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Bad Bunny and J. Balvin
Bad Bunny and J. Balvin at the 2018 American Music Awards. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images For dcp

iHeartMedia Philly debuts Rumba 106.1, first fully-dedicated FM signal to city’s Latino community

Effective immediately, the new station will air the top 40 hits from the most popular genres in Latin music.

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Philadelphia is getting a new radio music station to tap directly into the vein of popular Latin music that is sweeping not just Latin America, but the U.S. and world.

Rumba 106.1 is the name, and it is billing itself as the “#1 Para Reggaeton y Variedad en Philadelphia” (#1 For Reggaeton and Variety in Philadelphia). 

In addition to the ever-popular reggaeton, which features giants like Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Karol G and more, the station will also play genres like urban pop, bachata, salsa and more that pump out high-energy hits.

According to iHeartMedia leaders, Rumba 106.1’s creation is in direct correlation with the growth seen in the Latino community in Philadelphia over the last decade. The city itself has seen a 15% growth in just the last five years.

“Our decision to create Rumba 106.1 is a recognition of the importance and vitality of the Greater Philadelphia region’s Latino population,” said Derrick Corbett, Senior VP of Programming for iHeartMedia Philadelphia. ““The latest Census Bureau statistics show that the Philadelphia region contains the third-highest Latino population in the Northeast.”

Along with those population booms across the city, state and country, Latinos have begun to find their footing and express power in the political, business, and cultural sectors.

In music specifically, Latin genres like reggaeton have leapt to the forefront of the world. Figures like Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (to name just a few), command international audiences and sell out concerts across the world. In the digital sphere, they also dominate all other artists in streams, subscribers, followers and more on platforms like YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and Twitter.

They are the present and future, and Rumba 106.1 is a recognition of that boom, which also pays homage to the Latino community.

To kick things off on the right foot, the station will be airing 10,000 songs commercial free.

“iHeartRadio is proud to introduce Rumba 106.1 as a companion station to the ever-excelling Latino culture,” said P.J. Gonzalez, Senior VP of Programming for iHeartLatino. “History is unfolding in the city of brotherly love with the very first full-power FM signal dedicated to the Latino community, which has been longing for many years to have its voice represented in Philadelphia.”

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