More brilliance from Austin's Latino Comedy Project

I wonder if politicians ever considered cuanderas when devising health care plans?

NYT: Univision whines about radio People Meters

"Ceril Shagrin, an executive vice president for corporate research at Univision Communications, a major Spanish-language broadcaster, found that the ratings for Radio La Kalle 105.9 FM in New York fell sharply when the people meters were tested in October. She expressed concerns about the reliability of the Arbitron sample.

“The Hispanic universe is younger, and our audience is therefore made up of more young people. When the sample doesn’t reflect them, then our radio ratings aren’t correct,” Ms. Shagrin said."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31radio.html?ref=media&pagewanted=print

Latino Comedy Project skit so funny it explains why the idiot white guys at AOL failed to reach the Latin market.

Austin-Texas-based Latino Comedy Project is brilliant.

My comments: AOL failed to reach US Hispanics because like most Anglos they can't tell the difference between foreigners and Latinos from the United States.

Another brilliant skit from the Austin-based Latino Comedy Project.

Got to love these guys.

"Batanga.com, an Hispanic online media company founded in Greensboro, says it has surpassed 3.4 million unique users per month and now has the largest audience in the U.S. Hispanic Web market."

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2007/12/24/daily12.html

My comments: Good for Batanga. One note of caution though. Third party services such as comScore are notoriously unreliable in measuring content other than text/html such as audio, video or flash.

Q&A with Espn Deportes

Q&A With ESPN Deportes Marketing Director Maribel Viteri
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6514212.html

Farmers invest in US grown Mexican corn

"The consumers remember the taste and appeal of foods their grandmas made."
Farmers planning to grow red corn and hominy.

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=84&SubSectionID=777&ArticleID=37817&TM=18970.63

My comments: The native peoples of Mexico and Guatemala first domesticated corn thousands of years before there were any Europeans in the Americas.

Study claims Latinos receptive to email marketing

"HISPANICS WELCOME E-MAIL COMMUNICATION FROM companies they know up to 11 times a month, while non-Hispanic consumers tolerate such e-mails only up to 7.4 times a month, according to new research from Mintel Comperemedia."

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=73286

USAToday: Review of Entravision, largest owner of Univision stations

"But what he does know are gaps, those underserved pockets of the media market that present huge opportunities. By targeting the fast-growing but long-overlooked Latino market, Ulloa has grown Entravision into the No. 2 Spanish-language media company behind Univision. "You're looking for the hole," he says."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-12-23-ulloa_N.htm

Long Island opens its doors for Las Posadas.

"But this was not a Christmas party, in the usual sense. The Wiegands opened their home to Latinos and other members of the community alike for Las Posadas. Spanish for "the inns," it's a ritual traditionally celebrated in Latin nations- from Dec. 16 to Christmas Eve."

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-liposa245513832dec24,0,2281196.story

Televisa 1, Univision 0 (zero, zip, big goose egg)

From the Los Angeles Times:

Grupo Televisa has won a court ruling that could allow the Mexican broadcasting giant to move closer to ending its tumultuous relationship with Univision Communications Inc., the largest Spanish-language media company in the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-univision21dec21,1,914153.story?coll=la-headlines-business

Univision, the largest player in Spanish in the United States, has nurtured its dominance by replaying content produced by Mexico's media giant Televisa, the largest producer of Spanish-language media content on the planet. In my mind, Univision has largely been a distributor of Televisa content and owes Televisa content for its success.

Televisa wants more of the action. If Televisa breaks from Univision and providing its pre-tested hits that work well with the largest Spanish-dominant Latino group in the country - Mexican immigrants - then Univision is in trouble.

LA Times: Alvin and the Chipmonks draws Latino viewers

"Part of what turned "Alvin's" lowly regarded opening into a $44.3-million event was the huge turnout from Latino moviegoers, who can account for as much as 20% of a mainstream film's ticket sales. The highest-grossing theater in the nation for "Alvin" was the Edwards South Gate Stadium 20, located in an overwhelmingly Latino neighborhood."
"With "Alvin" already in theaters for a week, Latino moviegoers still are exhibiting twice the interest in the singing chipmunk comedy than in the "National Treasure" sequel. Now "Charlie Wilson," "P.S." and "Walk Hard" need to find that kind of support wherever they can."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-word20dec20,1,7940483.story?coll=la-entnews-movies

And my gosh, it's in English. I wonder how well this movie did among the Minutemen and supporters of Rep. Tancredo. Maybe some of these idiots will realize we're Americans and can speak the language.

Happy Holidays

Roberto Aymes Art Latin Jazz - Christmas time is here

Chasing Ambulances?

I always wonder how local Spanish-language TV affiliates can make money from ads like these?

AdWeek: Original content startup focused on bilingual English-dominants launches

Hispanic Media Startup Debuts Mio.TV
http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003684398

LendingTree ad targets Latinos

Bloomberg: Televisa jumps regulartory hurdle to buy stake in cable firm

"The purchase of Cablemas is part of Televisa's strategy to offer telephone and broadband Internet services nationwide. Televisa said in February it had agreed three months earlier to buy 49 percent of Cablemas for $258 million."

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a5yQE.EhKIz8&refer=latin_america

Reuters: Latin music sales reveal two buying patterns

"... the top 15 of the Top Latin Album Artists and Top Latin Albums charts are evenly divided between two general camps:

1. one encompasses youth-leaning reggaeton and regional Mexican (Alacranes Musical),
2. while the other comprises established, veteran acts with broad fan bases (Mana, Vicente Fernandez, Marco Antonio Solis).

The two extremes highlight two emerging markets for Latin music.
1. A steady, young consumer base is getting its music from multiple sources
2. while the more traditional, broad fan base still looks for albums by stalwarts like Fernandez and Solis.

"

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN1632383620071217

SanDiegoUnionTribune: HomeBuilders worried about Latino market.

Builders fear low homeownership rate
http://signonsandiego.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=SignOnSanDiego.com+%3E+News+%3E+Business+--+Industry+focuses+on+the+Latino+market&expire=&urlID=25447358&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.signonsandiego.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2F20071216-9999-mz1h16latino.html&partnerID=621

I guess they are afraid they won't be able to sucker us into crummy sub-prime loans anymore.

Televisa unveils 6 telenovelas

Televisa unveils six telenovelas at the National Association of Television Program Executives meeting.
http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=televisa121107.htm

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Energizer bunny to dance to a Latin beat

Energizer turns to music to reach out to Hispanics
What do you get when you cross the Energizer Bunny with popular Latin musicians? A couple of really long songs — and a new Hispanic marketing pitch.

The ads, which reached an audience of 6.2 million via Univision during the Latin Grammy airing, prominently displayed the address of a slick new website, www.sigueysigue.com — a Spanish translation of "going and going."

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/manufacturingtechnology/story/34711041C35C21AB862573B1000E158D?OpenDocument

Ruben Navarette gets in right on Repub Debate

Going crazy over Hispanics
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/OPINION/712130427/1002/OPINION

"The GOP has to do a better job of appealing to Hispanics, and events such as the Univision debate can only help. Hispanic voters needed to hear Mitt Romney acknowledge that Hispanics contribute much to society as "family-oriented and people of faith" who serve in the military and start businesses. They needed to hear John McCain insist that "some of the rhetoric that many Hispanics hear about illegal immigration makes some of them believe that we are not in favor of nor seek the support of Hispanic citizens in this country." They needed to hear Mike Huckabee decry a circumstance where "a person who is here legally, but speaks with an accent, is racially profiled by the public." And they needed to hear Rudy Giuliani credit Hispanic Americans for possessing the "basic values that make us better, values of family, values of hard work, getting a good job, education as the way to success."
Some people might call those kinds of statements pandering. Others have a different term for it: the truth."

MiamiHerald. Univision sued related to music purchase.

Music exec sues Univisión
The president of Univisión Music sued Univisión as it entered the final stages of an auction of its music division.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/339976.html

L.A. Times states "I am Legend" drawing Latinos, but doesn't say why.

"Equally noteworthy, "I Am Legend" is attracting both black and Latino moviegoers. "
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-word13dec13,1,726926.story?coll=la-entnews-movies

Anyone know why?

NY Daily News: Latino music store, yes selling CDs, reopens

Venerable Latin music store Record Mart back in gear
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2007/12/12/2007-12-12_venerable_latin_music_store_record_mart_.html

In the age of mp3s, are Latinos still buying CDs?

VivirLatino: Repubs pander to Miami by mentioning Chavez and Castro.

"Hearing all the anti-Chavez, Castro rhetoric, reminded me, that even though the Republicans (minus one) knew we were listening, they also tailored their answers for the Cuban exile community not for me or my kind of Latino."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Most of the Latinos in this country are of Mexican origin. Most who can vote are Mexican-American or Puerto Rican. Neither of these groups gives a flying flip about Cuba's Fidel Castro or Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. We want opportunities in the United States. We're not focused on the concerns of foreigners. But the fact that the Repubs mentioned those subjects shows the over-influence of foreign-born Cubans in positions of power. Miami is the headquarters of this unique elite set.

Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Texas and the rest of the Latino world in the United States are the norm; Miami is the outlier.

The VivirLatino poster agreed:
"And it seems that much of the Spanish language media didn't pay the debate any mind, at least not in NYC, where the newspaper front pages are more about our day to day reality, like some kids in Washington Heights who were brutalized by police."

http://vivirlatino.com/2007/12/10/monday-morning-univision-republican-debate-hangover.php

ArizonaDailyStar: Hispanic Marketing in Tucson, simply "Marketing."

Hispanic consumers no longer just a niche market

"Chances are that by 2015 — the year Latinos make up 50 percent of Tucson's population — businesses won't be devising "Hispanic marketing" plans.
By then, catering to this population will simply be called "marketing."
Just as Spanish is no longer considered a radio format — rather, the language of multiple formats — ad campaigns with a familiar face and language likely will be the norm, experts say."

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/215447

AdAge: Hispanic Professionals vs Professional Hispanics

AdAge blogs on the Professional Hispanic, folks who define their career by their ethnicity.

http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=122487

Animator talks the talk about getting the Latino market

“The Hispanic market has been lumped into a big bucket, and that doesn’t serve the market properly,” says Salvatore Cavalieri, president and CEO of Cilantro Animation Studios. “We’re in an age where we have to listen more carefully to what the audience says. Before they give you their money, they want to know you went the extra step.”

http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/7697

Web Analyics Interview with Enrique J. Gonzales and NPR's Bryan Moffett

http://www.webanalyticsassociation.org/en/art/?156

FtLaud.SunSentinel: Repubs debate on Univision despite losing steam among Latinos over immigration

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flrnddebate1207pndec07,0,4556823.story

Republicans haven't learned the lesson of Pete Wilson, the former Republican governor of California widely criticized for anti-Latino statements and actions. The Repubs had to turn to Terminator to regain any traction with Latinos in California.

The story cites a Pew Hispanic Report documenting the Republican decline among Latinos.

• Pew Report Synopsis
  http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=83
  
• Pew Hispanic Report PDF
  http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/83.pdf

DiversityInc: Shopping While Latino

http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2816.cfm

I've personally experienced this type of discrimination. Just because you're brown doesn't mean you're a thief.

IndyStar: Indiana-based Mexican singer slain in recent spate of killings

Singer slain in Mexico lived in Avon since '03
Drug cartels are suspected in torture, killing of popular musician known for romantic songs
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/LOCAL/712060477/1058/SPORTS03

Jonathan Mendez of Offermatica case study: Spanish creative on English language site works wonders

I just reviewed this webinar from Omniture, the web analytics giant. In it, Jonathan Mendez details a case study in which a client with an English language site sniffs out traffic from the Spanish-language search version of Google and presents a simple Spanish-language creative on the English-language site. The results are all positive.

http://www.omniture.com/resources/webinars/17

Internet Strategy Forum: Enrique J. Gonzales presents on Web Analytics

The abstract is available on this page:
http://www.internetstrategyforum.org/chapters/dc.html

Direct link to the PDF: http://www.internetstrategyforum.org/chapters/ISF_Abstract_for_Enrique_Gonzales_Talk_on_11-15-07.pdf

MiamiHerald: CubanAmerican TV personality dies.

Spirited Cuban TV star dies
SHE HOSTED A BEAUTY AND EXERCISE SHOW AND, LATER IN MIAMI, RAN A FITNESS SALON
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/328627.html

L.A. Times: Immigrant filmmaker's Indie film getting grassroots support.

'Bella' is a rallying point: Grass-roots campaign keeps the low-budget, pro-adoption film going. But will holiday fare end its run?

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-et-bella4dec04,0,7830721.story?coll=cl-movies

La Times: Another Latino bank opens

New Latino-owned Santa Ana bank in one of just a few nationwide

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bank3dec03,1,1553202.story?coll=la-headlines-california

LaPolitica forced to change name, confllict with DC-based Politico

Politico, the year old free political rag focused on US politcs, forces La Politica, the months-old on-line research publication focused on political marketing to US Hispanics, to change its name.
http://www.sys-con.com/read/469496_p.htm

This is just down right silly. Politico and "La Politica" are two different words.

NJ Star Ledger: Botanicas sell traditional herbal remedies in NJ

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1196676905159040.xml&coll=1

Cal State Long Beach students access the value of a degree in Chicano/Latino studies

Daily 49er from Cal State Long Beach: So what exactly does one do with a Chicano/Latino studies degree?
By: Rosaura Figueroa
http://www.daily49er.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=af24009d-b75c-4f27-8b64-a6ad9b6bcd40

Boston Globe's Alex Bean comments on the badness "Cane" that makes it good.

The other brother-in-law, Henry, is mobbed up with an Israeli gangster, who is dealing Ecstasy from the VIP room of Henry's hip South Beach nightclub. Bad idea, for the Israeli gangster, that is. Smits seeks out the genial Cuban mob boss in his modest Little Havana hideaway. The two men play dominoes, sip coffee, offer a toast - "To a free Cuba!" - and, poof! the Israeli mobster gets an offer he can't refuse.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/11/19/bad_tv_how_sweet_it_is?mode=PF

Pew Hispanic releases new study: Latinos learn English - duh!

San Francisco Chronicle reports on the Pew Study.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/30/MNJTTLDL1.DTL&type=printable

"The first generation speaks mainly Spanish and doesn't speak English very well. The second generation speaks English very well but holds onto its Spanish. And by the third generation and beyond, English is universal and pervasive, and Spanish fades into the background."

The few Pew report can be found at this link:
http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/82.pdf

Maybe this will stop all the racist depictions of Latinos not able to speak English. But I doubt it.

eMarketer selling study on Mexicans Online

"eMarketer estimates that only two in 10 Mexicans used the Internet in 2007. But with a total population of 108 million that translates to 23.6 million Internet users. Add 18.8 million Spanish-speakers online in the United States, and it’s easy to see why Mexico’s potential has marketers excited."

http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000468

My comments.

I haven't yet contacted eMarketer on this, but I'm sure the 18.8 million "Spanish-speakers" online is a one to one relation between the number of US Hispanics online to number of US "Spanish-speakers" online. The assumption is as wrong as it is racist.

Former NJ gov aid launches Latino web site

A nuevo place in Jersey cyberspace: Web site serves as tool for Latinos and non-Latinos
http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=16301

Baltimore Sun: Orioles to partner with baseball academy in the Dominican Republic

Club makes deal on baseball academy in Dominican
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.orioles28nov28,0,2560794.story

GoldmanSachs: Study on Strategies Focused on US Hispanics

Goldman Sachs has done an in depth study on issues involving the potential in the US Hispanic market.

http://www.latinforce.net/summit_2007/David_Kostin_Goldman_Sachs_ Summit2007.pdf

NYT: Arbitron delays new rating system that more accurately counted radio listeners to the chagrin of Univision.

Arbitron delayed the rollout of a new more accurate system that showed lower numbers for ethnic radio stations. Univision was relieved.

“Our real concern has not been the tool itself, but the sample and the compliance measures,” said Ceril Shagrin, an executive vice president for corporate research at Univision Communications, a major Spanish-language broadcaster, echoing concerns that young listeners and ethnic groups are not adequately represented in the meter ratings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/business/media/27arbitron.html?ref=business

TV Week interviews Christy Haubegger on Latino marketing.

"One of the things you realize is that among Hispanics watching English-language television—which are largely Hispanics born here in the United States—very few of them live in an all-Hispanic world. They’re integrated into the rest of the world. They may be like Sara Ramirez on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ or America Ferrera on ‘Ugly Betty’; they are one of the first, or one of the few, in their offices or in their workplaces. Dealing with that and seeing that experience mirrored is enormously resonant."

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/11/hispanic_interests_move_to_mai.php

TV Week interviews Telemundo's top dog

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/11/business_built_on_original_con.php

SanDiegoUnionTribune: Latino art galleries struggle

The Union Tribune reports that local San Diego galleries will close or continue to eek out an existence despite strong interest in Latino focused art.

http://signonsandiego.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=SignOnSanDiego.com+%3E+News+%3E+Features+--+It%27s+rough+times+for+Latino+art+galleries&expire=&urlID=25090248&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.signonsandiego.com%2Fnews%2Ffeatures%2F20071125-9999-lz1a25latino.html&partnerID=621

LA Times Opinion: Latinos & Blacks

The black-Latino blame game
Finger-pointing between the two minorities is not going to help either group.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-hutchinson25nov25,0,1144425.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

AustinAmericanStatesman: Univision creates Political Action Committee

According to the Federal Elections Committee, eight Univision executives contributed a total of $31,250 from June through October to the Univision Communications, Inc. Political Action Committee which is not affiliated with any political party, the story says.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/immigration/entries/2007/11/20/univision_forms_political_acti.html

My comments. There's no surprise here. In my experience, the top executives in Latino media are more concerned with using political connections to legislate competitive advantage than actually acting like capitalists to work the market to create competitive advantage.

