Hispanic TV Outshines Anglophone Nets.

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that Hispanics will make up one quarter of the total U.S. population by 2050. Combine that with recent Spanish-language ratings victories over English-language programming, and it seems that "Spanish-language viewers are a force to be reckoned with," as Univision spokesman Ted Faraone affirmed.

During the primetime ratings wrangle, Univision's Nunca te Olvidare aired from 8-9 p.m. and Tres Mujeres from 9-10 p.m., beating UPN's programming. Nunca te Olvidare had another showdown a week later and it triumphed over programming on Fox and UPN from 8-10 p.m. The Spanish-language talk show Cristina also beat UPN's Forgive or Forget, WCBS's News 2 at 4PM and children's programs on WNYW/5 in the 4-5 p.m. time slot. And recently, Rosalinda whipped the feature film The Full Monty, broadcast on New York's Fox station.

One reason for the programming success is subject matter. Telenovelas are one of the most popular formats in Spanish-language programming, and are often introduced to U.S. viewers after a strong track record in Latin America. "They're a success story there, then they're brought here," explained Faraone. The telenovelas are based on Spanish novels and literary classics and contain "universal dramatic themes like love, lust, hate, greed, murder and betrayal. If the story is compelling," Faraone added, "the program gets an audience."

Although executives at Telemundo and Univision, the two major U.S. Spanish-language networks, declined to speak about programming details, Faraone noted that some programs are produced in the U.S. while others are imported. Mexico's Televisa and Venezuela's Venevision are two substantial sources of telenovela programming, he said, while Globo TV in Brazil provides Spanish-dubbed programming.

Faraone compared telenovelas to programs on PBS' Masterpiece Theater because they are episodic. The novelas run four to five nights a week for four to eight months, building a steady, loyal audience. As with game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, the same people returning day after day propel the ratings. "It's quite remarkable the growth of Spanish-language programming, coinciding with the growth of television," Faraone remarked. But with such growth, many fear our media world is becoming too fragmented, lumping consumers into arbitrary categories of race, gender and ethnicity.

Be it tortilla chips, television programs or radio shows, marketers and advertisers analyze and segment the American audience through niche marketing. Researchers from Frito Lay went into Hispanic communities to explore chip preferences. Frito Lay discovered that Doritos were considered too mild by American Latinos, so the chip-maker created the "Salsa Verde" flavor utilizing this demographic research.

The same thing is happening in the media. The greatest fragmentation of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic audiences is in radio, due to the greater availability of channels. In New York and Los Angeles, there are between 60-70 radio stations, but just 10-12 television stations. Of those, only two to three television stations are Hispanic. As Jon Currie, founder of the ratings-research company Currie Communications, pointed out, there are "less media outlets carving up the pie" in U.S.-Latino television, while a proliferation of Hispanic radio stations cater to an array of tastes--from ranchera-style music to hip-hop. "You'll start to see this with Spanish television," Currie predicted.

At the moment, Univision and Telemundo have a firm grip on the Spanish-speaking segment of the U.S. Hispanic market, but that is likely to change. "Anybody who doesn't jump on the bandwagon is going to get caught," Currie warned. He noted that mainstream media tended to ignore the fact that Spanish-language programming is often No. 1 in major markets and added, "That's the danger in this business, not to see."

According to a TN Media study released earlier this year, Spanish-speaking viewers made Univision No. 1 overall in the Hispanic market, with 14 Univision series in the top slots. The most popular English-language programs among Hispanic viewers were Monday Night Football, The Wonderful World of Disney and The Simpsons. The popularity of children's shows reflects the fact that 60 percent of Spanish-speaking households and 57.9 percent of all Hispanic households are home to at least one child under the age of 18, compared with just 36.8 percent of total households in the U.S.

This sends another signal to U.S. programmers that the growing Hispanic population needs to be served. With an estimated combined buying power of $380 billion per year and an average annual income of more than $40,000, the Hispanic audience holds massive marketing potential. "The minute advertisers pick up on it, programmers won't be far behind," asserted Currie.

When discussing Spanish-language programming issues with his clients, Currie implores them to keep in mind that the Spanish-speaking market is as diverse as the rest of the U.S. market. "It's hard to generalize," he explained. "There isn't one generic Hispanic audience." In addition, Currie pointed out that "'Hispanic' doesn't necessarily mean 'Spanish-speaking.'" It's an important distinction, as non-Spanish-speaking Hispanics also make up a large part of the U.S. population.

As both Univision's Faraone and Currie noted, America is becoming increasingly multilingual and multicultural. Faraone believes that more Americans will start learning Spanish, and the idea of "English-only" will be overcome by the realities of demographics and money. Added Currie, "There's no black and white in this country, there are thousands of shades of gray."