Spanish-language TV

Buyers are up on the medium and know the value for clients of reaching this demo, but there are challenges, like figuring out how it fits with English-language media.

Though Hispanics do share a common ethnicity, their experiences and history are quite different, and understanding that is a key part of putting together an effective media plan to reach them. Aleena Astorga Roeschley, research director and multicultural expert at Communicus, an advertising consultancy, talks about defining bicultural Hispanics, targeting them more effectively, and how to mimic previous campaigns that have worked.

What’s coming on broadcast and cable, from the debut of La Banda, Simon Cowell’s new Univision show, to Telemundo’s coverage of Pope Francis’ upcoming U.S. visit.

More than half say they spend part of their video time on over the top networks, including a growing number of Spanish-dominant Hispanics. Adriana Waterston, SVP of marketing and business development at Horowitz Research, talks about what recent research findings mean for media buyers and planners, how Hispanics can be targeted using this information, and why Spanish-language offerings are finally going up.

Spanish-language networks in the United States are facing a new challenge: a generation of bilingual millennials who are gravitating away from the torrid love stories of telenovelas and brassy variety shows that have been popular for decades on Spanish-language TV. Univision calls this generation “billennials.” And they increasingly consume their media in English.

Telemundo and NBC Universo are loading up on new shows that are a big departure for Spanish-language television, from scripted drama series to shows with second-screen apps and virtual reality woven into the storytelling. And sports also is a big priority for NBCU’s Spanish-language networks now that it has nabbed the Spanish-language rights to the next three World Cup championships.

TeleXitos features TV series from the 1970’s on, including Miami Vice, The A-Team and Ripley’s Believe It or Not, as well as action flicks like Hulk, The Interpreter and The Musketeer. All content will be in Spanish with no subtitles. Debuting today, TeleXitos is available in 16 markets and replaces Exitos, which aired telenovelas.

ToonPower from Broadcast Partners and United Teleports will feature classic cartoons in Spanish offered 24/7 on multiple distribution platforms.

Spanish-language programs will take on greater prominence at the Daytime Emmys through the introduction of new categories announced today. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences also said that the Sports Emmys and News & Documentary Emmys would also be adding awards honoring Spanish-language media.

Frank Louis Fouce, a pioneer of Spanish-language entertainment in the U.S. and a founder of what later became Univision, died Sept. 22 in Los Angeles of lymphoma. He was 85.

As Univision spreads into English programming, Telemundo remains firmly focused on the Spanish-speaking audience. Telemundo has always played second fiddle to Univision, but its president, Emilio Romano, says the network has a three-part plan to get to  No. 1.

With its soft launch set for next Wednesday (Aug. 1), the new Spanish-language broadcast network is targetting younger viewers — 18-34s — more than the existing Hispanic networks, and it isn’t afraid to let some English on the air, including commercials. Partners News Corp. and Colombia’s RCN say they’ll have 50 affiliates covering 80% of the U.S. Hispanic population on board by the official launch on Aug. 13.

That’s the value and power of over-the-air television broadcasting. The Fox plan to invest millions of dollars into the launch of MundoFox, a new broadcasting network for Hispanics, makes hash out of the FCC chairman’s contention that broadcasting is an obsolete medium and that its continued use of spectrum is of a waste or at least the underutilization of a precious natural resource.

In what it hopes will be a reprise of its success in taking on ABC, CBS and NBC, Fox is setting its sights on the rapidly growing Hispanic population in the U.S. with MundoFox. Media agencies, Spanish-language broadcasters, analysts, program producers and even rival networks believe that News Corp. can pull it off if it is smart about the proposed broadcast network’s programming and can assemble a solid lineup of affiliates. Fox is offering broadcasters one half of the advertising inventory, or six minutes per hour. It’s neither offering nor asking for cash.

With the U.S. Hispanic population growing, Spanish-language news media has fared better than its mainstream (English-language) counterparts, according to Pew Research Center. This continues to be the case despite the number of Hispanics born in the U.S., who are more likely to be bilingual or primarily English speakers. Some of the biggest success stories in Spanish-language news media come from TV, where Univision now rivals ABC, CBS and NBC in audience size.

TV industry experts say the growth could affect next year’s election by increasing awareness of political issues among U.S. Spanish speakers and by encouraging more to vote in a population whose participation has lagged others. Members of bilingual households who prefer English are also expected to be influenced by the newscasts when they watch with parents and grandparents. The change comes as the latest Census data shows Hispanics propelled more than half of the country’s population growth over the last decade.

The Spanish-language media company will invest nearly $20 million annually in its effort to educate and potentially land new marketers.

As Telemundo and Univision prepare to give their upfront presentations to advertisers, they expect to rake in about 20% more ad dollars than they did in 2010.

A local Spanish-language television buy is an economically sound purchase in that not only are you accruing more eyeballs per dollar, but in most cases you’re probably not paying a premium for the opportunity. With 76% of today’s Hispanics choosing to speak Spanish at home, it’s imperative for marketers to understand that this language connects these valuable consumers to content, culture, country (of origin) and community.