I think it's a legacy of working in Latin America, where so called "capitalists" get government favors for regulatory terms and contracts to make money. John Gault does not work for Univision.

LA Times: Latinos speak English and why everyone needs to figure out how to market to them

A marketing puzzle in any language
Media companies use English, with a Spanish accent, to reach a growing bilingual audience.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bilingualtv23nov23,1,5656991.story?coll=la-headlines-business

AP: Latino police blast study that asserts no racial bias in NYC finest arrest record

Latino Group Criticizes Arrest Study

By MARCUS FRANKLIN – 19 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — A national Latino law enforcement group on Thursday blasted an outside report that concluded the New York Police Department demonstrated no clear racial bias with its aggressive "stop-and-frisk" policy.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gy4NBr-FBpo5zslemFEawPpu488AD8T2V4P80

MarketWatch: Old white guy comments on reaching young Latinos

"JON FRIEDMAN'S MEDIA WEB
Doing good vs. doing well at Si TV
Commentary: Plus, a reader blasts off on Gore as Person of the Year"

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/doing-well-vs-doing-good/story.aspx?guid=%7BC93D281A-2968-4A72-9C81-606CD831A0A9%7D

SanJose MercNews: More cliches about Latinos as soccer fans

Quakes look to build ties with Latino community
SAN JOSE SOCCER TEAM BANKING ON GROUP'S BUYING POWER
http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_7503886

My comments

I'm imaging ads featuring piñatas and tropical sunsets.

NY Post: Bids cut for Univision music group cut by $50 m.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/bidders-cutting-univision-music-group/story.aspx?guid=%7B37C71467-0600-4566-A628-647655E7BA84%7D

Garcia, Rodriguez among top names in USA

"Two Latino surnames make U.S. top-10 list
Denver Post wire services
Article Last Updated: 11/18/2007 01:24:41 AM MST

— Smith remains the most common surname, according to a new analysis released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau. But for the first time, two Latino surnames - Garcia and Rodriguez - are among the top 10 most common in the nation, and Martinez nearly edged out Wilson for 10th place.

Garcia moved to No. 8 in 2000, up from No. 18, and Rodriguez jumped to No. 9, from 22nd place. The number of Latino surnames among the top 25 doubled, to six.

The number of Hispanics living in the U.S. grew by 58 percent in the 1990s to nearly 13 percent of the population. "

NYT: Old white guys says all Latinos are soccer fans.

The New York Times interviews Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer.
He says the following:

"But please don’t forget that we signed 25 players from Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. They are all young, crafty, stylish, and that has allowed us to connect with a community of 40 million Hispanics in the United States.
The Mexican player Cuauhtémoc Blanco is to 40 million Hispanics what Beckham is to the rest of the world."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/17/business/17interview.html?_r=1&ref=soccer&oref=slogin

My comments.

Where do this old white guys come up making these sweeping statements that to my mind are stereotypes bordering on racist?

Just because we've got one Latino player on the field doesn't mean we're all into what they are doing.

USATODAY: Dems' Vegas debate eyes Latino voters

"LAS VEGAS — Democratic presidential candidates converge Thursday night in this gambling capital as they try to strike it rich with Hispanic voters.

Nevada's growing Hispanic population is one reason the Democratic Party scheduled caucuses for Jan. 19, just after the nominating contests in the less diverse states of Iowa and New Hampshire."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-11-14-vegasdebate_N.htm

My comments:

I never get how the mainstream media writes about Latinos as some monolithic block responding in lockstep to every trite appeal thrown in our direction. Do they think we're daft?

MediaLife: Jimmy Smits' "Cane" not doing so well

MediaLife: 'Cane' less able to hold TV audiences: CBS's Jimmy Smits drama sinks to 1.8 in 18-49s
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/Cane_less_able_to_hold_TV_audiences.asp

My comments:'

TV is dead; why even bother to go after US Latinos via this dinosaur medium.

XM's ad for Latino music

DailyTexan: People en Español's success: great journalism

The Daily Texan, the first publication I ever wrote for, interviewed a Wired Magazine editor on what makes a publication successful. Jacob Young cited one of his former employers - People en Español - as an example of a success story based on competitive content.

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/11/07/StateLocal/Wired.Magazine.Managing.Editor.Encourages.Distinctive.Reporting-3083871.shtml

ComData: Latinos buy pricey gift cards.

Gift Cards for Hispanics Average $71, Says New Comdata® Study.
http://www.comdata.com/comdata/newsroom_press_release_detail.jsp?pressreleaseId=840


My comments: I always wonder about these studies. Who paid for this?

Reuters: More on the Lions Gate-Televisa partnership

Mexico's Televisa, the largest Spanish-language media company on the planet, wants to reach English-speaking Latinos in the US. In my humble opinion, Televisa's the wrong organization to tackle this. For one, Mexican companies notoriously hire only insiders from the leading families in Mexico. In other words, you've got a management team that gives preference to incestuous connections over competence. For two, they are Mexicans, which means they don't get Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans on the mainland, Cuban-Americans or anybody who see themselves as Americans. And that's the entire bilingual English-dominant part of the US Latino audience.

It's just hard for foreigners to fathom how we see the world from a USA point of view. Anecdotally, most foreign nationals I've met define being "Latino" as being a foreigner, something other than an American. We'll see how this goes.

Loins Gate could on the other hand approach this market well if they just hired and promoted more US Latinos into positions of authority and power. That'll never happen.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUKN1246180120071113

Eleena from Voices en español contacted me

Check out the new podcast site for podcasts in the language of Cervantes and the author's comments about the new on-line newsletter La Politica.

As one of the team members of NPR.org, I've garnered a few tidbits about podcasts over the past year. We even tried a few Spanish-language ones.

http://spanish-podcast.com/2007/11/12/vee-002-la-politica/

San Jose MercNews: Latino voters taken for granted

Latino voters pigeonholed by politicians

"In politics, the surest path to irrelevance and powerlessness is to be taken for granted by one party and written off by another. That is the road Hispanics are on now, thanks to some major blunders by the Republicans running for president."

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_7433360?nclick_check=1

My comments:

About time someone stood up and said this aloud.

WashingtonTimes: Gop hopefuls to debate on Univision afterall.

http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/NATION/111100051/1001

My comments:

It's about time the Repubs get that Latinos matter.

Monster job board, with 1.8 million registered Latinos, nurtures the market.

Workforce Management: Monster Inks Deal Targeting Hispanic Marketplace

"Some 1.8 million of Monster’s registered job seekers identify themselves as Hispanics. The company decided it was important to make a formal push into the market due to strong demand from clients."

http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/21/20.html

My comments.

I worked with CareerBuilder in 1997 to create an entry point from HISPANIC Online to the jobs portal.

ITunes Latino AD

Hispanic Market Solutions on YouTube

AzCentral: QuePasa fires accountants one day after warning issued on businesses' viability.

The Arizona Republic (AzCentral): QuePasa fires accountants amid troubles

"QuePasa Corp. has replaced its accounting firm after just nine months, a dismissal that came the same day the firm issued a warning about the Scottsdale-based company's ability to continue as a viable business."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1109biz-quepasa1109.html

AdWeek: AT&T buys Spanish TV for holidays

AdWeek

"Now you can cross the border and use the phone while you're in Mexico," said Garcia. "For people who live and work in border towns, and who go back and forth between the United States and Mexico every day, this is a great option."

http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003670149

My Comments.

The roaming across the border feature is a winner if it works and doesn't cost too much.

MediaPost: Spanish TV ad growth slows

MediaPost: Spanish-Language TV Posts Slow Growth

AD SPENDING ON SPANISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA continues to grow, but at a snail's pace in some sectors--notably network television, despite the perceived health of Univision. Nielsen said Tuesday that network TV spending grew by only .2% over the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2006.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=70562

WashingtonPost: Newsletter launches focused on political marketing to Latinos

WashingtonPost: La Poli­tica, Counting On The Hispanic-Vote Counters
Arturo Villar of Hispanic Marketing Weekly attempts a 2nd paid online newslettter.

"The younger generation is handier in English -- but the under-30s don't vote as much. English is more prevalent in some states, such as New Mexico, where Latino families go back generations. But sometimes it's smart to pitch in Spanish, on say, Univision, to reach a family member who may not even be eligible to vote, but who is a respected tía or an abuelo, an "influencer" of other family members and friends, says Villar."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501846_pf.html

My comments:
Hispanic Link Weekly Report, a bargain by any means compared to some of the pricey newsletters on the market, is most definitely a trusted source of this type of content. But I'm sure Arturo Villar will come up with something juicy for this new publication.

AdWeek reviews AHAA convention premise: Is Hispanic Marketing Dead?

