Hurban’s Radio Run

In 2004 Houston's KLOL, a Clear Channel Radio station, changed its programming from Classic Rock to a popular new format dubbed “Hurban,” short for Hispanic Urban. The new format was touted as the next big thing to win over 18 to 34 year-old bilingual Hispanics who favored Raggaeton, Spanish Hip-Hop and Pop. KLOL featured a “Spanglish” format playing hits by the likes of Daddy Yankee, Pitbull and Don Omar among others.

Houston was only the beginning. Clear Channel soon announced it would switch 20 more stations to Hurban in the coming months and they pushed it aggressively converting stations in Albuquerque, Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Denver. Other non-Clear Channel radio stations tried the format as well, including Entravision in Dallas, which switched its pop station to a similar Hurban format they called Latino Rhythmic Top 40.

Ratings looked good at first, but by late last year KLOL, the first station to test-try Hurban programming, was the first to drop it and switch to Spanish Contemporary. Shortly after, other stations followed, dropping the format in Miami, Denver, Albuquerque, Dallas and Las Vegas--most of these stations also replaced their original talent and are no longer “Spanglish.”

Experts argue that radio executives were quick to jump the gun on the Hurban format fad, particularly so quickly and with so many stations. Another argument for Hurban’s demise is that the format’s staple of Reggeaton artists faced strong competition from Mexico’s Spanish pop and Regional acts, favored south of the border and across many southern states. It will be interesting to see how with less airplay, today's Reggaeton artists and labels will continue to market themselves to their fans.

Hurban came and went, but Hispanic listeners don’t seem to mind radio’s trial and error approach, as long as they get the last say on what’s playing on their radios.