Associated Press survey showed that thousands of viewers called a help line to ask about issues on the show.
By: IVAN MORENO | Associated Press
DENVER, CO -- The titillating twists and turns of this Spanish-language soap opera captivated Colorado Hispanics.
But instead of stories of forbidden love and revenge, its plot twists involved health issues affecting Hispanics and the services the state provides — all told with the dramatic flair for which telenovelas are famous.
Think soap opera meets after-school special.
Health officials say they got a resounding response from 2009's Denver-area series, titled "Encrucijada: Sin Salud No Hay Nada," or "Crossroads: Without Health, There Is Nothing."
Three surveys provided to The Associated Press this week on its impact showed that thousands of viewers called a help line to ask about issues on the show, and most said they found the show beneficial. One night, 35,000 households tuned in, according to Nielsen ratings.
"We were overwhelmed with the response," said project director Anne Smith. "To receive the call volume that we did, when we weren't trying to give away pizzas. We were asking people to call about a pretty complex issue."
The success has inspired a sequel, "Encrucijada 2," which will begin filming in Los Angeles this fall. The Colorado Health Foundation, which owns the rights to the first season of the show, is trying to make it available in other states, said Kelly Dunkin, vice president of philanthropy at the foundation.
Hispanics are affected by diabetes, obesity and other health issues at disproportionately high rates. For example, they have higher rates of obesity than whites, African Americans, and Asians among children ages 2 to 14, according the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Hispanic adults are also three times more likely to die of diabetes than whites and two times more likely than African Americans.
Language barriers and, for many, living in a new culture, mean they're often hard to reach about their health options, making the telenovela an appealing avenue.
"I think we have to go where the people are," said Dr. Chris Urbina, the executive director and chief medical officer of the Colorado department. "Latinos, particularly first generation Latinos, like to watch telenovelas. I think it's part of our culture."
Other states are using radio soap operas to educate minorities about their health.
Last month, a radio show launched in Alabama titled "Promesas y Traiciones," or "Promises and Betrayals," that educates Hispanics about obesity and smoking. A radio drama for African Americans called "Living Well in Camberwell" also began airing in that state.
"We can help create a narrative that can inspire people to change," said Brenda Campos, the program director for Media Impact, one of the organizations that helped produce the shows.
In Iowa, a weekly radio series just concluded that sought to prevent unintended pregnancies.
"Practically speaking, most people would agree that entertainment is going to engage you more and you're going to pay more attention," said Connie Kohler, a professor of health behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Kohler worked on the Iowa program, titled, "La Noche Te Da Sorpresas," or "The Night Gives You Surprises."
The Colorado soap opera featured health workers as its protagonists. Along the way, viewers were immersed with plots they could relate to. There was the case of an expecting couple encouraged to seek prenatal care; there were characters without health insurance. A teenager learned a lesson about driving drunk after getting into a wreck that injured a boy. The boy's family learned he qualified for Child Health Plan Plus, known as CHPP, a Colorado program for uninsured children and pregnant women who can't afford private insurance but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
Most viewers surveyed said they learned "a lot" about diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Nearly all said the telenovela gave them ideas on how to improve their lives.
The 12-episode season aired on Denver's Univision affiliate, operated by Entravision Communications Corp., based in Santa Monica, Calif., with stars that included Roberto Medina, who appeared in "21 Grams" and "Frida."
"Encrucijada" sometimes drew comparable ratings to the Spanish-language version of "Desperate Housewives."
A toll-free number during each episode encouraged viewers to call about topics on the show. During its run, from May to December 2009, the health hotline received more than 2,000 calls, according to figures compiled for the Colorado Health Foundation.
One third of callers requested information about the CHPP program, and about a fifth called to learn about low-cost health insurance options. Others sought help for depression, domestic violence and diabetes.
Maria Dolores Jaquez De Silva, 63, was an avid viewer who learned about a place where she could get tested regularly for diabetes. She said she made sure to spread the program's message to her friends.
"Because that show was about advice, not about a soap opera," she said in Spanish. "They're such beautiful messages that the show should never end."
Dunkin, with the Colorado Health Foundation, said the "Encrucijada" sequel will focus on healthy eating and being more active. It will continue to emphasize the availability of public health insurance programs.
"We know that telenovelas are incredibly popular. We've heard that men don't watch telenovelas, but we know that they secretly do," Dunkin said.
___
Ivan Moreno can be reached at: http://www.twitter.com/ivanmoreno_colo
SAMPLE OF SOAP OPERA:
ENCRUCIJADA - Sin Salud No Hay Nada from Olivia Preci on Vimeo.
Showing posts with label Latino Television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latino Television. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Hispanic groups meet with Comcast, NBC
Comcast, NBCU meet with Hispanic advocacy groups
By Bob Fernandez, Philadelphia Inquirer
Hispanic civil rights and advocacy groups met in Philadelphia yesterday with top executives at Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal Inc. to discuss Hispanic media issues related to the proposed $30 billion merger of the cable company and the entertainment giant.
The meeting was part of the full-court press by Comcast and NBC to court favor with special-interest groups that might oppose the merger in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission.
D'Arcy Rudnay, senior vice president of communications at Comcast, said the meeting was private and was one of many Comcast was holding. "The meetings have been constructive," she said, noting they began about two weeks ago and are being held in several cities.
Hispanic media issues typically involve complaints about a lack of Hispanic TV station owners, insufficient news and entertainment programming choices, and TV shows that reinforce negative Hispanic stereotypes, Hispanic officials said.
NBC Universal operates the NBC and Telemundo television networks.
Comcast declined to say which groups were represented at the meeting in the Comcast Center.
But sources in the Hispanic advocacy community said that among the groups represented were the National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.
Corporate executives present were Comcast chief executive officer Brian Roberts, NBCU president Jeff Zucker, Comcast executive vice president David Cohen, Comcast vice president Susan Gonzales, and NBCU chief diversity officer Paula Madison.
Felix Sanchez, chairman and cofounder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in Washington, a 14-year-old nonprofit group that was not invited to the Philadelphia session, said there were few Hispanic voices on highly rated news shows such as NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday mornings, and that Telemundo has cut costs in local TV news operations under NBC's ownership.
"I would be willing to see commitments made, but commitments have been made in the past, so one is skeptical of future promises," Sanchez said, referring to steps that might bring his support for the merger.
Joe Torres, government relations manager for Free Press, a nonprofit group fiercely opposed to the merger, said, "Historically, media consolidation has been terrible for the Latino community. . . . We don't control our image, and other people are telling our stories."
Contact Bob Fernandez at 215-854-5897 or bob.fernandez@phillynews.com.
By Bob Fernandez, Philadelphia Inquirer
Hispanic civil rights and advocacy groups met in Philadelphia yesterday with top executives at Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal Inc. to discuss Hispanic media issues related to the proposed $30 billion merger of the cable company and the entertainment giant.
The meeting was part of the full-court press by Comcast and NBC to court favor with special-interest groups that might oppose the merger in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission.
D'Arcy Rudnay, senior vice president of communications at Comcast, said the meeting was private and was one of many Comcast was holding. "The meetings have been constructive," she said, noting they began about two weeks ago and are being held in several cities.
Hispanic media issues typically involve complaints about a lack of Hispanic TV station owners, insufficient news and entertainment programming choices, and TV shows that reinforce negative Hispanic stereotypes, Hispanic officials said.
NBC Universal operates the NBC and Telemundo television networks.
Comcast declined to say which groups were represented at the meeting in the Comcast Center.
But sources in the Hispanic advocacy community said that among the groups represented were the National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility.
Corporate executives present were Comcast chief executive officer Brian Roberts, NBCU president Jeff Zucker, Comcast executive vice president David Cohen, Comcast vice president Susan Gonzales, and NBCU chief diversity officer Paula Madison.
Felix Sanchez, chairman and cofounder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in Washington, a 14-year-old nonprofit group that was not invited to the Philadelphia session, said there were few Hispanic voices on highly rated news shows such as NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday mornings, and that Telemundo has cut costs in local TV news operations under NBC's ownership.
"I would be willing to see commitments made, but commitments have been made in the past, so one is skeptical of future promises," Sanchez said, referring to steps that might bring his support for the merger.
Joe Torres, government relations manager for Free Press, a nonprofit group fiercely opposed to the merger, said, "Historically, media consolidation has been terrible for the Latino community. . . . We don't control our image, and other people are telling our stories."
Contact Bob Fernandez at 215-854-5897 or bob.fernandez@phillynews.com.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Hispanic internet users targeted by telenovela
Univision to Launch Telenovela Web Site
The Latino Journal, Vol. 3, Issue 5
Univision Communications is continuing its push online with the forthcoming rollout of a video web site for telenovela soap-operas - an unmet niche category for Hispanics, which are increasingly moving online for entertainment and news.
"The world has shifted," says Joe Uva, Univision's president and chief executive. "Our audience is consuming more and more content on digital platforms and the go." (via the Wall Street Journal).
The site, which will launch in the spring, will offer episodes of telenovelas both online and through mobile phones, according to Journal. Besides Univision’s content, the site will also offer content from Azteca America, the U.S. network of Mexico's Grupo Salinas, Colombia's RCN Television SA and Dori Media Group Ltd.
Univision will also produce web-only shows for the site.
Building a Presence
Univision has been steadily building a larger presence online. Last year it launched an online ad network designed to help advertisers better connect with US Hispanics.
A wealth of research statistics support the growing presence of digitally savvy Hispanics. The online US Hispanic population reached a record 20.3 million visitors in February 2009, according to comScore, Inc., which noted that the Hispanic online demographic is expanding more than 50% faster than the overall US online population. Hispanics now make up 11% of the total online population.
Another survey, from ARAnet and ORC, noted a similar increased use of online sources for news and information among the college educated, Hispanics and those making more than $100K per year, compared with the general population.
The Latino Journal, Vol. 3, Issue 5
Univision Communications is continuing its push online with the forthcoming rollout of a video web site for telenovela soap-operas - an unmet niche category for Hispanics, which are increasingly moving online for entertainment and news.
"The world has shifted," says Joe Uva, Univision's president and chief executive. "Our audience is consuming more and more content on digital platforms and the go." (via the Wall Street Journal).
The site, which will launch in the spring, will offer episodes of telenovelas both online and through mobile phones, according to Journal. Besides Univision’s content, the site will also offer content from Azteca America, the U.S. network of Mexico's Grupo Salinas, Colombia's RCN Television SA and Dori Media Group Ltd.
Univision will also produce web-only shows for the site.
Building a Presence
Univision has been steadily building a larger presence online. Last year it launched an online ad network designed to help advertisers better connect with US Hispanics.
A wealth of research statistics support the growing presence of digitally savvy Hispanics. The online US Hispanic population reached a record 20.3 million visitors in February 2009, according to comScore, Inc., which noted that the Hispanic online demographic is expanding more than 50% faster than the overall US online population. Hispanics now make up 11% of the total online population.
Another survey, from ARAnet and ORC, noted a similar increased use of online sources for news and information among the college educated, Hispanics and those making more than $100K per year, compared with the general population.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Latinos look to late night
Lopez adds Latino hue to late-night
Randy Cordova - The Arizona Republic, Nov. 9, 2009
George Lopez has proved himself to be a concert headliner. The Richard Pryor disciple is equally popular on TV with his self-titled sitcom ending a healthy six-season run two years ago.
His next challenge? The 48-year-old comic is launching "Lopez Tonight," a late-night talk show that takes some inspiration from early '90s fave "The Arsenio Hall Show." During a recent phone call, Lopez promised a party atmosphere and a possible guest star from the U.S. Supreme Court on his show, which premieres tonight.
Question: You mention Arsenio Hall in a lot of the show's publicity. Is that the kind of feeling you want the show to have?
Answer: It will have that kind of vibe. Because of viral (marketing) - the MySpace, the Facebook, Twitter - there is more diversity. Arsenio was very Black and White. Now, you've thrown in Asian, Middle Eastern, Latino. White and Black are really blending together well with Latino.
Q: You seem to be really using viral marketing to promote the show.
A: Look at what Barack Obama did with it, and what John McCain didn't do with it. Since I donated to Obama, as soon as he was done speaking, I'd get a message from him on the BlackBerry. It's a great way to get the message out. It's the one thing everyone has now: It's either on them, on their desk or in their house. You have your phone on even before your TV is on.