AdWeek -

"Hispanic Agencies Eye Future: If anyone who attended the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies 23rd semi-annual meeting last week thought that marketing aimed at Latinos has flat-lined, it's the premise that's dead, not Hispanic advertising."

http://www.adweek.com/aw/regional/east/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003667943

My comments:

Yes, the traditional notion of Hispanic marketing is dead. But so is the traditional notion of main stream marketing. Hispanic advertisers tend to focus on what has made them money in the past - creating and selling advertising on Spanish-language television. For traditional Latino agencies, print is the forgotten step child and interactive is wholly misunderstood.

I recently attended the eMetrics Marketing Optimization summit in Washington, DC. with luminaries from Google, Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo in the mix. I met not one person who has anything to do with Hispanic advertising. I don't find that surprising given that most Latino advertisers focus on general Nielsen numbers and stereotypes to sell television time.

Web analytics is about marketing optimization. Getting through the data to find out the real reaction of consumers, not trite marketing collateral.

Trucker's web site markets to Latino drivers through their kids

Site uses giveaways at a convention to reach out to Hispanics, focusing on the children of drivers, according to Virginia Business magazine.

http://www.virginiabusiness.com/edit/magazine/yr2007/nov07/report.shtml

MediaWeek: Univision rules Friday night, the otherwise lowest viewing night.

MediaWeek reports that Univision tops the ratings for Friday night, an evening when all other networks report weak viewing.
Here's the story:
http://mediaweek.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Univision+Owns+Friday+Night%2C+Again&expire=&urlID=24683371&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaweek.com%2Fmw%2Fnews%2Frecent_display.jsp%3Fvnu_content_id%3D1003665206&partnerID=3621

Does anyone have a hypothesis?
Could it be that Latinos are more likely to relax at home on Fridays with family rather than go out to eat or pay for a movie?
What's your theory?

AzCentral: QuePasa has management turmoil

Scottsdale's QuePasa Corp. appoints new CEO
Investment banker linked to firm's largest shareholder
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1031biz-quepasa1031.html#

LA Times: The networks and diversity: patches of progress

LA Times: The networks and diversity: patches of progress

"Closely mirroring last year’s findings, a coalition of minority advocacy groups Tuesday concluded that the four major networks had made some progress in increasing ethnic diversity in front of and behind the camera but still fell short in demonstrating an overall commitment to cultural diversity in their prime-time lineups."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/10/the-networks-an.html

My comments:
I've been a supporter of minority advocates urging diversity in media talent and employees for years. But these groups only advocate to get better crumbs off the table that the mainstream guys leave behind. What we need is to bypass the networks and do a better job of creating content for the audiences we know best, using the Internet and other digital platforms to end run the bottleneck of the networks.

OC Register: Latino leader lauded for Jewish outreach

Latino leader honored by Anti-Defamation League
Group gives Leader of Distinction Award to activist Amin David of Anaheim for his work to unite Latino and Jewish communities.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/community-latino-david-1911538-award-jewish

The author of "Ask a Mexican" takes a look at the Mexican-American QB at USC

If you haven't heard of "Ask a Mexican", it's a column that originated at the Orange County Register. Here's his opinion on the new QB at the University of Southern California's Mexicanidad.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-arellano26oct26,0,1603165.story?coll=la-sunday-commentary

Fla newspaper: Spanish-language sites off radar for cyber crimes

Authorities slow to monitor Spanish-language Web sites
By ROSA RAMIREZ
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03102807.htm

My comments:

Folks its about time that law enforcement learns to speak more than one language.

Adotas: another trite story about Hispanic marketing

I'm just about had it with mainstream marketing sites saying the same boring old story about how simply translating content is not enough. I have to say that simply writing trite stories about how Latinos are diverse. There needs to be more on case studies that provide more than anocdotal results. All I hear is the boring clichés featured in this story.

Link to the story:

http://www.adotas.com/2007/10/lost-in-translation-every-market-is-a-culture/

Juanes voy a cantar solo en español

Juanes firmly decides he's foregoing the bilingual trend and good for him. Music is the one media that transcends language. I've always thought Shakira en ingles sounded unauthentic.

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=8027147

Billboard: Microsoft releases reggaeton Zune loaded with Wisin Y Yandel

Billboard: Microsoft gets serious about Latino music.

"Wisin & Yandel, the reggaeton duo with an uncanny knack for delivering hit singles, will become the first act to get its own customized Zune player, Billboard has learned."

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2204106,00.asp

AdWeek reviews Telemundo

AdWeek gives and an indepth look at Telemundo.

http://adweek.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Telemundo+in+Focus&expire=&urlID=24538789&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adweek.com%2Faw%2Fmagazine%2Farticle_display.jsp%3Fvnu_content_id%3D1003661110&partnerID=3620

SiTV partners with AOL Latino to focus on bilingual English-dominant Hispanics

I don't know if I trust the source of this press release, but if its true, then this is exciting news.
http://usstock.jrj.com.cn/news/2007-10-22/000002816531.html

L.A. Times - Latino head of RNC resigns

L.A. Times - Latino head of RNC resigns: Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida leaves his GOP post after frustration with the party's immigration stance.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-martinez20oct20,1,5826268,print.story?coll=la-news-politics-national&ctrack=1&cset=true

My comments - Republicans are losing ground everywhere, why not with Latinos?

L.A. Times Opinion: The myth of the Latino voting bloc

L.A. Times Opinion - The myth of the Latino voting bloc: The GOP has less to fear from a backlash than many claim.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-malanga18oct18,0,2480105.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

My comments -
Come on? Doesn't the L.A. Times remember Pete Wilson?

CNN: The complicated measure of being Hispanic in America

CNN: The complicated measure of being Hispanic in America
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/26/hispanic.identity/index.html?section=cnn_latest#cnnSTCText

SearchEngineWatch: Latino Search Marketing

Search Engine Watch interviews Maria Lopez-Knowles, senior vice president of MRM Worldwide, on Latino search marketing.
href="http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3627321">http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3627321

More lame brochure sites focused on Latinos

A Latino marketing company announced today an education brochure site about credit cards focused on US Hispanics at http://www.tarjetasdecredito.tv/. I really don't understand how this simply sites expect to achieve the stated goals of education focused on the Latino marketing without an off-line component.

What realtors need to know about Latinos?

http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/20040914_hispanicmarket.htm

AsburyParkPress: prosecutors launch Spanish-language site

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071013/NEWS01/710130347/1004/NEWS01

LaTimes: Mexico's Televisa and Lionsgate join forces.

Lions Gate and Televisa said to team on films, TV shows
The agreement between the U.S. studio and the Mexican giant would give each access to a market it covets.

'"Televisa is trying to expand its reach to Hispanic Americans whose first language is English," said Anthony DiClemente, an entertainment analyst with Lehman Bros. Equity Research. "This kind of deal is a great way for Televisa to separately add to its existing distribution deal with Univision."'

It's amazing that the largest producer Spanish-language content on the planet wants to finally reach out to Latinos who speak English.

WSJ reviews mortgages offered to illegal immigrants

WSJ - Unlikely Mortgage Winner - Illegal-Immigrant Loans Have Been Solid Bets; Threats Are Looming
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119188674981652816.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

AdAge: Why is Spanish-language TV so bad?

Why Can't Hispanic TV Be as Good as Hispanic Advertising?
As Agencies Push Boundaries, Programmers Push Garbage
http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=121032

Newsday reviews Reggaeton movie

"Feel the Noise"
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ny-secsec5406137oct08,0,5471894.story

Born in Puerto Rico but popularized in the States, reggaetón falls somewhere between salsa and rap, with an ear-grabbing beat and lyrics that reflect Latino street life.

HispanicBusiness: Size of on-line advertising market for online

If You Build It, Will They Come?
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=78328&cat=Business+News&more=%2Fnews%2Fmore-business-news.asp

But when it comes to online marketing, not all clients are online, spending only $132 million or roughly 3.5 percent of the total Hispanic media advertising expenditures in 2006.

SanDiegoUnionTribune: Mexican business migrate north

Cross-border business boom
More companies based in Mexico are opening shops in the United States
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20071007-9999-lz1b7border.html

“The Hispanic market is huge, but the overall market is much bigger and there is no reason why Mexican companies of quality can't compete,” Clark said.

AdAge: Are you ready to be in Hispanic Marketing?

http://adage.com/bigtent/article?article_id=120943

PressRelease: LatinosNJ launches

In reading this press release, I can't help but wonder what the founders expect to gain from launching this site. The organization team sounds very politically connected, but not very media savvy. The list of bloggers reads like a yawners list of politicos. Gag. Most of the Latino leadership in this country tends to be entrenched more in politics than in business. As a result, we get decision makers in our communities that think more about political power before customer value. That's what I see in this release.
http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=9685&cha=12

MarketIntelligenceCenter: Quepasa Moves To New Low

http://www.marketintelligencecenter.com/articles/446435

HispanicBusiness: Latino marketers build awareness of Dr. Pepper

Hispanic Business: Summary of case study on building brand awareness of Dr. Pepper among Latinos
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/news_print.asp?id=77467

USAToday: Univision to mandatory switch to digital TV change due on Feb 2009.

