From Mexico City to Buenos Aires, Latin American radio is loud, musical and personal — and some of the world's very first radio broadcasts happened here.
Station counts updated October 1, 2026
On 27 August 1920, a group of young enthusiasts in Buenos Aires broadcast an opera performance from the roof of the Teatro Coliseo. The "locos de la azotea" (the madmen of the rooftop), as they became known, made one of the world's earliest public radio broadcasts, and Argentina still celebrates the date as its national broadcasting day.
In Mexico, XEW began broadcasting from Mexico City in 1930 under the slogan "La Voz de la América Latina desde México" — the voice of Latin America from Mexico. It helped turn singers and bands into stars across the Spanish-speaking world during radio's golden age.
Mexico has one of the largest radio markets in the Americas, with big national networks alongside local stations in every state. The most popular sound is regional Mexican music: banda (brass-heavy bands from Sinaloa), norteño (accordion and bajo sexto from the north), mariachi, ranchera ballads and corridos — story songs that today include the modern "corridos tumbados" style. You'll also hear Latin pop, rock en español, cumbia and plenty of talk and news.
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Argentine radio mixes serious talk and news with rock nacional, cumbia villera and, of course, tango, the music born in Buenos Aires and Montevideo at the turn of the 20th century. Tango has its own dedicated stations and programmes that are wonderful to leave on in the background.
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Colombia is the home of cumbia, which spread across the whole continent, and vallenato, the accordion-led music of the Caribbean coast. Modern Colombian radio is also a launch pad for reggaeton and Latin pop artists who now top global charts.
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As in Brazil, football on Spanish-language radio is an event. Latin American commentators are known for their rapid-fire narration and long, joyful goal calls. Tuning in to a sports station during a big match is an experience even if you don't follow the teams.