Q: It seems vital if you're trying to reach a young audience.
A: Young people aren't watching the news. I think I can offer them a little bit more color, high energy, a faster pace than what's on TV. Very much like Arsenio did. People that got it watched it, and people that really didn't get it watched it to see what everybody else was talking about.
Q: Arsenio is such an influence. Will you have him as a guest?
A: I hope so. I've talked to him. I've known him for 20 years. A couple of months back, all the ladies in church were telling him about how nice I was talking about him.
Q: You played at the White House recently. Did you ask Obama to guest?
A: I did. I asked him and Michelle and (Supreme Court Justice) Sonia Sotomayor. I think I'd be the most excited if Sotomayor did it, because she speaks to so few people.
Q: What do you think of the other talk-show hosts?
A: I love Jimmy (Fallon). I've been on his show, and he's great. Craig Ferguson is making some serious headway. And I've always been a fan of David Letterman. He's the king.
Q: Are you worried about competing?
A: Well, I start at 11, which is good because it's not the same time as Letterman.
Q: Growing up, you didn't see a lot of Hispanics on TV. Do you feel pressure now being so visible and such a role model?
A: I appreciate that (people) want someone to say, "We belong here, too." Kids want to aspire to be one of their own. All my idols were African-American. All the baseball players I liked were Black, and the comedian I liked was Black. Now, if you're a 10-year-old kid, you can say, "Hey, I want to be George Lopez," or Mario Lopez or Manny Ramirez or Eva Longoria. You can say, "Hey, I want to win an Oscar like Penélope Cruz."
Q: Was it difficult coming up in the business when Hispanics weren't so visible?
A: Look at the way I look. I'm not passable. If I looked like Mario Lopez, I don't know if I would have worked as hard. With beauty, the door opens a little bit wider. I didn't have that luxury. I had to be funny and self-deprecating (laughing). It took me forever.
Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849.
Randy Cordova - The Arizona Republic, Nov. 9, 2009
George Lopez has proved himself to be a concert headliner. The Richard Pryor disciple is equally popular on TV with his self-titled sitcom ending a healthy six-season run two years ago.
His next challenge? The 48-year-old comic is launching "Lopez Tonight," a late-night talk show that takes some inspiration from early '90s fave "The Arsenio Hall Show." During a recent phone call, Lopez promised a party atmosphere and a possible guest star from the U.S. Supreme Court on his show, which premieres tonight.
Question: You mention Arsenio Hall in a lot of the show's publicity. Is that the kind of feeling you want the show to have?
Answer: It will have that kind of vibe. Because of viral (marketing) - the MySpace, the Facebook, Twitter - there is more diversity. Arsenio was very Black and White. Now, you've thrown in Asian, Middle Eastern, Latino. White and Black are really blending together well with Latino.
Q: You seem to be really using viral marketing to promote the show.
A: Look at what Barack Obama did with it, and what John McCain didn't do with it. Since I donated to Obama, as soon as he was done speaking, I'd get a message from him on the BlackBerry. It's a great way to get the message out. It's the one thing everyone has now: It's either on them, on their desk or in their house. You have your phone on even before your TV is on.
Q: It seems vital if you're trying to reach a young audience.
A: Young people aren't watching the news. I think I can offer them a little bit more color, high energy, a faster pace than what's on TV. Very much like Arsenio did. People that got it watched it, and people that really didn't get it watched it to see what everybody else was talking about.
Q: Arsenio is such an influence. Will you have him as a guest?
A: I hope so. I've talked to him. I've known him for 20 years. A couple of months back, all the ladies in church were telling him about how nice I was talking about him.
Q: You played at the White House recently. Did you ask Obama to guest?
A: I did. I asked him and Michelle and (Supreme Court Justice) Sonia Sotomayor. I think I'd be the most excited if Sotomayor did it, because she speaks to so few people.
Q: What do you think of the other talk-show hosts?
A: I love Jimmy (Fallon). I've been on his show, and he's great. Craig Ferguson is making some serious headway. And I've always been a fan of David Letterman. He's the king.
Q: Are you worried about competing?
A: Well, I start at 11, which is good because it's not the same time as Letterman.
Q: Growing up, you didn't see a lot of Hispanics on TV. Do you feel pressure now being so visible and such a role model?
A: I appreciate that (people) want someone to say, "We belong here, too." Kids want to aspire to be one of their own. All my idols were African-American. All the baseball players I liked were Black, and the comedian I liked was Black. Now, if you're a 10-year-old kid, you can say, "Hey, I want to be George Lopez," or Mario Lopez or Manny Ramirez or Eva Longoria. You can say, "Hey, I want to win an Oscar like Penélope Cruz."
Q: Was it difficult coming up in the business when Hispanics weren't so visible?
A: Look at the way I look. I'm not passable. If I looked like Mario Lopez, I don't know if I would have worked as hard. With beauty, the door opens a little bit wider. I didn't have that luxury. I had to be funny and self-deprecating (laughing). It took me forever.
Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849.
Latinos win, Dobbs out!
Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN
L.A. Times, November 11, 2009
CNN host Lou Dobbs resigned from the network today, saying that he has been urged by political and business leaders to leave his television platform to “engage in constructive problem-solving” on national issues. He said today's show was his last.
“Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffetting this country and affecting all of us,” Dobbs said, adding that he’s considering pursuing a number of options.
“As for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive to be a leader in that national conversation,” he said.
Dobbs’ break with CNN comes after he worked at the network for more than a quarter century, starting with its inception in 1980, often clashing with network executives in the process. While he originally led the network’s business coverage, in recent years Dobbs developed a populist persona that has increasingly been out of step with the network’s emphasis on neutral reporting. He has railed about the country’s immigration policy and used his show to raise questions about the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate.
Several months ago, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein discussed with Dobbs tamping down the opinion on his show, something he agreed to do. But his presence on CNN continued to be a source of friction within the network. Liberal groups have been calling for CNN to let him go and on Wednesday celebrated his resignation.
“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs – who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos – does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’ ” said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, a national online advocacy organization coordinating BastaDobbs.com, a Latino-led coalition. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”
[Updated]: CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement this evening: "Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirlessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With charactertistic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best."
— Matea Gold
L.A. Times, November 11, 2009
CNN host Lou Dobbs resigned from the network today, saying that he has been urged by political and business leaders to leave his television platform to “engage in constructive problem-solving” on national issues. He said today's show was his last.
“Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffetting this country and affecting all of us,” Dobbs said, adding that he’s considering pursuing a number of options.
“As for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive to be a leader in that national conversation,” he said.
Dobbs’ break with CNN comes after he worked at the network for more than a quarter century, starting with its inception in 1980, often clashing with network executives in the process. While he originally led the network’s business coverage, in recent years Dobbs developed a populist persona that has increasingly been out of step with the network’s emphasis on neutral reporting. He has railed about the country’s immigration policy and used his show to raise questions about the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate.
Several months ago, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein discussed with Dobbs tamping down the opinion on his show, something he agreed to do. But his presence on CNN continued to be a source of friction within the network. Liberal groups have been calling for CNN to let him go and on Wednesday celebrated his resignation.
“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs – who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos – does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’ ” said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, a national online advocacy organization coordinating BastaDobbs.com, a Latino-led coalition. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”
[Updated]: CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement this evening: "Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirlessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With charactertistic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best."
— Matea Gold
Thursday, October 29, 2009
SAP use among Latinos revealed
Screen Actors Guild Releases New Report Detailing Use of SAP by Spanish-Speaking Television Audiences
The Latino Journal E-News Weekly, Vol. 2, Issue 3
(October 28, 2009) – More Hispanics would watch English-language programming dubbed into Spanish if more were available and easier to find, according to the 2009 Hispanic Consumer Survey on SAP commissioned by Screen Actors Guild, which reveals the viewing habits of Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States and the use of Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).
According to the survey results:
•80% of the respondents had used SAP (59% within the past week and another 15% within the past month)
•88% would watch more SAP enhanced programs if they were easier to find
•82% are watching an individual show more often if it is in SAP •69% say they can better understand the story when it is via SAP •64% would watch more English-language TV if more TV shows offered SAP
•48% watch shows, that they normally would not watch, because they offer SAP
•91% of the 2008-2009 network primetime shows that offered SAP were renewed for the 2009-2010 season.
“This report shows that there are Spanish-speaking consumers eager to watch English-language programs if they are dubbed with Spanish audio,” said Carlina Rodriguez, SAG’s Director of Spanish Language Organizing. “At a time when Spanish Language television networks dominate the ratings, the U.S. English language networks and advertisers may be missing out on a lucrative opportunity to expand their audience nationwide.”
When respondents were asked which network primetime shows they had watched in the past three months via SAP, the top five results were as follows:
•35% The Simpsons (FOX)
•23% Ugly Betty (ABC) *
•22% CSI Miami (CBS) *
•16% Desperate Housewives (ABC) *
•16% Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Three of the top five shows on primetime TV available via SAP are dubbed by Screen Actors Guild members.
The Nielsen Company estimates a 2.3% increase of Hispanic TV homes this season, making the Hispanic television audience in the U.S. approximately 44.3 million. This is faster growth than the total U.S. television audience or any other major ethnic market. The report also highlighted some hurdles that must be overcome. For example, very little marketing has ever been done to promote SAP and when there has been, the promotion is in English neglecting the Spanish-speaking audiences.
The 2009 Hispanic Consumer Survey on SAP was conducted by the Latino Print Network, which surveyed 633 readers from 39 Spanish language newspapers in 17 markets around the U.S. who are considered Spanish-dominate and Spanish-preferred readers; the respondents have an average household of 4.1.
“The main purpose of this study is to raise the awareness of this growing market and to promote our qualified dubbing SAG members who are ready to do this work in the United States,” said Hernán de Béky, chair of SAG’s National Spanish Language Media Task Force.
To read the Screen Actors Guild report, visit the “Resources” section of: http://www.sag.org/organizing/spanishlanguageorganizing
The Latino Journal E-News Weekly, Vol. 2, Issue 3
(October 28, 2009) – More Hispanics would watch English-language programming dubbed into Spanish if more were available and easier to find, according to the 2009 Hispanic Consumer Survey on SAP commissioned by Screen Actors Guild, which reveals the viewing habits of Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States and the use of Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).
According to the survey results:
•80% of the respondents had used SAP (59% within the past week and another 15% within the past month)
•88% would watch more SAP enhanced programs if they were easier to find
•82% are watching an individual show more often if it is in SAP •69% say they can better understand the story when it is via SAP •64% would watch more English-language TV if more TV shows offered SAP
•48% watch shows, that they normally would not watch, because they offer SAP
•91% of the 2008-2009 network primetime shows that offered SAP were renewed for the 2009-2010 season.
“This report shows that there are Spanish-speaking consumers eager to watch English-language programs if they are dubbed with Spanish audio,” said Carlina Rodriguez, SAG’s Director of Spanish Language Organizing. “At a time when Spanish Language television networks dominate the ratings, the U.S. English language networks and advertisers may be missing out on a lucrative opportunity to expand their audience nationwide.”
When respondents were asked which network primetime shows they had watched in the past three months via SAP, the top five results were as follows:
•35% The Simpsons (FOX)
•23% Ugly Betty (ABC) *
•22% CSI Miami (CBS) *
•16% Desperate Housewives (ABC) *
•16% Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Three of the top five shows on primetime TV available via SAP are dubbed by Screen Actors Guild members.
The Nielsen Company estimates a 2.3% increase of Hispanic TV homes this season, making the Hispanic television audience in the U.S. approximately 44.3 million. This is faster growth than the total U.S. television audience or any other major ethnic market. The report also highlighted some hurdles that must be overcome. For example, very little marketing has ever been done to promote SAP and when there has been, the promotion is in English neglecting the Spanish-speaking audiences.
The 2009 Hispanic Consumer Survey on SAP was conducted by the Latino Print Network, which surveyed 633 readers from 39 Spanish language newspapers in 17 markets around the U.S. who are considered Spanish-dominate and Spanish-preferred readers; the respondents have an average household of 4.1.
“The main purpose of this study is to raise the awareness of this growing market and to promote our qualified dubbing SAG members who are ready to do this work in the United States,” said Hernán de Béky, chair of SAG’s National Spanish Language Media Task Force.