Univision hypes digital TV change
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2007-09-30-univision-digital_N.htm

My comments: I've never understood this required change that will force everyone who gets TV via broadcast - i.e. rabbit ears - to buy a new TV by Feb 2009. The folks not using cable or direct TV are the least likely to be able to afford a new TV. According to one web site, only 15 percent of Americans do not subscribe to cable to direct TV. I would not be surprised if that percentage was much higher for viewers of Spanish-language TV.

In my humble opinion, this required change hurts the poor and does little to improve the state of broadcasting, given that most folks who demand higher quality pictures already get cable or direct TV.

LaTimes: No Black, Brown Race War

The fantasy of L.A.'s 'race war'
Why is everyone so anxious to elevate Latino-black violence to historic levels?
By Gregory Rodriguez

"Furthermore, whereas the antics of white thugs are generally treated as unreflective of the opinions of whites at large, the media often interpret the actions of black and Latino criminals as the logical extension of the sentiments of the majority of their law-abiding ethnic brethren."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/la-oe-rodriguez1oct01,0,3464611.column?coll=la-util-opinion-sunday

USA Weekend interviews Roslyn Sanchez

Getting to know ... Roselyn Sanchez
Her nose is fodder for Internet gossip, but this rising star's career really has legs.
http://usaweekend.com/07_issues/070930/070930celebs-roselyn-sanchez.html

Orlando Sentinel reviews "Ladron que roba a Ladron."

The Sentinel praises "Ladron" as a movie that squarely targets immigrant Latinos, a target not seriously addressed before.



http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2003911184&zsection_id=2003682219&slug=ladron29&date=20070929

ChicagoTribune digs on Cane

The Trib lauds CBS for taking on Latino roles, but pans the resulting effort as stereotypical.
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/news_print.asp?id=77292

MSNBC examines entrepreneurship for Latino Heritage Month

Viva entrepreneurship!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20993803/print/1/displaymode/1098/

Future of Latino Marketing - End of the Mass Market Myth

The other night as I sat down to watch "From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale" - a PBS documentary from the folks from Latino Public Broadcasting - that I had Tivo'ed, it struck me - Latino marketing is about to undergo a radical change.

The documentary retells the story of the South Bronx from the end of WWII to the early days of hip-hop in the early 80s, linking the two music forms in time. It also details the US (specifically NYC) form of Caribbean music known as "Salsa" and the inter-cultural melting pot between African-Americans and Latinos that gave rise to hip-hop.

What struck me is how this South Bronx experience was fundamentally Latino and American and fundamentally unlike my experience growing up very Latino and American as a Mexican-American in Texas.

That goes again everything that Latino marketers have said since the 80s - that all Latinos in the country are united by a common culture that can be tapped into through a single platform like television.

Latino marketers nurtured the myth to hype the market size, to inflate the total potential of audience, that they could in turn sell to corporate America. To date, it's worked and driving the stock price of Univision and others.

In my opinion, that myth will destroy itself and crumble apart from its deceit within the next five years as corporate marketers become more sophisticated about targeting and using data to reach customers.

The first evidence of this is the complete failure of pan-Latino web sites to resonate with audiences as a cultural or language play.

Starmedia attempted to take the myth from across the United States to across the Spanish-speaking world. In doing so, it make the total size of the potential business seem much grander and lucrative than it ever was. The myth held long enough to get investors to open up their wallets on the hope of quick returns. But the end result was that the hype could not last without any underlying substance.

Expect big changes in the next few years.

More on the "The War"

San Antonio Express News reporter Elaine Ayala writes on the subject:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=b&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/333123_latinos27.html

News flash - one more US born Latino joins the world

At 8:59 am Monday Sept. 24, 2007, Jonathan Maximo "Max" Gonzales was born in Arlington, Va. Weighing in at 10 pounds four ounces and 22 inches long, he'll live up to his nickname.

USAToday: Cane not sweet enough for Latinos on TV

Even top Latino talent can't raise 'Cane'
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2007-09-24-cane_N.htm

NYT: Profile of Grupo Gallegos in Long Beach

The New York Times sits down with the team from Grupo Gallegos.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/magazine/23gallegos-t.html?_r=1&ref=media&pagewanted=all

LA Times: No black-Latino violence trend

Black/Latino Violence? Scholars find no clear trend
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/2007/09/blacklatino-vio.html

"The researchers said that, although some cross-racial crimes involving blacks and Latinos have been "sensationalized," the numbers suggest that offenders preying on people of their own race is a much bigger problem, and should remain the focus of police attention."

If you're an immigrant, at least Uncle Sam wants you

Yo Soy el Army
If you're an immigrant, at least Uncle Sam wants you
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/09.19.07/news-0738.html

E&P: Spanish-dominant Latinos read newspapers

Editor & Publisher
Spanish-Speaking Hispanics Are 'Avid' Newspaper Readers, Study Finds
http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003643740

Link to the study
http://hmc.comm.fsu.edu/OldandNewMedia091307.pdf

HoustonChronicle: cartoonist of Baldo to tell WWII story of Latinos missing in Ken Burns' "The War"

Latinos plan protests of Burns' "The War"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5145311.html

Hector Cantu - the writer of the cartoon Baldo - has been a friend of mine since way back. We were cub reporters together at the San Antonio Light.

ChristianScienceMonitor: Univision a contender

Among networks, Spanish-language Univision is now a top contender
Univision has surpassed the networks in young adult viewership, according to recent Nielsen ratings. This prominence of Spanish-language media has some concerned about the cultural isolation of Hispanic immigrants.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0917/p01s03-ussc.htm

"Because [producers] assume the real Latinos just watch Spanish-language TV, when they do put a Latino in their shows it's usually a stereotypical representation," says Rose. That leaves younger US-born Latinos stuck: "Their parents' TV is corny, but on English-language shows they are just the drug dealer or the maid."

Also look for the audio link for comments from the reporter on how young Latinos comedy values differ greatly from those of their immigrant parents.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0917/p01s03-ussc.html?page=2

Disconnect: Latino media companies management and audience

I was watching a Latino Public Broadcasting show on Latino arts movements around the country and it hit me - the management of Latino media everywhere in the country doesn't look like the folks in this show.

In the United States, the two single largest groups of Latinos are Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans. But in the management of Latino media you find mostly foreign-born Cubans and South Americans. The former - the Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans - tend to be "brown" and Democratic while the later - the Cubans and South Americans- tend to be white and Republican.

Is it any wonder Latino media management doesn't get Chicanos or Nuyoricans - US born folks of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent?

Must Si TV - Latino Public TV's Lalo Guerero - The Original Chicano

I tivo'ed "Lalo Guerero - the Original Chicano" - and finally watched it this weekend. What a joy to learn more about this treasure of a man who put to song in so many forms the struggles of Mexican-American identity.

The hour-long program - which won an Alma Award in 2006 - takes you through the history of this original Chicano from the 20s up until the '00s and his impact on Latino music. Along the way, the documentary eloquently conveys the quagmire of Chicano identity - being treated as a Mexican in the United States and a Gringo in Mexico.

Thank you Latino Public Television for producing this and thank you Edward James Olmos, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin and Luis Valdez for your work on the project.

It's definitely "Must Si Tv."

Here's the website of the show, but it's super basic.
http://www.originalchicano.com/

WSJ - GOP losing Latino votes by immigrant bashing

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Hispanics and the GOP
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118982449974228504.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

"To understand this remarkable erosion of Latino support for Republicans, look no further than the most recent Presidential debates. While GOP candidates debated the urgency of erecting a fence from California to Texas along the Mexican border, Democrats debated in Spanish on Univision."

WP: Univision overhyped Demo debate ratings

Correcting the Univision Record
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/12/post_67.html

."... Univision claimed that the Democratic debate reached 4.6 million people. That figure, touted by the network and originally reported on here, wasn't entirely accurate. It refers to the overall reach of the broadcast -- the total number of people who, at any given six minutes (ask Nielsen why six minutes), tuned in. In fact, the total average viewers for Sunday's debate was 2.2 million, more than a million short of last week's Republican debate on Fox News."

WSJ Opinion- Univision strongly biased against Republicans

WSJ COMMENTARY - The World According to Univision By LESLIE SANCHEZ
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118964478980025903.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

"Faced with an onslaught of biased reporting, Republicans are right to have reservations about Univision. .....

If their views were presented fairly, it's likely that Republicans would connect with Hispanic voters. That may be why the network's news coverage often downplays issues that make Hispanics dislike Democrats (abortion, same-sex marriage, taxes) and sensationalizes the immigration issue as a way of demonizing Republicans -- even those who are not anti-immigrant."

Ultimate Reason why pan-Latino sites failed - Ignorance and Deceit

My wife was a television reporter and anchor in Laredo, Texas - one of if not the most Hispanic city in the United States with 98 percent of the population classified as Latino.

