A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF AMERICA ETHNIC RADIO PROGRAMMING

Although America's ethnic populations have been mapped using census da ta, their geographical distributions can also be revealed by mapping t he locations of AM/FM radio stations that carry special ethnic program s. The number of radio stations more than doubled between 1960 and 199 0 as well as the number of stations carrying ethnic programs. Approxim ately 1 of 6 radio stations in the period of 1960-1990 carried at leas t one weekly ethnic program. Many of them carried programs for several ethnic populations while others had a format designed exclusively for one ethnic audience. In total, programs and formats were aimed at ove r 50 different ethnic populations during the 30 years, but those aimed at Blacks (African Americans) and Hispanics represented nearly half o f all the ethnic programs by 1960 and the percentage increased thereaf ter. A geographical analysis of America's ethnic radio programming rev eals the persistence of programs for certain ethnic populations and th e emergence of new programs that are associated with America's changin g ethnic diversity due to the growth in immigration from Asia and Lati n America, including the Caribbean.