• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 31, 2012

Univision will launch a national, Spanish-language AM radio network featuring local, national and international news, the Hispanic broadcaster revealed this week. The new network, Univision America, will include AM stations in nine major Univision markets: Miami, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, McAllen, TX, El Paso, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Univision Radio has a total portfolio of 69 radio stations in 16 markets nationwide.

The network will feature a combination of news segments, local programming and commentary, delivered by established Univision on-air personalities, as well as new talent. Content will include shows focused on current events, health and family, finances, education, sports, and entertainment, in addition to weather and traffic updates.

In Miami, WQBA-AM (1140) and WAQI-AM (710) will both become part of the national network, but retain their local political orientation as voices of the Cuban exile community in south Florida.

This is the latest in a series of new product and partnerships from Univision, on both the radio and TV fronts. Earlier this month, Univision and ABC News unveiled a plan to launch a new English-language TV news channel targeting bilingual Hispanic-Americans, which is scheduled to launch sometime next year.

In September of last year, Univision made its content available to Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio, including music, sports, and talk formats, as well as leading AM and FM Spanish-language radio personalities. Univision stations offer a range of genres and formats, including Latin adult contemporary, regional Mexican, Tejano, Spanish rhythmic, and Spanish contemporary.