Her station - located on the Rio Grande so close to Mexico you could throw a stone or even shout a conversation across the border - was and is in English.

It wasn't the only English-language channel in town. Yes Virginia, Latinos are Americans and can speak English.

However, whenever non-Hispanic media execs get exited about Latinos they start speaking in tongues and remembering foreign vacations to overdeveloped resort towns.

Why? Ignorance, ignorance perpetuated by two very different forces - anti-immigrant, anti-Latino bigots and .... the owners of traditional Spanish-language media.

• Anti-immigrant groups say Latinos are foreigners who can't speak English and remain loyal to their "home" country.
  
• Sales people at Spanish-language media say Latinos prefer Spanish, remain rooted in the culture of their "home" country, and enjoy content from their "home" country.

It's a myth that refuses to die.

As a web analyst, I believe the failure of pan-Latino sites is rooted in that myth, one of ignorance and deceit. Traditional Spanish-language media has sold on that myth for decades. Corporate America has bought based on that myth for decades. In the relatively untrackable world of off-line media, it's worked wonders. In the hyper trackable world of on-line, it failed.

As a web analyst, I believe the trackability of on-line will prove the downfall of the myth, ending the ignorance and deceit.

L:ATimes: Univision debates only symbolic for Latinos who can vote

The symbolic Spanish debate
Democrats roll their r's on Spanish-language TV, even though most Latino voters speak English.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-pandey12sep12,0,1151010.story?coll=la-opinion-center

"The largely bilingual second generation and the mostly English-only third generation make up the bulk of the Latino electorate."

Newsweek: The Fight for Latino Loyalties

The Fight for Latino Loyalties
The Democrats’ Sunday night Univision debate was just the first step in a drive to reverse George Bush’s gains among Hispanic voters. On to 'Latino Tuesday.'

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20712323/site/newsweek/page/0/

MediaPost: Nielsen favors Spanish-langauge TV

Nielsen Sample Favors Spanish Programming, Campaign Says
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=67114

The article details a group's gallant effort to pressure Nielsen to account for the nativity of its Hispanic sample - something the advocacy group and I believe is a strong indicator of media language preference.

"Rose argues that Nielsen's general market sample--which now includes Hispanics and bases its estimates on 12.1 million Hispanic TV homes in the U.S. (11%)--"does not address the nativity issue." His belief is the sample places an inaccurate weight on foreign-born Latinos and hurts programmers like himself--and he wants Nielsen to change its methods in building the sample to better reflect the number of U.S. born Latinos who speak English."

SanDiegoUnionTribune: Great review of PBS's Brown is the New Green documentary

Documentary explores how the quickly rising Latino population fits into U.S. society
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20070910-9999-lz1c10lopez.html

“We came here not to be separate, but to be part of the American project,” he said. “Appeal to that aspiration of ours. Don't give us the rearview mirror. That's why we left.”

HoustonChronicle: GOP losing Latino support

GOP losing support with Hispanic voters
Party is paying a price for rhetoric on immigration, some say
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5119809.html

NYC's largest Spanish-language bookstore to go Internet only

AP: U.S.'s largest Spanish-language bookstore closing to concentrate on Internet
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/07/america/NA-GEN-US-Spanish-Bookstore.php

ABC News reviews the Latino presdential debate

Democratic Candidates Court Latino Voters
Hispanic Debate Highlights Democratic Effort to Attract Latinos
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3565816

As if we didn't have enough to worry about it - Marketwatch: Latinos face foreclosure at higher rates.

MarketWatch: Minorities at higher risk of foreclosure: study
Detroit had highest percentage of high-cost mortgages in 2006
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/minorities-higher-risk-foreclosure-study/story.aspx?guid=%7B5E8F1DC8-9DA2-42B4-8504-BE6E0FC22CC6%7D

Holaviptv.com underwhelms

I got the press release of this site's launch. The Internet as part of the public imagination is about a dozen years old. So why do we still see fanfare launches for brochure sites?

http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=9290&cha=14

WSJ: Chavez book excerpt shows support from Venevision's Gustavo Cisneros

Wall Street Journal BOOK EXCERPT - 'Hugo Chavez: The Definitive Biography of Venezuela's Controversial President'

"Müller himself confirms that Gustavo Cisneros, the wealthiest man in the country, supported the Chávez cause with cash donations and free airtime on Venevisión, his television channel. This gesture of confidence is an interesting example of the enigmatic and ambiguous relationship that has always existed between the president and the magnate."

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB118849995314413748.html

Victor Landa: Can Richardson pick up momentum?

I wonder about Richardson. Victor Landa of the San Antonio Express News does a fair job accessing his role in the Democratic presidential campaign.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/stories/MYSA090207.02H.landa_.253322b.html

ChicagoSunTimes - Latino political story includes gaff - equates Latinos with Spanish speakers

Is it any wonder that the mainstream market thinks of Latinos as permanent foreigners?

This Chicago Sun-Times story uses Spanish-speakers as a synonym for Hispanics. But otherwise, the story highlights the rising political power of Latinos in Chicagoland.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/538214,CST-NWS-hispanic02.article#

SF Chronicle: Latino arts center celebrates 30 years.

Mission Cultural Center celebrates 30 years of Latino art
Chuy Varela, Special to The Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/09/01/DDOERP0MA.DTL&type=printable

AOL Latino goes "America Idol" with Fashionista reality series, but why

A few weeks back, I commented that Univision exposed that its on-line thinking was so off-line when it announced a telenovela for the web. I stand by that. If it could be used off-line, then it really doesn't take advantage of power of interaction, interconnection and interactivity of the net. So why bother. It's not going to give you any competitive advantage. Someone will just steal it and post it on YouTube just like NBC's Saturday Night Live's skit Lazy Sunday. By the way that stolen piece of content propelled YouTube and its founders into the realm of the super wealthy. YouTube takes full advantage of the interaction, interconnection and interconnectivity of the Net. A show does not.

So why did AOL Latino attempt a reality TV series ala American Idol for the web? You got me.

AOL Latino Preens For Fashionista Finale
Finalists for AOL Latino's online reality design contest, Fashionista, will be featured in separate webisodes on Friday before the winner is announced that day.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/08/29/aol-latino-preens-for-fashionista-finale

Why pan-Latino sites failed - 2nd bonus reason - the Univision giant

Competing against Univision in Spanish for US Latinos is like competing against Microsoft in operating systems for desk top dominance.

The primary reason pan-Latino sites failed - Wall Street

Entrepreneurship drives business success. In this country, there's two kinds - one focused on creating value for customers and the other in the financial markets focused on changing numbers on spreadsheets. The former generates wealth by solving customer problems; the later extracts wealth by playing games with numbers.

The pan-Latino sites were not designed for the customers of media sites - end users and advertisers. See Reasons 1 - 5. A pan-Latino site does not address those issues. During the dot.com heyday, the pan-Latino sites I read about were obsessed with the public markets and creating the spin needed to fuel the psychology that would float the stock price.

In short, the customers of pan-Latino sites during the heyday were not Latinos or advertisers targeting Latinos, but investors looking for a quick return.

WSJ - Brazil has its own Flickr - NY-based Fotolog

WSJ - Brazil Propels NY-based Fotolog - a Flickr for South America's largest country.

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB118826785574210637.html

comScore release data on LatAm

Review Published of Latin American Internet Usage
http://www.govtech.com/gt/127896?topic=117673

Bonus Reason why pan-Latino sites failed

Bonus Reason #6
• Internet access in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries is dominated by telecommunications monopolies.

In Mexico, Internet access is dominated by TelMex. In Spain, it's Telefonica. The later was just sanction by the European Union for anti-competitive behavior in selling broadband access.

Top 5 reasons why pan-Latino web sites failed # 5

Reason #5
• Latinos in the United States speak English

While most us Latinos speak and read Spanish, most of us also speak and read English. Sites with superior technology, a larger install base of audience, quality content or other features are able to offer a compelling value proposition beyond language.

Top 5 reasons why pan-Latino web sites failed # 4

Reason # 4
• The advertising marketing within the United States dwarfs that of the rest of the world

The United States has the most vibrant advertising market on the planet. Thus an eyeball in the United States is worth more than any eye-ball anywhere else on the planet.

Top 5 reasons why pan-Latino web sites failed # 3

Reason # 3
• Language is not enough of a commonality

Compare Equatorial Guinea - the only Spanish speaking country in Africa - and Angola or another other Portuguese-speaking nation in Africa - to Spain or Portugal. Now compare those nations to Mexico and Brazil. Need I say more.

Top 5 reasons why pan-Latino web sites failed #2

# Reason #2
• There is no single pan-Latino advertising market

Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries are distinct physical markets with hugh barriers for cross national sales of the same or similar or products. The two biggest that qualify for that distinction are Brazil and Mexico - two very different countries. Messaging and messages for each nation must be different because products and distribution must be different. So why do you need a pan-Latino site. Because it gets good press?