To read the Screen Actors Guild report, visit the “Resources” section of: http://www.sag.org/organizing/spanishlanguageorganizing
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Time Warner Launches First Hispanic On-Demand Channel
Time Warner Launches First Hispanic On-Demand Channel
by Erik Sass, Media Post
Univision and Time Warner Cable are partnering to launch a new video-on-demand service for Spanish-language content, called Lo Mejor On Demand ("The Best On Demand").
Lo Mejor offers Time Warner Digital Cable customers a range of free programming drawn from Univision and its sister cable networks TeleFutura and Galavision. The launch of LMOD comes six months after Time Warner and Univision announced the renewal of their partnership.
The new free video-on-demand service was launched with some fanfare in Times Square with live public broadcasts of popular Univision shows, including Despierta America ("Wake-Up America"), Escandalo TV ("Scandal TV," which Univision translates as "Showbiz TV") and El Gordo y La Flaca ("The Fat Guy and the Skinny Girl," which Univision translates as "The Scoop and the Skinny").
Time Warner Digital Cable subscribers will also be able to get popular telenovelas, talk shows, news and sports programming, including "Cristina," "Sabado Gigante," "Republica Deportiva" and "Nuestra Belleza Latina."
Lo Mejor on Demand is available to Time Warner Digital Cable customers in a number of big cities with large Latino populations including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio and San Diego. More launches are planned for the near future.
TWC and Univision also announced they would collaborate on new products like Spanish-language VOD as well as StartOver, which allows viewers to restart a show already in progress, and LookBack, which lets them see a show after it has aired.
by Erik Sass, Media Post
Univision and Time Warner Cable are partnering to launch a new video-on-demand service for Spanish-language content, called Lo Mejor On Demand ("The Best On Demand").
Lo Mejor offers Time Warner Digital Cable customers a range of free programming drawn from Univision and its sister cable networks TeleFutura and Galavision. The launch of LMOD comes six months after Time Warner and Univision announced the renewal of their partnership.
The new free video-on-demand service was launched with some fanfare in Times Square with live public broadcasts of popular Univision shows, including Despierta America ("Wake-Up America"), Escandalo TV ("Scandal TV," which Univision translates as "Showbiz TV") and El Gordo y La Flaca ("The Fat Guy and the Skinny Girl," which Univision translates as "The Scoop and the Skinny").
Time Warner Digital Cable subscribers will also be able to get popular telenovelas, talk shows, news and sports programming, including "Cristina," "Sabado Gigante," "Republica Deportiva" and "Nuestra Belleza Latina."
Lo Mejor on Demand is available to Time Warner Digital Cable customers in a number of big cities with large Latino populations including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio and San Diego. More launches are planned for the near future.
TWC and Univision also announced they would collaborate on new products like Spanish-language VOD as well as StartOver, which allows viewers to restart a show already in progress, and LookBack, which lets them see a show after it has aired.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
"Latino in America" will not air anti-Dobbs ad
CNN Will Not Air Anti-Dobbs Ad During 'Latino in America'
By Kevin Allocca, MEDIA BISTRO, Oct 15, 2009
Though there were reports today that CNN would air the "Drop Dobbs" anti-Lou Dobbs ad (below) during the "Latino in America" series next week, CNN says it will not be running it.
The Chicago Tribune's Swamp reports, "Media Matters says it has partnered with America's Voice, with the help of 'thousands of grassroots activists'' who responded to fundraising for the anti-Dobbs ad campaign, to air its ad Oct. 21 and 22 during the cable network's heavily promoted Latino in America series." And America's Voice has a post up titled "Dobbs Ad to Air on CNN: Thank You for Your Generous Donations!"
But a CNN spokesperson tells us, "Contrary to reports, CNN has not accepted these spots and they will not air on the network."
CNN refused another ad this past August.
By Kevin Allocca, MEDIA BISTRO, Oct 15, 2009
Though there were reports today that CNN would air the "Drop Dobbs" anti-Lou Dobbs ad (below) during the "Latino in America" series next week, CNN says it will not be running it.
The Chicago Tribune's Swamp reports, "Media Matters says it has partnered with America's Voice, with the help of 'thousands of grassroots activists'' who responded to fundraising for the anti-Dobbs ad campaign, to air its ad Oct. 21 and 22 during the cable network's heavily promoted Latino in America series." And America's Voice has a post up titled "Dobbs Ad to Air on CNN: Thank You for Your Generous Donations!"
But a CNN spokesperson tells us, "Contrary to reports, CNN has not accepted these spots and they will not air on the network."
CNN refused another ad this past August.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Latino TV personalities juggle a bilingual stage
Latino TV personalities juggle a bilingual stage
By Yvonne Villarreal, LA Times, October 4, 2009
They say things like "Antes de la break" and "Mira que cute." One is a clownish, Puerto Rican-born 28-year-old who ditched studying engineering to pursue a career in entertainment, another is an outspoken SoCal native who once had a penchant for crashing cars. The Spanglish? It just comes naturally.
They're a new generation of Latino television personalities: attractive, plugged in and conversant not only in Spanglish argot but in a complex, shifting culture. Their employers believe they are offering young viewers a cool, and marketable, connection to this culture. Don Francisco, cuidado.
With U.S.-born Latinos accounting for more than 60% of all Latinos in the country, according to recent census data, a group of bilingual networks has arisen in the last few years to tap into an audience interested in bicultural programming.
In a fragmented media environment in which young viewers can watch mainstream and Spanish-language media, channels MTV Tr3s, mun2, SiTV and LATV aim to bridge the gap between American culture and the roots of their youthful -- and sometimes out-of-touch -- viewers. In August, mun2 achieved its best numbers since it was launched eight years ago with the broadcast of the U.S.A. versus Mexico qualifying soccer match for the World Cup; the game averaged 322,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. With the help of teen telenovela "Isa TKM," MTV Tr3s ranked No. 2 among Hispanic females ages 12-17 for a week in August, second only to Disney Channel at the 5-6 p.m. time slot.
From telenovelas and in- vestigative documentaries to sports programming and shows highlighting the latest in American and Latin music, the networks offer a variety of programming to compete with all networks, not just with one another and not just Spanish-language programming, says Jose Tillan, general manager of New York-based MTV Tr3s.
"Our audience is a hybrid of all markets," agrees Alex Pels, general manager of mun2in Universal City. "They're people who live in both worlds and are comfortable in both worlds. They can tune in to a telenovela one hour and 'Family Guy' the next. Networks like ours are a one-stop destination for the bicultural viewer."
The multicultural approach is appealing to advertisers hoping to tap into the expanding Hispanic market. LATV counts Honda, McDonald's, T-Mobile, Wrigley and the U.S. Army among its advertisers, while MTV Tr3s features Toyota, Target and Verizon Wireless. "It is unrealistic to expect a single-language strategy to work successfully for the entire Hispanic consumer market," says Laura Sonderup, director of Heinrich Hispanidad, an ad agency in Denver.
The style of these young, upwardly mobile entertainers -- from their wardrobe to the shows they watch -- reflects the juggling that millions face every day in an effort to maintain their Latin roots while living in the U.S. Born in America or elsewhere, they each add a different flavor to the audience.
Don't typecast her
She may have flowing blond locks, but don't call Pili Montilla a gringa -- it gets her slightly upset. Just ask Akwid. The L.A.-based Chicano urban rap duo made the mistake -- on camera -- of insinuating her golden mane was an attempt to be more American.
But Montilla didn't stay mum on-air. "I was so glad it happened that way," she says. "I called them out. They're actually digging a hole for Latinos by sticking to the stereotypes." Before she was interviewing Latin music artists for LATV, Montilla was a Jane-of-all-trades in her homeland of Puerto Rico: soap opera ingénue, theater actress, radio show host and MTV Puerto Rico personality. "I had basically done everything I could within that market," Montilla says.
There wasn't actually an opening for a new host at LATV, but a determined Montilla found executive producer Lalo Marron's contact information online and sent him her résumé. And it worked. She began as a correspondent in Puerto Rico and eventually landed the gig here.
She now hosts the music program "En la Zona" and "En Concierto," where she interviews artists such as Calle 13 and Luis Fonsi for a half-hour in front of a live audience.
"We're an alternative for the alternative Latino," Montilla says. "We're for those people who don't want to see girls in tangas shaking their booty. The networks like Channel 62 . . . they are criticizing the Latino. They're stereotyping us and they're saying we can't be challenged intellectually."
So she's offering her hosting skills to provide that stimulation. "There are people on TV, like me, who want to help the youth get reconnected," she says. "We're telling them, 'You know what? You're welcome in both cultures. Embrace both cultures and be happy in both. It's 2009. You can't just be attached to one thing. . . . The more you know, the better."
A Latin Seacrest?
Carlos Santos salsa dances with Beyoncé. He does skits with Paulina Rubio. Daddy Yankee? Yup. He knows him too.
The daffy MTV Tr3s personality has interviewed them and dozens of other celebrities as host of the now-defunct "MiTRL," a Latino spinoff of MTV's music video countdown program. The first on-air talent for MTV Tr3s, the 28-year-old now hosts "Entertainment as a Second Language with Carlos Santos," which just wrapped its first season.
The hourlong variety show features performances from top music acts, interviews with TV and film celebrities and comedy sketches. Think "Saturday Night Live" with a splash of "Sábado Gigante."
And you don't have to be Latino to tune in. "I think what we're working toward is a situation where we don't think in terms of color or ethnicity," Santos says. "There's a flavor that MTV Tr3s and other bilingual networks can provide to the rest of the world. We are in millions of homes; not all of them are Latino."
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Santos left home, where he was studying engineering, to attend Fresno State and received a degree in theater arts. To pursue his comedic ambitions, he headed to L.A. and graduated from Second City's training center.
By 2004, he was a host on rival network LATV. Two years later -- after many auditions -- Santos, who says he learned English by watching American television shows, landed a hosting gig at MTV Tr3s.
With "E.S.L" on hiatus, Santos continues hosting other artist-related specials. He recently attended the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C., where he helped introduce MTV Tr3s' new show "Yearbook Chronicles," a documentary that examines the disproportionate rate of Latinos dropping out of high school.
"The need is definitely there to represent that flavor of the bilingual community who have one foot in America and the other foot in their homeland," he says. "The main goal for everyone working in bilingual entertainment is to continue making bridges between the old and new generation. When you do that, you're creating a bond that's stronger than anything . . . and here is where you cue the sad music and cry."
Always the comedian.
Chica talk
Melissa "Crash" Barrera adjusts her leggings so the striped sides will be captured on camera. Beside her is Yasmin Deliz, who croons bits of Keri Hilson's hit single "Knock You Down" as she takes a last glimpse at the show's rundown before shoving the pages behind a pillow in the chic living room-styled set of "Crash & Yasmin Uncensored." Today's topic? Cosmetic surgery. And as the name of the show suggests, these chicas have no filters. They talk about "fake boobies." Ashlee Simpson's nose job, Crash (who got her nickname after wrecking six cars by age 15) says, was an aesthetic achievement -- "It did you good, girl."
When the duo isn't mouthing off on bone shaving and calf implants, they're offering their thoughts on breakups and homosexuality on "CYU" or taking an etiquette class and belting out rancheras on their other show, "The Chicas Project," which just wrapped its fourth season.
And their outspokenness is available in English and Spanish on mun2, NBC Universal's bilingual network. But they don't ration their ranting to meet any language quotas, so don't try to quantify their "Latina-ness" based on the frequency with which they roll their R's.
"I've worked in Latin television before and they've said, 'You don't speak enough Spanish,' 'You sound funny when you speak Spanish,' " says 24-year-old Crash (don't worry, SoCal drivers, she now takes the Metro to work). "I am Latina, and there are tons of kids that are like me. Being fluent in Spanish doesn't make you more Latina than me. I feel like if I portray myself any other way, then I am neglecting those kids that are just like me, that feel so lost in all this -- who wonder, 'Where do I fall in this Latin spectrum?' "
Venezuela-born Deliz, 22, was raised in New York by her Dominican father and Colombian mother. Don Francisco was the dominant Latino television personality; his variety show "Sábado Gigante" continues to air in the U.S. on Univision. Watching him was a "family affair" and once the clock struck 8:00, "nobody even had to say a word, we just went right to the televi- sion and watched." Deliz, who moved to L.A. when she was 16 to pursue a music career, never imagined she would be an alternative to such a dominant figure.
