Hurban is a relatively new radio programming format from radio chain giant Clear Channel Communications and Senior VP Alfredo Alonso. Hurban radio stations target young Hispanics in the United States, primarily consisting of reggaeton, hip-hop, and dance music. Advertisements and DJs are usually presented in a mixture of English and Spanish.

The word hurban comes from a fusion of the terms "Hispanic" and "urban."

"Hurban" should not be confused with H-Urban which is a a moderated, multi-disciplinary forum for discussion and dissemination of scholarship on urban history and urban studies (homepage at http://www.h-net.org/~urban/).

Artists

Core artists of the Hurban format include Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Julio Voltio and Tego Calderón. Most Hurban stations also play reggaeton remixes of popular English top 40 songs.

History

KLOL in Houston, Texas debuted as the first Hurban station in the continental US in late 2004. By 2007, Clear Channel dropped the Hurban format and picked up a Spanish Contemporary format. Most of the Original personalities have been let go since and the station is no longer bilingual. Most of the current personalities have been ordered to cease the "Spanglish" act on the air and stick with Spanish.

The format has grown to many other cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, and Albuquerque, NM. But more Recently, the format has been replaced in several cities. The list includes Miami, Denver, Albuquerque, Dallas (KZZA), and Las Vegas.

Development of the Hurban Ideology

The new radio format dubbed Hurban may seem like it is merely another attempt to profit off of the tastes of a particular ethnic group that has a preference for a given type of music, but this is not the case. These pan-Latin radio stations are embracing reggaeton, hip hop, and dance hall music, which largely comprise and explicate Hurban thoughts and ideas through their lyrics and styles. Nevertheless, the scope of this music can be comprehended more thoroughly when we understand the movement as a grassroots attempt that will perhaps bring together the pan-Latino movement in the music industry. In relation to the Hurban music movement, there are other means by which Hispanic Urbans are being encouraged to represent their ethnic background. For example, www.hurban-wear.com sells T-Shirts with the message that the people who speak the Spanish language need to come unite. Clear Channel Communications, a major broadcasting company, announced in fall 2004 that it was transforming 20 to 25 of its 1,200 stations to Hispanic formats over the subsequent 18 months. Accordingly, it is also interesting to consider how some individuals may feel disappointed when they realize that one of their favorite radio stations was changed in an effort to accommodate the needs of the Hurban audience. It is also compelling to consider how the tension that exists between musical genres in subtle commercial competitions such as these has the potential to effect an individual’s prejudices that tend to develop in a multi-racial and multi-cultural America. Hurban radio stations may provide the means for the pan-Latino population to develop a sense of communication within the community that will reverberate in America and abroad.

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