Top 5 reasons why pan-Latino web sites failed #1

Reason #1
• There is no single pan-Latino market

More than 10 years ago while I ran HISPANIC Online on AOL, a non-Latino business type admonished our print publication HISPANIC Magazine for not "going into Latin America." I had to hold back my laughter. Why would Latin Americans want to read an English-language publication about the minority status of "Hispanics" in the United States. The US federal government invented the term "Hispanic" to lump many nationalities into one super-group. We focused on the distinct experience of people in the United States. It's amazing that in US pop culture we cherish the differences between Anglo cultures - US, Australian, New Zealanders, English and Irish - but can't fathom the differences between Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Spanish and Chileans.

More reasons this week.

v-me.tv goes on the air in Baltimore

MPT launches Spanish-language television
http://www.communitytimes.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=65&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=5233&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1049&hn=communitytimes&he=.com

Despite its early success Hispanic Magazine lags in Internet innovation

In May 1994, before I graduated from b-school at UT Austin, Hispanic Magazine approached me about an editor's job.

I said no; number one, I had three hours to finish b-school and two, I want to get involved in on-line. I wasn't interested in any editorial roles.

A year later, low and behold, the magazine garnered a deal with America Online to run a Latino site. I attended an AOL partner's conference in November 1995 and started full time with the magazine in early January 1996.

A few months later, I launched HISPANIC Online on AOL. The site, wholly within AOL's proprietary "rainman" client software, was blessed with prominent placement within AOL - then the most dominant arbiter of on-line traffic on the planet.

Imagine if you will Google giving a Latino site free prominent placement on all Hispanic related search results. It's pretty overwhelming to think about. Now image Google hosting the site, providing free access to community tools such as chat rooms and message boards and giving free ongoing technical support. Impossible to believe? Of course. Now image Google paying the managers of that site. Wait there's more. Imagine Google allowing the site to freely monetize all the traffic it was sending to the site. Completely unbelievable no? Ok, now substitute the words "Google" for "AOL." That's exactly what HISPANIC Magazine received. And I managed that process.

It was hugely successful. As AOL exploded in growth, we exploded in growth. Along the way, we were twice recognized as an AOL "Members' Choice" destination.

In December 1996, the same month StarMedia launched, we garnered perhaps the first paid banner ad focused on US Hispanics. The banner, from IBM, ran in January 1997, more than 10 years ago.

I consider the site, based solely on the content of the English-language monthly HISPANIC, the first social media site ever created for U.S. Latinos.

However, the owners considered our amazing arrangement with AOL much like an on-going print ad, with the added burden of hiring someone to manage the process - me. Imagine one person running the entire Latino space within AOL. And imagine being considered unnecessary.

I did business development, managing the relationship with AOL and partners such as Careerbuilder. I did production, bursting the magazine pages and scripting the code to post them on AOL and a related web site. I facilitated the ad sales, answering all the questions the print reps couldn't begin to understand. I did all the ad performance reporting. I managed chat rooms and message boards. I organized the content. I worked in photoshop, html, javascript, etc.

Then came 1999. I knew AOL would no longer pay sites, give them free hosting and support and allow them to monetize the traffic. If fact, AOL was charging dot com companies an exorbitant amount of money to get what we got for free .. um what we got paid to manage.

In June 1999, I left to attempt a start-up with nothing more than my resume and my credit cards. But without an off-line product or an on-line deal with a distribution powerhouse like AOL, I was unable to secure the financing needed to get started and grow.

Meanwhile, the on-line site of HISPANIC Magazine languished.

As of Aug. 2007, HISPANIC Magazine has no major on-line presence. Its content isn't search optimized. Google searches find only references to the magazine mentioned in other publications. We started with such promise. And now years later, there's basically nothing.

PewHispanic: Latinos getting better wages.

Latinos are working hard and getting better paying jobs. No surprise to me.

Enrique

Latino Immigrants' Income Is Rising
Construction Boom Pushed Low-Paid Workers to Higher Earnings, Study Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101884.html?hpid=sec-nation

More on Batanga's funding

I'll be watching these folks.

http://triad.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2007/08/20/story1.html?t=printable&b=1187582400^1507163

Enrique

Podcasts en español

Dear friends,

Podcasts en español are a challenge. Why? The most powerful distributor of podcasts is Itunes. Its audience is made of mostly of those who can consume content in English. Without a powerful venue to reach those who want to download podcasts in other languages, content in languages like Spanish will be a challenge.

It's not impossible, just challenging. You've got to get the right product to the right people at the right time. Podcast users are a unique subsegment of the overall on-line population - a group of bleeding edge and early adopters among the early majority of the overall population. To find those who are bleeding edge or early adopters among the Spanish-dominant part of the population is even a bigger challenge.

Podcast en español con cuidado. Create great content and expect mixed results.

Baltimore Sun: Ignoring Latino Vote shortsited.

Ignoring Hispanic vote shortsighted
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.sanchez20aug20,0,7111509.story

NewsDay: Indy Latino Label

BocaFloja puts a rap on the Latino music scene
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-fflatin5333545aug19,0,207235,print.story

ChristianScienceMonitor- Learning Spanish over the Internet using Skype

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0816/p13s02-legn.html

AdAge: Batanga Hires Austin-based LatinWorks

Folks, this is getting interesting.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003625927

Reuters; Latino off-line music stores adopt to ... off-line competion

Reuters reports that off-line music retailer Latino Ritmo is positioning itself to better compete with Big Box retailers such as Best Buy. Off-line retailers of music focused on the mainstream market such as Tower Records have bit the bust, but Latinos who lag behind the mainstream market in technology adoption maybe a short term panacea for off-line retailers, in my humble opinion.

Latin music retailer branches out with mini-stores
http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSN1029299720070811

RedHerring: Batanga gets $30 in funding

Batanga Tangos With $30 Million
http://www.redherring.com/Home/22534

Batanga Highlights From Story

• 4.5 million unique visitors a month
  
• 1.5 million from US
  
• 3 million from Mexico and Central and South America.

DenverPost: City grows Latino via births

Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/telecom/ci_6588041

San Antonio Express News: Latinos NOT just about immigration

Victor Landa of the San Antonio Express News points out that for many Latinos immigration is not the issue or an issue. If I could, I would thank him for writing the column.

When will politicians, the mainstream media and the corporations interested in Latino marketing understand that not all Latinos are immigrants? When will they understand that painting all Latinos into the immigration debate is frankly racist? When will the get that we are Americans.

Joe Kennedy, the patriarch of the Kennedy Clan, once said in the 1930s, "But look, I was born here. My children were born here. What the hell do I have to do to be called an American?"

I say, "I was born here. My parents were born here. What the hell do I have to do to be called an American?"

The following is a highlight from Mr. Landa's column.

"The deceptive thing about the debate over immigration is that it seems to be centered around immigrants, the majority of which, in this day and age, come from Latin American countries. By association, all Americans of Latin American descent (Latinos, Hispanics, Chicanos, Mexican Americans, take your pick) are bundled into the argument."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/stories/MYSA081207.02H.landa_.242b81d.html

As a father-to-be, this is good news - AdAge: BabyCenter.com goes Latino

AdAge: Latest Addition to BabyCenter Family: Site for Latino Market
Top Parenting Portal in U.S. Uses Venture to Test Out Mobile Strategy and Develop Ties to Latin America

http://adage.com/article?article_id=119653

eMarketer: HispanicAd spend climbing

eMarketer does a fair job reviewing the advertising potential focused on Hispanics.

http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?id=1005213&src=print_article_graybar_article&xsrc=print1_articlex

LaTimes: 2nd lawsuit lays bribery charges on Univision

2nd lawsuit lays bribery charges on Univision
By Meg James, Los angeles Times Staff Writer
August 9, 2007

"A Los Angeles-based Latino record label has sued Univision Music for more than $10 million, claiming the Spanish-language company tried to financially crush the music firm after it spurned an alleged scheme to bribe radio stations into prominently airing Univision's music."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-univision9aug09,1,6819332.story?coll=la-headlines-business

WSJ: Obama and the Latino vote

The WSJ reviews Obama's attempts to reach out to the Latino vote.

Obama Seeks to Make the Sale to Hispanics
Despite Ability to Draw Crowds and Donations,
Senator Is Still Largely Unknown to Crucial Group

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118653436607691177-Tl2wg8pwMQNrECa5iG4JB9ko6sE_20070906.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

Quinceañeras - the new piñata of cultural cliches

The NY Daily News reports that lo and behold quinceañeras are getting out of control. Over the past five years, I've seen non-Latino marketers and journalists cling to the concept of quinceañeras as some kind of panacea to reach young Latinas. The magazine Quince Girl launched with no Latinos or Latinas in the reins of power. Surprise surprise.

To me, quinceañeras are like piñatas - a cultural hallmark "discovered" by non-Latinos, and as result truly destroyed, turning something that was once rich and meaningful into something tired and cliche.