Her partner in crime, the Southern California-born Crash, is a mix of Mexican, Navajo and German. Expelled from two schools and legally emancipated from her parents by age 15, the rockera grew up with an eclectic blend of Spanish and American shows. Her grandma might be watching a telenovela in one room while her uncle was watching MTV in another.
The back-and-forth shuffle between rooms -- and channels -- to get a hearty diet of her cultures didn't seem unusual to the rocker chick. "I never thought it was odd because it's all I knew," she says. "It wasn't like there was an LATV or a mun2. There was nothing like that to compare. So it wasn't like I felt I was missing out on anything."
Now the two young women find themselves onscreen, their antics broadcast in homes across America -- but with a serious purpose. "We're keeping our culture alive," Deliz said, drifting in and out of Spanish. "We have an obligation to continue to do so. It's not an easy task. . . . It's great to be a part of that."
Feeling the music
Yarel Ramos is a 23-year-old grad student. She has late-night cram sessions. Takes copious notes during class. And is featured on billboards across Los Angeles promoting her show "Reventón."
The oldest of three, Ramos is a second-generation Mexican American who grew up in Los Angeles. She watched Nickelodeon's pre-teen favorites "Clarissa Explains It All" and "All That." But wait, she also tuned in to "Xou da Xuxa," a famous children's show in Brazil and Latin America hosted by Brazilian model Xuxa, and "Baila Conmigo" (Dance With Me), a telenovela from the early '90s. The duality of her identity was something she struggled to maintain at an early age.
"English was kind of set aside in our home," Ramos says. "My dad used to always tell me, "En la casa, se habla español. When you go to school, you speak English; pero en tu casa, you speak Spanish. It was a juggling act at times."
It's a balance, she says, that many of mun2 viewers understand. And "Reventón," a one-hour music program keeping Latino youth up to date with the regional Mexican music scene serves as a link for newer generations to their heritage. "As a kid, you think, 'I don't want to be Mexican,' " Ramos says. "Then you grow up and find that you appreciate it even more and want more of it."
While a student at the University of Miami, where she received a degree in broadcast journalism and international relations, Ramos found herself longing for that connection -- for the comforts she often tried to ignore as a child.
"When I was miserable in Miami, I would listen to regional Mexican music and go buy myself pan dulce. What do you do when the world is detaching you from yourself? You go back to the things that bring you back to who you are, where you come from."
She went on to start the first Spanish-language television program at her school, interned at Telemundo and found time to teach aerobics. She is pursuing a master's degree in media management at USC when she isn't in the studio interviewing musicians or introducing videos.
On this day, Ramos, her brunet curls cascading down her left shoulder, has just changed outfits to begin filming the latest installment of "Reventón," featuring cumbia music group Los Súper Reyes with a special appearance by Frankie J. She asks questions in English. Sometimes she'll punch things up with some Spanish.
It's a juggling act. But she's used to that.
yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com
By Yvonne Villarreal, LA Times, October 4, 2009
They say things like "Antes de la break" and "Mira que cute." One is a clownish, Puerto Rican-born 28-year-old who ditched studying engineering to pursue a career in entertainment, another is an outspoken SoCal native who once had a penchant for crashing cars. The Spanglish? It just comes naturally.
They're a new generation of Latino television personalities: attractive, plugged in and conversant not only in Spanglish argot but in a complex, shifting culture. Their employers believe they are offering young viewers a cool, and marketable, connection to this culture. Don Francisco, cuidado.
With U.S.-born Latinos accounting for more than 60% of all Latinos in the country, according to recent census data, a group of bilingual networks has arisen in the last few years to tap into an audience interested in bicultural programming.
In a fragmented media environment in which young viewers can watch mainstream and Spanish-language media, channels MTV Tr3s, mun2, SiTV and LATV aim to bridge the gap between American culture and the roots of their youthful -- and sometimes out-of-touch -- viewers. In August, mun2 achieved its best numbers since it was launched eight years ago with the broadcast of the U.S.A. versus Mexico qualifying soccer match for the World Cup; the game averaged 322,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. With the help of teen telenovela "Isa TKM," MTV Tr3s ranked No. 2 among Hispanic females ages 12-17 for a week in August, second only to Disney Channel at the 5-6 p.m. time slot.
From telenovelas and in- vestigative documentaries to sports programming and shows highlighting the latest in American and Latin music, the networks offer a variety of programming to compete with all networks, not just with one another and not just Spanish-language programming, says Jose Tillan, general manager of New York-based MTV Tr3s.
"Our audience is a hybrid of all markets," agrees Alex Pels, general manager of mun2in Universal City. "They're people who live in both worlds and are comfortable in both worlds. They can tune in to a telenovela one hour and 'Family Guy' the next. Networks like ours are a one-stop destination for the bicultural viewer."
The multicultural approach is appealing to advertisers hoping to tap into the expanding Hispanic market. LATV counts Honda, McDonald's, T-Mobile, Wrigley and the U.S. Army among its advertisers, while MTV Tr3s features Toyota, Target and Verizon Wireless. "It is unrealistic to expect a single-language strategy to work successfully for the entire Hispanic consumer market," says Laura Sonderup, director of Heinrich Hispanidad, an ad agency in Denver.
The style of these young, upwardly mobile entertainers -- from their wardrobe to the shows they watch -- reflects the juggling that millions face every day in an effort to maintain their Latin roots while living in the U.S. Born in America or elsewhere, they each add a different flavor to the audience.
Don't typecast her
She may have flowing blond locks, but don't call Pili Montilla a gringa -- it gets her slightly upset. Just ask Akwid. The L.A.-based Chicano urban rap duo made the mistake -- on camera -- of insinuating her golden mane was an attempt to be more American.
But Montilla didn't stay mum on-air. "I was so glad it happened that way," she says. "I called them out. They're actually digging a hole for Latinos by sticking to the stereotypes." Before she was interviewing Latin music artists for LATV, Montilla was a Jane-of-all-trades in her homeland of Puerto Rico: soap opera ingénue, theater actress, radio show host and MTV Puerto Rico personality. "I had basically done everything I could within that market," Montilla says.
There wasn't actually an opening for a new host at LATV, but a determined Montilla found executive producer Lalo Marron's contact information online and sent him her résumé. And it worked. She began as a correspondent in Puerto Rico and eventually landed the gig here.
She now hosts the music program "En la Zona" and "En Concierto," where she interviews artists such as Calle 13 and Luis Fonsi for a half-hour in front of a live audience.
"We're an alternative for the alternative Latino," Montilla says. "We're for those people who don't want to see girls in tangas shaking their booty. The networks like Channel 62 . . . they are criticizing the Latino. They're stereotyping us and they're saying we can't be challenged intellectually."
So she's offering her hosting skills to provide that stimulation. "There are people on TV, like me, who want to help the youth get reconnected," she says. "We're telling them, 'You know what? You're welcome in both cultures. Embrace both cultures and be happy in both. It's 2009. You can't just be attached to one thing. . . . The more you know, the better."
A Latin Seacrest?
Carlos Santos salsa dances with Beyoncé. He does skits with Paulina Rubio. Daddy Yankee? Yup. He knows him too.
The daffy MTV Tr3s personality has interviewed them and dozens of other celebrities as host of the now-defunct "MiTRL," a Latino spinoff of MTV's music video countdown program. The first on-air talent for MTV Tr3s, the 28-year-old now hosts "Entertainment as a Second Language with Carlos Santos," which just wrapped its first season.
The hourlong variety show features performances from top music acts, interviews with TV and film celebrities and comedy sketches. Think "Saturday Night Live" with a splash of "Sábado Gigante."
And you don't have to be Latino to tune in. "I think what we're working toward is a situation where we don't think in terms of color or ethnicity," Santos says. "There's a flavor that MTV Tr3s and other bilingual networks can provide to the rest of the world. We are in millions of homes; not all of them are Latino."
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Santos left home, where he was studying engineering, to attend Fresno State and received a degree in theater arts. To pursue his comedic ambitions, he headed to L.A. and graduated from Second City's training center.
By 2004, he was a host on rival network LATV. Two years later -- after many auditions -- Santos, who says he learned English by watching American television shows, landed a hosting gig at MTV Tr3s.
With "E.S.L" on hiatus, Santos continues hosting other artist-related specials. He recently attended the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C., where he helped introduce MTV Tr3s' new show "Yearbook Chronicles," a documentary that examines the disproportionate rate of Latinos dropping out of high school.
"The need is definitely there to represent that flavor of the bilingual community who have one foot in America and the other foot in their homeland," he says. "The main goal for everyone working in bilingual entertainment is to continue making bridges between the old and new generation. When you do that, you're creating a bond that's stronger than anything . . . and here is where you cue the sad music and cry."
Always the comedian.
Chica talk
Melissa "Crash" Barrera adjusts her leggings so the striped sides will be captured on camera. Beside her is Yasmin Deliz, who croons bits of Keri Hilson's hit single "Knock You Down" as she takes a last glimpse at the show's rundown before shoving the pages behind a pillow in the chic living room-styled set of "Crash & Yasmin Uncensored." Today's topic? Cosmetic surgery. And as the name of the show suggests, these chicas have no filters. They talk about "fake boobies." Ashlee Simpson's nose job, Crash (who got her nickname after wrecking six cars by age 15) says, was an aesthetic achievement -- "It did you good, girl."
When the duo isn't mouthing off on bone shaving and calf implants, they're offering their thoughts on breakups and homosexuality on "CYU" or taking an etiquette class and belting out rancheras on their other show, "The Chicas Project," which just wrapped its fourth season.
And their outspokenness is available in English and Spanish on mun2, NBC Universal's bilingual network. But they don't ration their ranting to meet any language quotas, so don't try to quantify their "Latina-ness" based on the frequency with which they roll their R's.
"I've worked in Latin television before and they've said, 'You don't speak enough Spanish,' 'You sound funny when you speak Spanish,' " says 24-year-old Crash (don't worry, SoCal drivers, she now takes the Metro to work). "I am Latina, and there are tons of kids that are like me. Being fluent in Spanish doesn't make you more Latina than me. I feel like if I portray myself any other way, then I am neglecting those kids that are just like me, that feel so lost in all this -- who wonder, 'Where do I fall in this Latin spectrum?' "
Venezuela-born Deliz, 22, was raised in New York by her Dominican father and Colombian mother. Don Francisco was the dominant Latino television personality; his variety show "Sábado Gigante" continues to air in the U.S. on Univision. Watching him was a "family affair" and once the clock struck 8:00, "nobody even had to say a word, we just went right to the televi- sion and watched." Deliz, who moved to L.A. when she was 16 to pursue a music career, never imagined she would be an alternative to such a dominant figure.
Her partner in crime, the Southern California-born Crash, is a mix of Mexican, Navajo and German. Expelled from two schools and legally emancipated from her parents by age 15, the rockera grew up with an eclectic blend of Spanish and American shows. Her grandma might be watching a telenovela in one room while her uncle was watching MTV in another.
The back-and-forth shuffle between rooms -- and channels -- to get a hearty diet of her cultures didn't seem unusual to the rocker chick. "I never thought it was odd because it's all I knew," she says. "It wasn't like there was an LATV or a mun2. There was nothing like that to compare. So it wasn't like I felt I was missing out on anything."
Now the two young women find themselves onscreen, their antics broadcast in homes across America -- but with a serious purpose. "We're keeping our culture alive," Deliz said, drifting in and out of Spanish. "We have an obligation to continue to do so. It's not an easy task. . . . It's great to be a part of that."
Feeling the music
Yarel Ramos is a 23-year-old grad student. She has late-night cram sessions. Takes copious notes during class. And is featured on billboards across Los Angeles promoting her show "Reventón."
The oldest of three, Ramos is a second-generation Mexican American who grew up in Los Angeles. She watched Nickelodeon's pre-teen favorites "Clarissa Explains It All" and "All That." But wait, she also tuned in to "Xou da Xuxa," a famous children's show in Brazil and Latin America hosted by Brazilian model Xuxa, and "Baila Conmigo" (Dance With Me), a telenovela from the early '90s. The duality of her identity was something she struggled to maintain at an early age.
"English was kind of set aside in our home," Ramos says. "My dad used to always tell me, "En la casa, se habla español. When you go to school, you speak English; pero en tu casa, you speak Spanish. It was a juggling act at times."
