CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Interep National Radio Sales and leading Hispanic-controlled radio company Spanish Broadcasting System launched a new division to market Spanish-language radio stations to national advertisers.

SBS/Interep will represent all SBS and other Interep-represented Hispanic stations previously handled by Interep's Caballero Spanish Media.

The creation of the new division aims to raise the visibility of Spanish-language radio, which receives only 3% of total radio ad dollars, despite Hispanic consumers accounting for 13% of the total U.S. population.

The new unit hopes to narrow that gap via marketing and incentive programs such as the "Power of Hispanic Radio" event scheduled for October. The event will bring together marketers, radio executives and media planners and buyers to discuss radio's ability to reach the Hispanic community.

Spanish Broadcasting System owns 24 stations in eight of the top 10 U.S. Hispanic markets. Interep, the leading independent advertising sales rep firm in the country, is the exclusive sales representative for more than 2,000 stations nationwide.