15 gone wild
Supersized quinceañeras have hijacked a Latino tradition
BY DOLORES PRIDA
http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2007/08/08/2007-08-08_15_gone_wild.html

"With an estimated 400,000 Latinas turning 15 each year, we're talking about mucho dinero here. And everyone's out to make a buck out of this trend, which keeps getting more elaborate by the day, with movies, telenovelas, how-to books, Web sites and even a magazine — Quince Girl, the brainchild of a non-Latino male."

Washington Post: Liberal bloggers convention a whitewash - literally. Few minorities to be found.

Jose Antonio Vargas of the Washington Post reported that he saw few if any people of color or minorities in attendance at the liberal bloggers conference the Yearly Kos Aug. 5, 2007. That's no big surprise to me.

Liberals want minorities to support them and they do express concern for Latino and African-American issues. But when it comes down to it, the left wants minorities to cede our power so that they can make decisions for us. OK, even if liberals make choices we want, we're still not the ones with the control, the resources and the say-so.

Luckily for Latinos, we as a voting block are far from lock step in one party or another. I believe over time that attribute should prove we get more of a voice and eventually our hands on the levers of power. That day can't come soon enough.

A Diversity of Opinion, if Not Opinionators
At the Yearly Kos Bloggers' Convention, a Sea of Middle-Aged White Males
By Jose Antonio Vargas
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/05/AR2007080501580.html

Big Annoying Question - Isn't there just gobs of money to be made in the "Hispanic" market?

Last week, I had a lunch with a media executive from a major media organization - a Havard MBA who truly gets the challenge facing media. That's what I wanted to talk to him about, the status of media in the digital age. But before the waiter could bring glasses of water to the table the topic turned to the "Hispanic" market.

I have to tell you I get annoyed that because my great, great grandparents lived in a part of Mexico now known as Texas that I have to represent "Latinos" in every thing I do. I am cien por ciento Latino, but come on; I can do more than be brown.

Anyway, I had to tell the executive the "Hispanic" market isn't some easy target. The first problem is the term "Hispanic" - the term was invented by the federal government to lump Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans and others into one general bucket. In most instances, "Hispanic" marketing does not cover everyone who falls under the term "Hispanic" - it covers only those who prefer or must consume media in Spanish.

The folks who prefer content in Spanish tend to watch television and they tend to watch Univision. Univision has made a mint repurposing content from Mexico's Televisa and Venezuela's Venevision for the US market, rebroadcasting shows that have been a proven success outside of the country. It's a simple model of success - low-cost proven content for people who prefer or must use content in Spanish.

As I always say, competing against Univision in Spanish is like competing against Microsoft in operating systems; it's just about impossible.

There's no way to fully exploit the macro changes in this country for Latinos without massive - and I mean massive - resources. There's lots of opportunity on the fringes, but you'll need to have enough of those fringes to create a sell-able product to advertisers.

Anyway, our conversation finally turned back to what I wanted to talk about.

San Antonio Express News: Latinos no sleeping giant in politics

Columnist Victor Landa argues that Latinos aren't the political sleeping giant, but one with growing influence that is smaller that the Latino population as a whole.

Highlights
• Of the more than 35 million Latinos in the U.S., only 7.6 million cast votes in the last presidential election.
• "Of the 5.7 million Hispanics added to the U.S. population between the last two presidential elections, 1.7 million persons or 30 percent were less than 18 years old and are thus not eligible to vote." Pew Hispanic

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/stories/MYSA080607.02O.landa.24dafa8.html

Nashville Biz Journal: Latinos willing to try country music?

The Nashville Business Journal cites a study that says Latinos may be interested in country music.

Highlights
• 24 percent of Hispanics enjoy country music
• 40 percent of Lations are willing to try country music

What the story misses is that Latinos - specifically Mexican Americans - have been listeners to country music for years. If fact, there's a subgenre of Tejano music called Tejano country. And as a music form from Texas, it's origins are country. All Tejano music and its related styles from Mexico are types of country music.

I think what Nashville needs to realize is that the term "Hispanic" covers folks who have been living in the Southwest for centuries, including rural and urban markets that favor country such as Texas and New Mexico.

New Latino beat could be country
Nashville Business Journal - August 3, 2007
by Cynthia Yeldell
Nashville Business Journal
http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/08/06/focus1.html?t=printable&b=1186372800^1499996

Austin' Latino Comedy Project - Alien Nation

I've had the pleasure to check out Austin's Latino Comedy Project in the past. If this new live show - Alien Nation - is as good as those, then check it out. Of course, you'll have to live in the greatest city on the planet - Austin, Texas.


http://www.austin360.com/calendar/events2/etc/userEventDisplay.jspd?eventStatus=Approved&eventid=135715

Latino marketing in Iowa

The Des Moines Register reviews a Latina run marketing agency.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070801/BUSINESS/708010366/1029/BUSINESS

MiamiHerald: NCLR must wake up and expose anti-immigrants

Andres Oppenheimer urges NCLR - National Council of La Raza - and other Latino organizations to put up or shut up. NCLR met in Miami the week of July 22, 2007.

http://www.miamiherald.com/421/story/178206.html

LatAm journalists less concerned about telcom monopolies impact on Internet access than narco-trafficers and government censureship.

Journalists from Mexico and Venezuela as well as industry watchers gathered at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, DC, on July 31st to discuss "Latin America and Press Freedom: A Perilous Time."

During the panel discussion, participants focused on the censuring affect that the threat of violence from drug traffickers has on journalists in Mexico and the impact of the television license struggle for RCTV in Venezuela.

It was not until I raised a question that the panel expressed any concern about the telcom monopolies that control Internet access in all Latin America countries and Spain.

I believe the panelists understood the connection between a lack of competition for internet access and censureship, but it was not top of mind.

Latin America and Press Freedom:
A Perilous Time

Tuesday, July 31
5:30 - 7 pm, reception to follow
National Press Club
529 14th St NW, 13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045

Crackdown in Venezuela. Murdered Mexican journalists. Bolivian media under fire. A panel of experts, from a leading press-freedom watchdog to top local journalists, will discuss the turmoil in Latin America’s news media. Please join us for this extremely topical discussion, featuring:

Eduardo Bertoni, executive director, Due Process of Law and former Rapporteur for Freedom of the Press, OAS
Tamoa Calzadilla, investigative journalist for Venezuela’s El Mundo and winner of the 2006 Transparency International/Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) Investigative Journalism Award (to be confirmed)
Luis Gonzales, Reporter, for Mexican daily, El Imparcial in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Roger Atwood, director of communications, Washington Office on Latin America

Moderated by ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan with welcoming remarks by NPC’s International Correspondents Committee Chair Myron Belkind.

The panel is made possible by generous support from the Scripps Howard Foundation, which is sponsoring a group of 10 reporters from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela who will spend 10 days in Washington on an ICFJ program on journalism ethics.

http://www.icfj.org/events/

NYT: Army sponsors Latino fest with recruiting in mind

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/nyregion/30concert.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

SearchEngineWatch: Latino or Hispanic

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070730-091728

SearchEngineWatch, a news site and blog focused on search engine optimization for sites, interviews iHispanic on-line marketing consultant Nacho Hernandez who ponders whether or not to use “hispanic” or Latino” in reference to the market.

Highlights

"Q: We also hear the term “Latino,” which is used for the name of this conference (Search Engine Strategies, SES). Does that refer to a combination of the U.S. Hispanic market and Latin America?
A: There’s a debate between using the terms Hispanic, Latino, and “Latina” (we like to use gender in words in Spanish). We really wanted to use the term SES Latino so that we could have one word to describe all that market, and I think that was the best word for it, and it has gotten a really good response from everyone. If we had used the word Hispanic, that would have referred to only the Spanish speaking people, which would have excluded Brazil. So that would not have been a good word to use. Brazil is actually a huge market; it is the number one market in Latin America in terms of search, and in terms of advertisers as well. It’s very important to include them in this conference. Brazil is a great market, and there are a lot of people in the industry trying to grow it as well. So that is why we chose “Latino” for our brand.
Q: Countries in Europe, such as Portugal and Spain… would they not be considered part of the Latino market, even though they have a share language and some shared cultural aspects as the Latin Americas?
A: It was interesting to see that we got a lot of attendees from Spain. I was really pleased to see them, they are all wonderful people, and I got to meet most of them. It is a great market; there is a lot of growth in Spain. When we say Latinos, the focus of this conference was thought to be the Americas. That doesn’t really include the European Market. I would advise that that Incisive Media (the conference hosts of Search Engine Strategies) would [for a future conference] take SES to Spain and Portugal. Spain is growing tremendously, and there is a lot of opportunity there."

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070730-091728

TV Week reviews NBC Mun2 channel.

TV Week reviews NBC Mun2 channel.

It's an exciting project to really tap into the bicultural identify of US Latinos.

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/07/among_nbc_universals_televisio.php

NYT takes a look at Perez HIlton!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/fashion/29perez.html