It's a balance, she says, that many of mun2 viewers understand. And "Reventón," a one-hour music program keeping Latino youth up to date with the regional Mexican music scene serves as a link for newer generations to their heritage. "As a kid, you think, 'I don't want to be Mexican,' " Ramos says. "Then you grow up and find that you appreciate it even more and want more of it."
While a student at the University of Miami, where she received a degree in broadcast journalism and international relations, Ramos found herself longing for that connection -- for the comforts she often tried to ignore as a child.
"When I was miserable in Miami, I would listen to regional Mexican music and go buy myself pan dulce. What do you do when the world is detaching you from yourself? You go back to the things that bring you back to who you are, where you come from."
She went on to start the first Spanish-language television program at her school, interned at Telemundo and found time to teach aerobics. She is pursuing a master's degree in media management at USC when she isn't in the studio interviewing musicians or introducing videos.
On this day, Ramos, her brunet curls cascading down her left shoulder, has just changed outfits to begin filming the latest installment of "Reventón," featuring cumbia music group Los Súper Reyes with a special appearance by Frankie J. She asks questions in English. Sometimes she'll punch things up with some Spanish.
It's a juggling act. But she's used to that.
yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Latino news now in English
Want Latino News in English? Go to 'Exclusiva'
English-speaking Latinos are getting their news from "Exclusiva."
Diversity Inc.
"Exclusiva," a news program on ABC News Now, is presenting stories on the Latino community that you would be hard-pressed to find on other network shows. That's because "Exclusiva" is the only show dedicated to providing English news on the Latino diaspora.
The brainchild of David Puente, who is the show's creator, anchor and producer, "Exclusiva" reaches ABC viewers through ABC News Now, a 24-hour news and information network available to nearly 34 million users across cable, broadband and mobile services.
"Millions of Hispanics are coming up English-dominant and they want to hear in English what's going on in Mexico [and other Latin American countries], whether it's movies or natural disasters," says Puente.
"Exclusiva" features stories about pet massacres in Puerto Rico, the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile, or Mexican and Caribbean undocumented people moving from the United States to Canada.
Puente, an ABC News veteran who was once a producer on "20/20," told the story of hundreds of Mexican and Caribbean undocumented people, who have lived and had children in the United States, moving to Canada. They move for fear that they'll be sent back to their home countries by the United States' beefed-up policing of undocumented workers.
Canada's Windsor city is seeing its city services for these people, many of whom now are homeless, reported "Exclusiva." In Canada, undocumented people are claiming refugee status, said Ronna Warsh of Windsor Social Services.
These people include Yanick Samedi, an undocumented worker from Haiti, who has lived in the United States for 15 years. Samedi has four U.S.-born children and moved to Windsor, Canada, with her children to claim refugee status. Windsor housed the Samedis in a local hotel, "Exclusiva" reported.
The in-flow of undocumented people in Windsor caused the local Salavation Army to prepare extra beds in the gym. For some Windsorians, who rely on the nation's public services, the influx is a problem.
"A Canadian sleeping on the floor and a Mexican with mattresses, with blankets and stuff, and the Mexicans get to sleep up in the palace up in beds and play their ghetto music. It's not right," "Exclusiva" reported a Canadian man as saying.
"I wanted to provide this kind of information from ABC News to people like me," says Puente.
Puente got the idea to create "Exclusiva" while he was a producer on "20/20." ABC News Now was looking for new content, so he pitched his idea. Originally from Newark, N.J., Puente remembers being a kid and rarely hearing news about the Latino community. He remembers an evening when Barbara Walters interviewed Fidel Castro.
"I remember the buzz in my Hispanic community about what Castro was going to say," says Puente. "Fidel Castro was almost the Saddam Hussein of the 1970s. For me, it was important because someone important was paying attention to the Hispanic world. It was top-rated news we couldn't get on Univision."
That interview influenced Puente to become a television news reporter. When ABC News Now said it wanted new content, he realized he had an opportunity to create a new product that would engage English-speaking Latinos.
"Whether it's politics, or Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony talking about their new film, or whether it's Vincente Fox [Mexico's former president] talking about corruption charges, a lot of young Hispanics are feeling there's someone telling me in English what my mom and dad are talking about in Spanish," says Puente.
"Exclusiva," like the Latino consumer, is poised to become a force in the way the public consumes news. Podcasts are one way people can view "Exclusiva" reports, and of English-speaking Latinos, 70.9 percent use mobile content, compared with 47.9 percent of the rest of the U.S. market, according to M-Metrics.
English-speaking Latinos are also more likely to get their news through a mobile browser, 18.8 percent compared with 9.6 percent of all subscribers, reported M-Metrics. "This pattern of above-average, active, engaged usage of mobile content is present in almost all activities, from ringtone purchases, photo messaging and trading video to frequently using mobile phones to access a wide array of news," reported M-Metrics.
ABCNews.com, which also features "Exclusiva," is seeing an increase in traffic, although numbers directly linked to "Exclusiva" viewership were not available. ABCnews.com increased unique visitors by 21 percent, to 15.7 million in October 2007, versus the same time last year. It also received 150.8 million page views, up 19 percent from the previous month and 9 percent year-over-year, reported ABC.
Puente sees that "Exclusiva" is developing market awareness among young, upwardly mobile English-speaking Latinos.
"One of the big segments [of viewers] that e-mails me are students at universities," says Puente, who attributes that to the unique coverage "Exclusiva" has. "It's the only program of its type at any of the U.S. networks. We're the only one covering this part of the world in this way, in English. From the e-mails I've been getting … I think we're getting younger Hispanics and people who are interested in international news.'"
English-speaking Latinos are getting their news from "Exclusiva."
Diversity Inc.
"Exclusiva," a news program on ABC News Now, is presenting stories on the Latino community that you would be hard-pressed to find on other network shows. That's because "Exclusiva" is the only show dedicated to providing English news on the Latino diaspora.
The brainchild of David Puente, who is the show's creator, anchor and producer, "Exclusiva" reaches ABC viewers through ABC News Now, a 24-hour news and information network available to nearly 34 million users across cable, broadband and mobile services.
"Millions of Hispanics are coming up English-dominant and they want to hear in English what's going on in Mexico [and other Latin American countries], whether it's movies or natural disasters," says Puente.
"Exclusiva" features stories about pet massacres in Puerto Rico, the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile, or Mexican and Caribbean undocumented people moving from the United States to Canada.
Puente, an ABC News veteran who was once a producer on "20/20," told the story of hundreds of Mexican and Caribbean undocumented people, who have lived and had children in the United States, moving to Canada. They move for fear that they'll be sent back to their home countries by the United States' beefed-up policing of undocumented workers.
Canada's Windsor city is seeing its city services for these people, many of whom now are homeless, reported "Exclusiva." In Canada, undocumented people are claiming refugee status, said Ronna Warsh of Windsor Social Services.
These people include Yanick Samedi, an undocumented worker from Haiti, who has lived in the United States for 15 years. Samedi has four U.S.-born children and moved to Windsor, Canada, with her children to claim refugee status. Windsor housed the Samedis in a local hotel, "Exclusiva" reported.
The in-flow of undocumented people in Windsor caused the local Salavation Army to prepare extra beds in the gym. For some Windsorians, who rely on the nation's public services, the influx is a problem.
"A Canadian sleeping on the floor and a Mexican with mattresses, with blankets and stuff, and the Mexicans get to sleep up in the palace up in beds and play their ghetto music. It's not right," "Exclusiva" reported a Canadian man as saying.
"I wanted to provide this kind of information from ABC News to people like me," says Puente.
Puente got the idea to create "Exclusiva" while he was a producer on "20/20." ABC News Now was looking for new content, so he pitched his idea. Originally from Newark, N.J., Puente remembers being a kid and rarely hearing news about the Latino community. He remembers an evening when Barbara Walters interviewed Fidel Castro.
"I remember the buzz in my Hispanic community about what Castro was going to say," says Puente. "Fidel Castro was almost the Saddam Hussein of the 1970s. For me, it was important because someone important was paying attention to the Hispanic world. It was top-rated news we couldn't get on Univision."
That interview influenced Puente to become a television news reporter. When ABC News Now said it wanted new content, he realized he had an opportunity to create a new product that would engage English-speaking Latinos.
"Whether it's politics, or Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony talking about their new film, or whether it's Vincente Fox [Mexico's former president] talking about corruption charges, a lot of young Hispanics are feeling there's someone telling me in English what my mom and dad are talking about in Spanish," says Puente.
"Exclusiva," like the Latino consumer, is poised to become a force in the way the public consumes news. Podcasts are one way people can view "Exclusiva" reports, and of English-speaking Latinos, 70.9 percent use mobile content, compared with 47.9 percent of the rest of the U.S. market, according to M-Metrics.
English-speaking Latinos are also more likely to get their news through a mobile browser, 18.8 percent compared with 9.6 percent of all subscribers, reported M-Metrics. "This pattern of above-average, active, engaged usage of mobile content is present in almost all activities, from ringtone purchases, photo messaging and trading video to frequently using mobile phones to access a wide array of news," reported M-Metrics.
ABCNews.com, which also features "Exclusiva," is seeing an increase in traffic, although numbers directly linked to "Exclusiva" viewership were not available. ABCnews.com increased unique visitors by 21 percent, to 15.7 million in October 2007, versus the same time last year. It also received 150.8 million page views, up 19 percent from the previous month and 9 percent year-over-year, reported ABC.
Puente sees that "Exclusiva" is developing market awareness among young, upwardly mobile English-speaking Latinos.
"One of the big segments [of viewers] that e-mails me are students at universities," says Puente, who attributes that to the unique coverage "Exclusiva" has. "It's the only program of its type at any of the U.S. networks. We're the only one covering this part of the world in this way, in English. From the e-mails I've been getting … I think we're getting younger Hispanics and people who are interested in international news.'"
Brand promotions target Hispanics
Hispanic TV Summit: Promotions Execs Build Brand Awareness Through Experiential Marketing
By David Tanklefsky -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/24/2009
Promotions executives have found experiential marketing and events-based promotional campaigns to be a strong builder of brand awareness among Hispanic consumers, panelists said at the Hispanic Television Summit in New York on Sept. 24.
“Cox understands that we Hispanics are much more community-centered,” said Renata Franco, marketing segmentation manager at Cox Communications. “Events do really well for us.”
While community events may not immediately translate into customers for MSOs or their partnering sponsors, they allow brands to interact face-to-face with members of the community and serve as product showcases, Franco said. Cox employs bilingual brand ambassadors at their events to personally speak with those attending.
“Our number one objective is to connect with our audience emotionally,” said Telemundo Station Group President Ronald J. Gordon. The broadcast group recently launched a tour that took the stars of popular telenovela Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso on two promotional runs to four different markets. “The results were fantastic,” Gordon said, citing increased ratings in the markets the stars visited.
Matt Grim, director of marketing for Fox Sports en Espanol, said that bringing in high-cost talent to events often isn’t worth the price that talent costs. He said events with lower-cost giveaways and gifts often drew crowds of the same size. Like Gordon and Franco, he spoke of leveraging his brand’s assets to build community in the Hispanic market. Fox Sports en Espanol set up a scholarship for the male and female Latino Athlete Student of the Year in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. The network engaged distributors by getting local advertisers through the local cable system to sponsor the promotion and then co-branded it with Time Warner Cable.
“Sports itself is experiential,” said Robyn Remick, VP of affiliate marketing for ESPN. “[Viewers] are experiencing it in real time. It is part of their life experience.”
Remick believes promotions targeting a large and diverse audience are a consistent game of trial and error. “You begin with a plan A, when you finally get to plan D, you get it right.”
Remick, an industry veteran of more than 25 years, believes successful campaigns often hinge on an understanding of Hispanic culture in local markets. For example, a Caribbean baseball themed-promotional campaign might draw interest in New York but perhaps not as much in Los Angeles, she said. By the same token, a Mexican soccer-themed campaign likely would play better in Los Angeles than New York.
“It’s about digging deeper to find where the cultural relevance is,” Remick said.
By David Tanklefsky -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/24/2009
Promotions executives have found experiential marketing and events-based promotional campaigns to be a strong builder of brand awareness among Hispanic consumers, panelists said at the Hispanic Television Summit in New York on Sept. 24.
