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Los 40

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Los 40 (stylized as LOS40, formerly Los 40 Principales, Spanish: Los Cuarenta) is a Spanish Top 40-themed music radio station that broadcasts current and recent music, primarily focusing on genres such as pop, dance, electropop, Electro Latin, and Reggaeton. The brand is operated in various Spanish-speaking countries by PRISA Radio. It is recognized as the first thematic radio station in Spain, with an audience of almost three million listeners.[1] Originating as a music show at Radio Madrid (now Cadena SER) in 1966, it transitioned into an independent radio station in 1979.

Los 40 also operates in ten other countries, establishing its presence as a significant international music radio station in Spain and Latin America. The station primarily targets a demographic of individuals aged 12 to 30 years old.

The format of Los 40 is characterized by a youthful and dynamic style, incorporating a casual language that appeals to a young audience. The station emphasizes both music and musical information, as well as the presentation of songs.

Los 40 can be accessed through FM dials, national DTT broadcasting, streaming services, and mobile applications.[2]

Logo of Los 40 since 2016.

Broadcast[edit]

LOS40 stations are broadcast in: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

The stations predominantly play contemporary hit music in Spanish and English contemporary hit music, featuring a mix of American, Latin American, Pan-European, and British artists. The music selection varies by region, with stations in Mexico and Panama stations focusing more on European and English-language music, whereas Chile and Costa Rica feature more reggaeton and bachata.

History[edit]

In 1965, Spain's Ministry of Information and Tourism mandated FM station launches, leading to a focus on music programming due to production costs. The following year, Rafael Revert was tasked by Cadena SER to create a music show for a younger audience, resulting in the creation of the 40 Principales chart. The first show aired on 18 July 1966, with "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas topping the inaugural chart.

Initially, it was broadcast on 10 stations within the network. The program's duration expanded over time, starting with two hours, then increasing to four hours, and eventually to eight hours when it transitioned to a weekly edition on Saturdays.

The program was pre-recorded and distributed to Cadena SER stations across Spain, which broadcast it simultaneously at the designated time. The success of "Los 40 Principales," particularly among young audiences, led to an increase in programming hours and the development of its unique style, known as the "40 Style." This style is characterized by a youthful, casual language that emphasizes both music and musical information, as well as the presentation of songs.

The use of Onda Media was crucial for transmitting the "40 Style," as FM radio was less commonly used at the time. On Saturday afternoons, Onda Media stations broadcast eight hours of "Los 40," during which listeners could vote for the number one song.

In 1979, 40 Principales became a dedicated radio network. The network started satellite broadcasts across Spain in 1985 and expanded into Latin America in the 2000s.

In 1990, the chart show extended to television through Canal+ followed by the launch of 40 Principales TV in 1998. This channel continued until its closure in September 2017.

Game 40[edit]

From 1992 to 1998, Los 40 hosted Game 40, a weekly video game show in Spain. [3] The show combined music from anime and video games with reviews, news, and comedy segments.[4] [5] Despite competition from sports programs, it garnered significant listenership.

Controversy[edit]

In December 2014, a controversy arose during a promotion on 40 Principales Chile.[6] The station held a contest where listeners suggested challenges to win tickets, leading to a particularly explicit act being performed live on air.[7][6][8][7][9][10]This event resulted in significant backlash and an apology from the station, citing the voluntary nature of the participant's involvement.[11]

Former Presence[edit]

LOS40 has previously operated in Nicaragua and Paraguay, where it was replaced by La Buenísima and an evangelical radio station, respectively.

Stations[edit]

Location Callsign Frequency Property
Bogotá, Colombia HJL81 100.4 MHz PRISA
Buenos Aires, Argentina LS4 105.5 MHz Telefé
Guatemala City, Guatemala 93.3 MHz PRISA
Madrid, Spain LOS40 93.9 MHz PRISA
Mexico City, Mexico XEX-FM 101.7 MHz PRISA
Panama City, Panama 91.3 MHz PRISA
Quito, Ecuador 97.7 MHz PRISA
San José, Costa Rica 104.3 MHz La Nación
Santiago, Chile 101.7 MHz Ibero Americana
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 88.5 MHz PRISA

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zavala, Cristina (5 July 2022). "LOS40 maintains its leadership in music radio in Spain with 2,783,000 daily listeners: Thank you all!". LOS40. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Cadena SER, Los 40 and Dial begin broadcasting on DTT". Digital Television. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  3. ^ Gómez, Rosario G. (22 October 1996). "Los 40 digitales". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019.
  4. ^ Molinero, E. (24 February 2019). "De los 80 a la actualidad: Evolución de la información sobre videojuegos en España". La Razón (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019.
  5. ^ Martínez, David (12 July 2016). "Videojuegos en la radio". De MicroHobby a Youtube: Prensa de videojuegos en España (in Spanish). Dolmen Editorial. pp. 155–157. ISBN 978-8416436651.
  6. ^ a b Barell, Ryan (22 December 2014). "Rimjob Live on Air Prompts Apology After Chilean Radio DJ Paul Hip's Competition Turns Weird". HuffPost. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b Cullen, Clare (23 December 2014). "Outrage as woman licks whipped cream from radio presenters bum crack live on air to win concert tickets". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Outrage After A Woman Gave A Radio DJ A Rim Job Live on the Air". BuzzFeed. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  9. ^ "chilena besa trasero de locutor de radio para ganar entradas" (in Spanish). Taringa!. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  10. ^ "YouTube: mujer besa trasero de locutor por ganar entradas para concierto y genera polémica - VIDEO". la Repubblica (in Spanish). 19 December 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  11. ^ Roterman, Natalie (21 December 2014). "Woman's Gruesome Challenge To Get Free Concert Tickets Causes Outrage in Chile!". Latin Times. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LOS40.

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