Music, Personalities Drive Hispanic Radio Station Loyalty.

Hispanic listeners maintain strong and longstanding relationships with their favorite AM/FM radio stations, with music, personalities and cultural connection emerging as key drivers of loyalty, according to new research from Katz Radio Group.

More than eight in 10 Hispanic listeners engage with radio at least several days a week, while 87% listen from the car. The findings reinforce radio’s role as a regular companion throughout the day and highlight the medium’s ability to reach listeners away from screens.

That relationship also appears durable. Seventy-two percent of Hispanic listeners say they have listened to their favorite station for at least six years, including 19% who have stayed with their preferred station for more than 20 years. Music stations dominate, with 85% identifying a music station as their favorite. At the same time, 76% listen to no more than three stations regularly, concentrating listening among a relatively small group of trusted outlets.

Personalities are another important component of that connection. Sixty-four percent of Hispanic listeners say DJs and on-air personalities are very or extremely important to their enjoyment of a station, while 58% can identify a favorite personality from their preferred station.

That familiarity can extend into advertising. Sixty-five percent of Hispanic listeners say an endorsement from a DJ makes them more likely to consider a brand. Among those respondents, 40% say endorsements get their attention more, 40% describe them as more personal or authentic and 27% say they feel more trustworthy than a standard advertisement.

The study also points to a cultural dimension to the relationship between Hispanic audiences and radio. Ninety-six percent of respondents say listening to their favorite station makes them feel connected to their culture, including 65% who strongly agree. No respondents disagreed with the statement.

Katz also found that 65% of Hispanic listeners say they are more likely to buy or use brands that advertise on Spanish-language radio. The findings suggest cultural relevance can provide another avenue for advertisers seeking to build connections with Hispanic consumers, alongside personality endorsements and traditional radio advertising.

The research is based on a June 2026 Katz Radio Group custom online survey. Katz said the Hispanic findings share several characteristics with its general-market research, including music-led listening, in-car usage, station loyalty and the importance of personalities, while the cultural connection represents a distinct factor in the Hispanic audience findings.