SoftWave Media Exchange, an electronic marketplace for buying, selling and managing radio and television advertising time, announced (pdf) the introduction of SWMX Hispanic, a new division serving Spanish-language broadcasters and advertisers, reports MediaBuyerPlanner.

SWMX Hispanic will provide advertiser access to leading media across the U.S., including local broadcast television, cable TV and radio. SoftWave represents Spanish-language radio stations owned by Univision Radio, Entrevision Radio and Spanish Broadcasting Systems, including many located in the top 50 U.S. Hispanic DMAs.

SWMX Radio expects to reach over 70 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population, including Puerto Rico, by the end of 2007, the company said.

Advertising spend in Spanish-language media (broadcast and print) was $2.4 billion during the first half of 2006, a 20.5 percent increase from the same period of 2005, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

Spanish-language advertising grew more than any other major sector during the first six months of the year - five times the 4.1 percent increase for total U.S. ad spending, and greater even than online ad spend growth of 18.9 percent - TNS said.