“Cox understands that we Hispanics are much more community-centered,” said Renata Franco, marketing segmentation manager at Cox Communications. “Events do really well for us.”
While community events may not immediately translate into customers for MSOs or their partnering sponsors, they allow brands to interact face-to-face with members of the community and serve as product showcases, Franco said. Cox employs bilingual brand ambassadors at their events to personally speak with those attending.
“Our number one objective is to connect with our audience emotionally,” said Telemundo Station Group President Ronald J. Gordon. The broadcast group recently launched a tour that took the stars of popular telenovela Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso on two promotional runs to four different markets. “The results were fantastic,” Gordon said, citing increased ratings in the markets the stars visited.
Matt Grim, director of marketing for Fox Sports en Espanol, said that bringing in high-cost talent to events often isn’t worth the price that talent costs. He said events with lower-cost giveaways and gifts often drew crowds of the same size. Like Gordon and Franco, he spoke of leveraging his brand’s assets to build community in the Hispanic market. Fox Sports en Espanol set up a scholarship for the male and female Latino Athlete Student of the Year in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. The network engaged distributors by getting local advertisers through the local cable system to sponsor the promotion and then co-branded it with Time Warner Cable.
“Sports itself is experiential,” said Robyn Remick, VP of affiliate marketing for ESPN. “[Viewers] are experiencing it in real time. It is part of their life experience.”
Remick believes promotions targeting a large and diverse audience are a consistent game of trial and error. “You begin with a plan A, when you finally get to plan D, you get it right.”
Remick, an industry veteran of more than 25 years, believes successful campaigns often hinge on an understanding of Hispanic culture in local markets. For example, a Caribbean baseball themed-promotional campaign might draw interest in New York but perhaps not as much in Los Angeles, she said. By the same token, a Mexican soccer-themed campaign likely would play better in Los Angeles than New York.
“It’s about digging deeper to find where the cultural relevance is,” Remick said.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hispanic telenovela to feature 2010 census storyline
Telenovela to Feature 2010 Census Storyline
By Tina Irgang, FOXNews.com, September 22, 2009
WASHINGTON -- The devil knows best -- and he's about to share his knowledge on the 2010 Census.
NBC's Spanish-language affiliate Telemundo will incorporate a storyline on the upcoming decennial census into its most popular telenovela, "Mas Sabe El Diablo."
The storyline is set to begin in about 10 days, and will last until the series' projected end in November. This marks the first time the census has ever been written into a telenovela, although these Spanish-language soap operas often deal with pertinent social and political issues, Telemundo President Don Browne said Tuesday at a news conference to announce the script addition.
The storyline's purpose is to tackle misunderstandings and educate viewers, Browne said, "in a way that communicates the importance and the simplicity and the safety of the census, in their own words, with characters that they know and love."
Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, said fears in the Latino community that census data might be used to identify illegal immigrants are groundless.
"The president could call me right now and demand your census data, and I wouldn't be able to give it to him," he said.
Participating in the census can have long-term benefits for the Latino community, Groves said.
"A lot of movement of taxpayer money back to local communities that need support is based on the census," he said. "Over $400 billion a year is indexed to census counts."
In the upcoming storyline, actress Michelle Vargas portrays Perla Beltran, who is hired as a worker for the 2010 census.
"The federal law protects the information that's shared during the census. And it's easy. You answer those questions in less than 10 minutes," she said at the news conference.
Earlier this year, some Latino groups had called for a boycott of the census in protest of current immigration laws.
Telemundo's efforts are designed to counter those boycott calls and convey the benefits of the census, Browne said.
"We are going through incredibly fundamental demographic changes in our country," he said. "That's what the census is designed to manifest, so the more accurate it is, the better it manifests the true reality of who we are."
Maryland has traditionally been home to a large immigrant population, including an estimated 300,000 Hispanics, according to the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The state's Hispanic community was disturbed when, in April 2008, Frederick County began to participate in a program that allows local police to enforce federal immigration laws. Maryland's immigrant community criticized the move, fearing arrests based on racial profiling would be the result.
Gigi Guzman, chairwoman of the Maryland Hispanic Career Council, said the telenovela plan has the potential to educate viewers about the census using familiar characters and situations.
"If it helps to alleviate the community's misunderstandings and fears about the census, I think it's a really beneficial thing, and I applaud their efforts."
Capital News Service contributed to this report.
By Tina Irgang, FOXNews.com, September 22, 2009
WASHINGTON -- The devil knows best -- and he's about to share his knowledge on the 2010 Census.
NBC's Spanish-language affiliate Telemundo will incorporate a storyline on the upcoming decennial census into its most popular telenovela, "Mas Sabe El Diablo."
The storyline is set to begin in about 10 days, and will last until the series' projected end in November. This marks the first time the census has ever been written into a telenovela, although these Spanish-language soap operas often deal with pertinent social and political issues, Telemundo President Don Browne said Tuesday at a news conference to announce the script addition.
The storyline's purpose is to tackle misunderstandings and educate viewers, Browne said, "in a way that communicates the importance and the simplicity and the safety of the census, in their own words, with characters that they know and love."
Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, said fears in the Latino community that census data might be used to identify illegal immigrants are groundless.
"The president could call me right now and demand your census data, and I wouldn't be able to give it to him," he said.
Participating in the census can have long-term benefits for the Latino community, Groves said.
"A lot of movement of taxpayer money back to local communities that need support is based on the census," he said. "Over $400 billion a year is indexed to census counts."
In the upcoming storyline, actress Michelle Vargas portrays Perla Beltran, who is hired as a worker for the 2010 census.
"The federal law protects the information that's shared during the census. And it's easy. You answer those questions in less than 10 minutes," she said at the news conference.
Earlier this year, some Latino groups had called for a boycott of the census in protest of current immigration laws.
Telemundo's efforts are designed to counter those boycott calls and convey the benefits of the census, Browne said.
"We are going through incredibly fundamental demographic changes in our country," he said. "That's what the census is designed to manifest, so the more accurate it is, the better it manifests the true reality of who we are."
Maryland has traditionally been home to a large immigrant population, including an estimated 300,000 Hispanics, according to the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The state's Hispanic community was disturbed when, in April 2008, Frederick County began to participate in a program that allows local police to enforce federal immigration laws. Maryland's immigrant community criticized the move, fearing arrests based on racial profiling would be the result.
Gigi Guzman, chairwoman of the Maryland Hispanic Career Council, said the telenovela plan has the potential to educate viewers about the census using familiar characters and situations.
"If it helps to alleviate the community's misunderstandings and fears about the census, I think it's a really beneficial thing, and I applaud their efforts."
Capital News Service contributed to this report.
Advertising on Hispanic TV
Hispanic TV Summit: Don Francisco Touts “Three-Screen Approach”
By Joel Topcik -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/23/2009
In a keynote speech kicking off the 7th annual Hispanic Television Summit in New York City, legendary broadcaster Don Francisco urged advertisers and programmers to find the right “marketing mix” to reach Hispanic media consumers. And he stressed the need for the growing Hispanic media sector to adapt to new technologies and emerging platforms.
“I’m convinced that the proper combination [of platforms] will allow us to engage the consumer,” said Francisco, the creator and host of Univision’s variety juggernaut Sábado Gigante, at the B&C/Multichannel News event at New York’s Marriott Marquis.
Francisco, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, recounted how “creative and effective advertising,” particularly product integration, helped make his globally distributed show the longest-running variety show in TV history.
“Integration was for us the most important thing,” he said, pointing to the show’s famous audience sing-alongs to ad jingles as a way “make the audience part of the advertiser’s message.”
However, Francisco cautioned that integration and placement can’t be disruptive or out of place within a program. “Some marketers forget that advertising still needs to be entertaining,” he said. “It should be done in a way that the viewer is barely aware that they are watching an advertisement.”
Francisco marveled how much the Hispanic market—which accounted for $5 billion in ad spending in 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence estimates—has evolved since Sábado Gigante relocated from his native Chile to the U.S. in 1986, and began its run on Univision.
While many advertisers initially didn’t recognize the importance of communicating to Hispanic audiences in their own language, Francisco commended Procter & Gamble for understanding the show’s credo: “Separated by distance; united by one language.”
Now, he said, the challenge is stay current with new media and adopt a “three-screen approach” to reach consumers via TV, the Web and mobile video.
Referring to the show’s use of Skype to interact with viewers on-screen and its segments featuring viewer-submitted videos, Francisco said, “I attribute our success to our ability to adapt to our audiences and to changing technology.”
Francisco reminisced about his first trip to New York nearly 50 years ago and his first encounter with a television set. “It was love at first sight,” he said. And after 47 years as host of Sábado Gigante, Francisco still believes TV will remain the dominant medium “as long as people need to communicate.”
By Joel Topcik -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/23/2009
In a keynote speech kicking off the 7th annual Hispanic Television Summit in New York City, legendary broadcaster Don Francisco urged advertisers and programmers to find the right “marketing mix” to reach Hispanic media consumers. And he stressed the need for the growing Hispanic media sector to adapt to new technologies and emerging platforms.
“I’m convinced that the proper combination [of platforms] will allow us to engage the consumer,” said Francisco, the creator and host of Univision’s variety juggernaut Sábado Gigante, at the B&C/Multichannel News event at New York’s Marriott Marquis.
Francisco, whose real name is Mario Kreutzberger, recounted how “creative and effective advertising,” particularly product integration, helped make his globally distributed show the longest-running variety show in TV history.
“Integration was for us the most important thing,” he said, pointing to the show’s famous audience sing-alongs to ad jingles as a way “make the audience part of the advertiser’s message.”
However, Francisco cautioned that integration and placement can’t be disruptive or out of place within a program. “Some marketers forget that advertising still needs to be entertaining,” he said. “It should be done in a way that the viewer is barely aware that they are watching an advertisement.”
Francisco marveled how much the Hispanic market—which accounted for $5 billion in ad spending in 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence estimates—has evolved since Sábado Gigante relocated from his native Chile to the U.S. in 1986, and began its run on Univision.
While many advertisers initially didn’t recognize the importance of communicating to Hispanic audiences in their own language, Francisco commended Procter & Gamble for understanding the show’s credo: “Separated by distance; united by one language.”
Now, he said, the challenge is stay current with new media and adopt a “three-screen approach” to reach consumers via TV, the Web and mobile video.
Referring to the show’s use of Skype to interact with viewers on-screen and its segments featuring viewer-submitted videos, Francisco said, “I attribute our success to our ability to adapt to our audiences and to changing technology.”
Francisco reminisced about his first trip to New York nearly 50 years ago and his first encounter with a television set. “It was love at first sight,” he said. And after 47 years as host of Sábado Gigante, Francisco still believes TV will remain the dominant medium “as long as people need to communicate.”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
TV exec wants to empower Hispanic viewers
Univision chief a mission to empower Hispanic viewers
BY LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Sun Times, September 19, 2009
MIAMI -- When Cesar Conde walks into a room, his youthful looks and earnest countenance have at times led people to confuse the trim executive with an intern.
But such confusion is increasingly rare. The 35-year-old was tapped last month to head Univision Networks, the most prominent holding of Univision Communications Inc. -- the nation's largest Spanish-language media empire.
Its signature network regularly ranks fifth among all broadcast and cable networks, English or Spanish.
Conde, who takes over Oct. 1, is the Miami-born son of Peruvian and Cuban immigrants who came to the U.S. "with absolutely nothing except for the spare change and the clothes they had on their back," according to their son. He is also a Harvard graduate with an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, embodying not only the immigrant dream but also the network's future -- including second- and third-generation Hispanics drawn to the network because of cultural, as well as language ties.
It is his Gen X ability to move from talk of political empowerment to market statistics to the company's latest reality TV offerings that makes Conde such a force in shaping the future of one of the nation's fastest growing networks.
Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin L. Powell, whom Conde served as a White House Fellow from 2002 to 2003, said he quickly noticed something special about the young businessman.
"It was clear to me that he had great potential," Powell said in an e-mail to yhe Associated Press. "I believe a person's early accomplishments are an important signal of their future success, and Cesar has had many of them.
"His sense of purpose and maturity allow him to lead by bringing out the best in those around him despite his young age."
Univision, and Spanish-language media in general, have long embraced advocacy journalism, providing a "we're on your side" ethos for its audience, but Conde is part of a new leadership looking to expand the tradition.
