic about the growth of Country radio listening among Hispanics, as more stations begin to promote to this audience.

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You can read the entire study at http://www.crb.org/research.