"Our goal is to inform, entertain and empower the Hispanic community," Conde said recently from his new Miami offices. "But it's that third one, of empowerment, that I feel can really solidify our unique connection with our audience."
With the support of Univision CEO Joe Uva, Conde pushed for the first Sunday morning news talk show, "Al Punto" or "To the Point." He also backed the nation's first Spanish-media presidential candidate debate.
"We wanted to ensure that the Hispanic electorate was able to hear their voices on Election Day," explained Conde. "Both Democrat and Republican candidates spoke directly to the Hispanic community about issues of importance to the Hispanic community. They weren't speaking about the Hispanic community. It's a subtle but important difference."
Conde also was instrumental in Univision's "Ya es hora [Now is the time]" citizenship campaign along with National Association of Hispanic Elected and Appointed Officials and other groups. He is now helping to coordinate the second phase of the campaign to ensure Hispanics are counted in the 2010 census.
Besides the signature Univision network, Conde also oversees the company's cable channel Galavision, and its smaller network, TeleFutura. Uva, who has been a mentor to Conde, said it was his leadership abilities, his analytical skills and that uncanny maturity that made him ideal for the job.
BY LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Sun Times, September 19, 2009
MIAMI -- When Cesar Conde walks into a room, his youthful looks and earnest countenance have at times led people to confuse the trim executive with an intern.
But such confusion is increasingly rare. The 35-year-old was tapped last month to head Univision Networks, the most prominent holding of Univision Communications Inc. -- the nation's largest Spanish-language media empire.
Its signature network regularly ranks fifth among all broadcast and cable networks, English or Spanish.
Conde, who takes over Oct. 1, is the Miami-born son of Peruvian and Cuban immigrants who came to the U.S. "with absolutely nothing except for the spare change and the clothes they had on their back," according to their son. He is also a Harvard graduate with an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, embodying not only the immigrant dream but also the network's future -- including second- and third-generation Hispanics drawn to the network because of cultural, as well as language ties.
It is his Gen X ability to move from talk of political empowerment to market statistics to the company's latest reality TV offerings that makes Conde such a force in shaping the future of one of the nation's fastest growing networks.
Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin L. Powell, whom Conde served as a White House Fellow from 2002 to 2003, said he quickly noticed something special about the young businessman.
"It was clear to me that he had great potential," Powell said in an e-mail to yhe Associated Press. "I believe a person's early accomplishments are an important signal of their future success, and Cesar has had many of them.
"His sense of purpose and maturity allow him to lead by bringing out the best in those around him despite his young age."
Univision, and Spanish-language media in general, have long embraced advocacy journalism, providing a "we're on your side" ethos for its audience, but Conde is part of a new leadership looking to expand the tradition.
"Our goal is to inform, entertain and empower the Hispanic community," Conde said recently from his new Miami offices. "But it's that third one, of empowerment, that I feel can really solidify our unique connection with our audience."
With the support of Univision CEO Joe Uva, Conde pushed for the first Sunday morning news talk show, "Al Punto" or "To the Point." He also backed the nation's first Spanish-media presidential candidate debate.
"We wanted to ensure that the Hispanic electorate was able to hear their voices on Election Day," explained Conde. "Both Democrat and Republican candidates spoke directly to the Hispanic community about issues of importance to the Hispanic community. They weren't speaking about the Hispanic community. It's a subtle but important difference."
Conde also was instrumental in Univision's "Ya es hora [Now is the time]" citizenship campaign along with National Association of Hispanic Elected and Appointed Officials and other groups. He is now helping to coordinate the second phase of the campaign to ensure Hispanics are counted in the 2010 census.
Besides the signature Univision network, Conde also oversees the company's cable channel Galavision, and its smaller network, TeleFutura. Uva, who has been a mentor to Conde, said it was his leadership abilities, his analytical skills and that uncanny maturity that made him ideal for the job.
Popular Latino journalist alleges being ousted because he's gay
Ousted Florida Anchorman Charles Perez Speaks Out
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, Sept. 21, 2009
For two decades, Charles Perez has been one of television's most high-profile Hispanic journalists. In the 1990s he hosted a nationally syndicated talk show in his own name. He has been the face of television news in large Hispanic markets, such as Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
Mr. Perez has built a career explaining the news stories of the day and chronicling the lives of public figures, but now he's telling a different, more personal story: His own.
Perez is locked in a high-profile public dispute with WPLG-ABC, the South Florida station where he worked up until this summer. In a situation that has drawn national media attention, the station terminated Perez in August. Executives claim it was because of budget cuts.
Mr. Perez, however, alleges the termination was for a different reason. He is openly gay. MORE….
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, Sept. 21, 2009
For two decades, Charles Perez has been one of television's most high-profile Hispanic journalists. In the 1990s he hosted a nationally syndicated talk show in his own name. He has been the face of television news in large Hispanic markets, such as Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
Mr. Perez has built a career explaining the news stories of the day and chronicling the lives of public figures, but now he's telling a different, more personal story: His own.
Perez is locked in a high-profile public dispute with WPLG-ABC, the South Florida station where he worked up until this summer. In a situation that has drawn national media attention, the station terminated Perez in August. Executives claim it was because of budget cuts.
Mr. Perez, however, alleges the termination was for a different reason. He is openly gay. MORE….
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Increas in Hispanic TVs
Nielsen Charts Increase In Hispanic TV Homes
by Wayne Friedman, Media Post
The number of Hispanic TV homes continues to outpace the market overall.
The Nielsen Co. says Hispanic TV homes showed a 2.3% increase for the 2009-2010 TV season, to 12.95 million. Nielsen's overall projections are that the entire U.S. TV home population will grow 0.3% to 114.9 million, up from 114.5 million in the previous year.
African-American TV homes will be 14.0 million, a 0.3% rise over the season before. Asian TV homes will be at 4.78 million, a 0.8% gain.
In terms of total viewers, there will be a similar rise among all TV homes. Hispanic TV viewers will climb 2.4% to 44.3 million; African-American viewers will be at 37.5 million, a 1.3% gain; and Asian TV viewers will stay the same versus a year ago, at 14.5 million.
The two biggest Hispanic markets continue to be Los Angeles and New York: Los Angeles now with 1.87 million Hispanic homes and New York with 1.25 million. LA grew about 14,000 homes and New York about 9,000 homes year-to-year. The next-biggest market -- Miami-Fort Lauderdale -- is around half of New York's numbers, at 666,230 homes.
Overall, Nielsen projects that total TV viewers in the U.S. will increase slightly to 292 million for the 2009-2010 season.
As has been previously released, the biggest changes in regard to local markets come in Southern cities. New Orleans is growing a big 5.2% from a year ago to 633,930 TV homes, as residents continue to return after Hurricane Katrina. At the same time, Nielsen says four Florida markets are down -- Tampa, Miami, Fort Myers and Tallahassee -- partly the result of declines in domestic migration.
New York -- the biggest U.S market -- added more homes than any market: 59,710, to land at 7.49 million.
by Wayne Friedman, Media Post
The number of Hispanic TV homes continues to outpace the market overall.
The Nielsen Co. says Hispanic TV homes showed a 2.3% increase for the 2009-2010 TV season, to 12.95 million. Nielsen's overall projections are that the entire U.S. TV home population will grow 0.3% to 114.9 million, up from 114.5 million in the previous year.
African-American TV homes will be 14.0 million, a 0.3% rise over the season before. Asian TV homes will be at 4.78 million, a 0.8% gain.
In terms of total viewers, there will be a similar rise among all TV homes. Hispanic TV viewers will climb 2.4% to 44.3 million; African-American viewers will be at 37.5 million, a 1.3% gain; and Asian TV viewers will stay the same versus a year ago, at 14.5 million.
The two biggest Hispanic markets continue to be Los Angeles and New York: Los Angeles now with 1.87 million Hispanic homes and New York with 1.25 million. LA grew about 14,000 homes and New York about 9,000 homes year-to-year. The next-biggest market -- Miami-Fort Lauderdale -- is around half of New York's numbers, at 666,230 homes.
Overall, Nielsen projects that total TV viewers in the U.S. will increase slightly to 292 million for the 2009-2010 season.
As has been previously released, the biggest changes in regard to local markets come in Southern cities. New Orleans is growing a big 5.2% from a year ago to 633,930 TV homes, as residents continue to return after Hurricane Katrina. At the same time, Nielsen says four Florida markets are down -- Tampa, Miami, Fort Myers and Tallahassee -- partly the result of declines in domestic migration.
New York -- the biggest U.S market -- added more homes than any market: 59,710, to land at 7.49 million.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Hispanic Television summit planned
Seventh Annual Hispanic Television Summit to be held Wednesday, September 23 –Thursday, September 24, 2009 At the Marriott Marquis New York City
Press Release
Leading television industry trade publications Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable will present the annual Hispanic Television Summit during Advertising Week 2009 for the first time.
According to Larry Dunn, Reed Television’s Group Publisher for Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable, “We are pleased to add our Seventh Annual Hispanic Television Summit to the exciting line-up of major events scheduled during Advertising Week 2009. This marks the first time that the leading Hispanic television industry conference has been scheduled in tandem with the many other activities for members of the advertising community.”
The Hispanic Television Summit has been presented annually since 2003. It is traditionally held in New York each autumn season and attracts more than 300 attendees from across the country, Latin America and Spain. The Summit has now become the television industry’s signature conference for executives involved in the business of television and digital video targeted to the US Hispanic and Latin American viewing audience.
The distinctive topic of the Hispanic Television Summit always focuses on the latest trends for generating revenues within the Hispanic television and digital media space. It delivers the “freshest” industry information in response to the current trends in the television and digital video marketplace. As a result, the Summit attracts speakers, panelists, and participants who are top executives from broadcast, cable, satellite, broadband and mobile, as well as those from related businesses like advertising, finance, consumer electronics, video technology and other consumer goods.
The Summit is being produced for the seventh time for Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable by New York-based Schramm Marketing Group, Inc., a leading marketing and media services company which includes Hispanic marketing of TV content among its specialties.
To register: visit www.multichannel.com/hispanicsummit or call Sandy Friedman at 646-746-6740
Press Release
Leading television industry trade publications Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable will present the annual Hispanic Television Summit during Advertising Week 2009 for the first time.
According to Larry Dunn, Reed Television’s Group Publisher for Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable, “We are pleased to add our Seventh Annual Hispanic Television Summit to the exciting line-up of major events scheduled during Advertising Week 2009. This marks the first time that the leading Hispanic television industry conference has been scheduled in tandem with the many other activities for members of the advertising community.”
The Hispanic Television Summit has been presented annually since 2003. It is traditionally held in New York each autumn season and attracts more than 300 attendees from across the country, Latin America and Spain. The Summit has now become the television industry’s signature conference for executives involved in the business of television and digital video targeted to the US Hispanic and Latin American viewing audience.
The distinctive topic of the Hispanic Television Summit always focuses on the latest trends for generating revenues within the Hispanic television and digital media space. It delivers the “freshest” industry information in response to the current trends in the television and digital video marketplace. As a result, the Summit attracts speakers, panelists, and participants who are top executives from broadcast, cable, satellite, broadband and mobile, as well as those from related businesses like advertising, finance, consumer electronics, video technology and other consumer goods.
The Summit is being produced for the seventh time for Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable by New York-based Schramm Marketing Group, Inc., a leading marketing and media services company which includes Hispanic marketing of TV content among its specialties.
To register: visit www.multichannel.com/hispanicsummit or call Sandy Friedman at 646-746-6740
Thursday, August 20, 2009
CNN to present Latino in America
CNN Presents Latino in America Anchored by Soledad O’Brien
WEBWIRE, August 19, 2009
New “…in America” Documentary Series Debuts on CNN and CNN en Español on Oct. 21& 22
CNN will extend its acclaimed “…in America” series of documentaries with a two-night, four-hour event, Latino in America, this October. Reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, the ambitious documentary initiative examines the growing diversity of America, revealing insight into a changing nation on the eve of the U.S. census that is expected to officially confirm that Latino Americans are the largest minority group within the country.
Two, two-hour documentaries will air at 9p.m. and 12a.m. ET and PT and simulcast in English on CNN/U.S. and in Spanish on CNN en Español on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22; CNN International will also broadcast the series (date and time to be announced). Latino in America was filmed in high definition.
“As the face of America changes profoundly, CNN continues to demonstrate that we are the only cable news network dedicated to delivering a diversity of opinions and coverage,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S. “This landmark series will showcase dramatic personal stories from across the sweep of Latino-American society, and move the dialogue well beyond limited partisan discussions of immigration.”
Latino in America: Los Garcias – Wednesday, Oct. 21, 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. (two hours) ET/PT
“Garcia” is now one of the top ten most popular surnames in the country, a sign of the largest ethnic wave in America’s history. For the debut evening of CNN’s Latino in America, O’Brien interviews Garcias from all walks of life. They hail from a broad array of nations; some families are new arrivals to America – others have been Americans for many generations. Old, young, wealthy and poor, Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in America. O’Brien’s lens on the Garcias yields a window into American life that viewers will find both new and very familiar at the same time.
One Garcia viewers will meet is Cindy Garcia, a 17-year old high schooler living in Greater Los Angeles. Cindy has a close and loving family, but like many Latina teens she is also facing challenges beyond her years. Her mother, originally from Guatemala, speaks no English and depends upon Cindy for translation assistance for medical appointments and other personal business. Cindy is often asked to babysit for the children of her siblings, even taking them to school with her; and she struggles with the added burden of an unplanned pregnancy. Most of Cindy’s family and friends never graduated from high school, and an astounding 70 percent of her fellow students drop out before graduation, but Cindy tells O’Brien that she is determined to graduate. The first evening follows Cindy’s journey.
Throughout Night One in the series, viewers will also hear from several accomplished Latinos about the American experience of being Latinos including, comedian George Lopez, and actors Lupe Ontiveros, Jesse Garcia, Edward James Olmos and Eva Longoria Parker.
Latino in America: Chasing the Dream – Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. (two hours) ET/PT
The second documentary in the two-night series focuses on a journey as old as the nation – the pursuit of the American Dream. O’Brien interviews Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who fled communist Cuba at age 15. Martinez recalls his own American Dream journey – from his first humble nights on the floor of a welcoming Catholic church in Miami, learning English and achieving undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, becoming a U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and finally becoming a U.S. Senator.
O’Brien also speaks with Carlos Robles. Since he is from Puerto Rico, he is an American citizen, but he has found transition to life in Florida a challenge so far. A police officer in Puerto Rico, Carlos’ dream is to become a sheriff in Orlando. But he struggles with English, and he is worried that his language skills may interfere with or delay his dream.
In Shenandoah, Pa., O’Brien discovers a dream denied. Luis Ramirez was killed by a group of white high school students – allegedly only because of his ethnicity. Ramirez was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, and his death and the ensuing trial have been a lightning rod for long-building tensions in the community over dwindling jobs, crime and a melding of cultures that has not always been seamless.
On the other end of the spectrum, Vanessa Rosas, also from Puerto Rico, has flourished. Fluent in Spanish and English, her young children are also bilingual and Rosas and her husband – both engineers – live an affluent life in Florida as Disney employees. Rosas and her husband observe traditional Puerto Rican customs and celebrations and have also adopted those of the mainland. They are perhaps a bridge to a nation growing in Latino diversity.
“Soledad will give viewers new insight into an American story that they may have thought that they understood. There is so much to learn about the changing landscape of America – and we’re delivering it just as the nation confirms its new demographics and all of the promise – and challenges that will come with that,” said Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer, CNN Productions.
WEBWIRE, August 19, 2009
New “…in America” Documentary Series Debuts on CNN and CNN en Español on Oct. 21& 22
CNN will extend its acclaimed “…in America” series of documentaries with a two-night, four-hour event, Latino in America, this October. Reported by anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, the ambitious documentary initiative examines the growing diversity of America, revealing insight into a changing nation on the eve of the U.S. census that is expected to officially confirm that Latino Americans are the largest minority group within the country.
Two, two-hour documentaries will air at 9p.m. and 12a.m. ET and PT and simulcast in English on CNN/U.S. and in Spanish on CNN en Español on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22; CNN International will also broadcast the series (date and time to be announced). Latino in America was filmed in high definition.
“As the face of America changes profoundly, CNN continues to demonstrate that we are the only cable news network dedicated to delivering a diversity of opinions and coverage,” said Jon Klein, president CNN/U.S. “This landmark series will showcase dramatic personal stories from across the sweep of Latino-American society, and move the dialogue well beyond limited partisan discussions of immigration.”
Latino in America: Los Garcias – Wednesday, Oct. 21, 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. (two hours) ET/PT
“Garcia” is now one of the top ten most popular surnames in the country, a sign of the largest ethnic wave in America’s history. For the debut evening of CNN’s Latino in America, O’Brien interviews Garcias from all walks of life. They hail from a broad array of nations; some families are new arrivals to America – others have been Americans for many generations. Old, young, wealthy and poor, Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in America. O’Brien’s lens on the Garcias yields a window into American life that viewers will find both new and very familiar at the same time.
One Garcia viewers will meet is Cindy Garcia, a 17-year old high schooler living in Greater Los Angeles. Cindy has a close and loving family, but like many Latina teens she is also facing challenges beyond her years. Her mother, originally from Guatemala, speaks no English and depends upon Cindy for translation assistance for medical appointments and other personal business. Cindy is often asked to babysit for the children of her siblings, even taking them to school with her; and she struggles with the added burden of an unplanned pregnancy. Most of Cindy’s family and friends never graduated from high school, and an astounding 70 percent of her fellow students drop out before graduation, but Cindy tells O’Brien that she is determined to graduate. The first evening follows Cindy’s journey.
Throughout Night One in the series, viewers will also hear from several accomplished Latinos about the American experience of being Latinos including, comedian George Lopez, and actors Lupe Ontiveros, Jesse Garcia, Edward James Olmos and Eva Longoria Parker.
Latino in America: Chasing the Dream – Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. & 12 a.m. (two hours) ET/PT
The second documentary in the two-night series focuses on a journey as old as the nation – the pursuit of the American Dream. O’Brien interviews Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who fled communist Cuba at age 15. Martinez recalls his own American Dream journey – from his first humble nights on the floor of a welcoming Catholic church in Miami, learning English and achieving undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, becoming a U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and finally becoming a U.S. Senator.
O’Brien also speaks with Carlos Robles. Since he is from Puerto Rico, he is an American citizen, but he has found transition to life in Florida a challenge so far. A police officer in Puerto Rico, Carlos’ dream is to become a sheriff in Orlando. But he struggles with English, and he is worried that his language skills may interfere with or delay his dream.
In Shenandoah, Pa., O’Brien discovers a dream denied. Luis Ramirez was killed by a group of white high school students – allegedly only because of his ethnicity. Ramirez was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, and his death and the ensuing trial have been a lightning rod for long-building tensions in the community over dwindling jobs, crime and a melding of cultures that has not always been seamless.
On the other end of the spectrum, Vanessa Rosas, also from Puerto Rico, has flourished. Fluent in Spanish and English, her young children are also bilingual and Rosas and her husband – both engineers – live an affluent life in Florida as Disney employees. Rosas and her husband observe traditional Puerto Rican customs and celebrations and have also adopted those of the mainland. They are perhaps a bridge to a nation growing in Latino diversity.
“Soledad will give viewers new insight into an American story that they may have thought that they understood. There is so much to learn about the changing landscape of America – and we’re delivering it just as the nation confirms its new demographics and all of the promise – and challenges that will come with that,” said Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer, CNN Productions.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Latino cable channel raises funding
Latino Cable Network Si TV Raises $8.7 Million Funding
PRESS RELEASE
Latino-centric cable and online network Si TV has raised $8.75 million in funding, according to an SEC filing, with plans to raise nearly $6 million more. The network raised roughly $60 million in funding from big backers like EchoStar (NSDQ: SATS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Columbia Capital and Rho Ventures back when it launched in 2004; we’re trying to confirm who the investors are for this new round.
Si TV has amassed over 19 million cable subscribers since its launch; the network also has robust online and mobile programming, including syndication deals with sites like Hearst and carriers like Verizon. But Compete stats show that traffic to SiTV.com proper has slipped from a high of over 500,000 uniques last year, to just around 150,000 last month—so the new funding could feasibly be used for a site redesign or acquisition of a more popular online property. Its biggest competitor is MTV’s bi-lingual digital and cable property MTV Tr3s.
PRESS RELEASE
Latino-centric cable and online network Si TV has raised $8.75 million in funding, according to an SEC filing, with plans to raise nearly $6 million more. The network raised roughly $60 million in funding from big backers like EchoStar (NSDQ: SATS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Columbia Capital and Rho Ventures back when it launched in 2004; we’re trying to confirm who the investors are for this new round.
Si TV has amassed over 19 million cable subscribers since its launch; the network also has robust online and mobile programming, including syndication deals with sites like Hearst and carriers like Verizon. But Compete stats show that traffic to SiTV.com proper has slipped from a high of over 500,000 uniques last year, to just around 150,000 last month—so the new funding could feasibly be used for a site redesign or acquisition of a more popular online property. Its biggest competitor is MTV’s bi-lingual digital and cable property MTV Tr3s.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hispanic TV network increasing viewership
Azteca America Colorado is the Only Denver Hispanic Television Station with Audience Growth Since the DTV Switch
PRESS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In April 2009, Azteca America Colorado further enhanced its coverage with full power digital transmission. Since the upgrade more viewers are tuning into Azteca America Colorado's premiere Spanish-language programming, which means more ratings. Nielsen Media Research reported ratings and share increases ranging from +50% to +300% in all key demos. Specific share growth includes:
+ 100% increase in People 18+
+ 200% increase in Male 25-49
+ 300% increase in Female 18-49.
(NHSI Denver Mar 09 vs May 09/M-Sun Time Period Average Sign on to Sign off)
"The strength of our Azteca digital broadcast signal mirrors that of ABC sister station KMGH Denver's 7. We also have a unique opportunity to continue broadcasting on our analog channels. The ability to broadcast in digital and analog signals establishes Azteca America Colorado as Colorado's Spanish-language coverage leader," said Byron Grandy, VP/GM Azteca America Colorado and KMGH Denver's 7.
"We congratulated our affiliate Azteca America Colorado for these important results. To be a leader in a market requires a lot of local hard work and effort behind our national broadcast network programming," said Adrian Steckel, CEO of Azteca America.
Azteca America Colorado's digital signal is automatically distributed to subscribers of cable and satellite service. Viewers, who utilize a digital converter box for over-the-air reception, receive Azteca America Colorado on digital channel 7.27.
For those viewers who have not converted to digital reception, Azteca America Colorado continues broadcasting its over-the-air analog signals. Analog viewers can watch Azteca America Colorado on channel 27 throughout metro Denver, channel 36 in Greeley and Fort Collins, and Channel 23 in Colorado Springs.
PRESS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In April 2009, Azteca America Colorado further enhanced its coverage with full power digital transmission. Since the upgrade more viewers are tuning into Azteca America Colorado's premiere Spanish-language programming, which means more ratings. Nielsen Media Research reported ratings and share increases ranging from +50% to +300% in all key demos. Specific share growth includes:
+ 100% increase in People 18+
+ 200% increase in Male 25-49
+ 300% increase in Female 18-49.
(NHSI Denver Mar 09 vs May 09/M-Sun Time Period Average Sign on to Sign off)
"The strength of our Azteca digital broadcast signal mirrors that of ABC sister station KMGH Denver's 7. We also have a unique opportunity to continue broadcasting on our analog channels. The ability to broadcast in digital and analog signals establishes Azteca America Colorado as Colorado's Spanish-language coverage leader," said Byron Grandy, VP/GM Azteca America Colorado and KMGH Denver's 7.
"We congratulated our affiliate Azteca America Colorado for these important results. To be a leader in a market requires a lot of local hard work and effort behind our national broadcast network programming," said Adrian Steckel, CEO of Azteca America.
Azteca America Colorado's digital signal is automatically distributed to subscribers of cable and satellite service. Viewers, who utilize a digital converter box for over-the-air reception, receive Azteca America Colorado on digital channel 7.27.
For those viewers who have not converted to digital reception, Azteca America Colorado continues broadcasting its over-the-air analog signals. Analog viewers can watch Azteca America Colorado on channel 27 throughout metro Denver, channel 36 in Greeley and Fort Collins, and Channel 23 in Colorado Springs.
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