Last week, a Miami Herald article looked at the growth of Hispanic television media in the United States and how this expanding group of broadcasters will soon (if they haven’t done so already) need to decide who they are going to target with their programming. While many people associate Spanish-language and Hispanic-focused programming with over-the-top soapoperas also known as telenovelas, that is no longer the case. Not only are the Spanish-language broadcasters growing and developing programming to attract new audiences, but they’re also becoming involved in all aspects of social media and even gaming to secure more viewers.
Just yesterday, Hispanic media leader Univision announced a partnership agreement with GameSpot, the leading source for gaming information online, for a new Spanish-language video gaming site on Univision.com (keyword: videojuegos). The online and mobile site will give users access to complete videogame information, including Spanish-language content from GameSpot’s website, from news and reviews, to editorials and videos on the top-selling games worldwide. Last month, Univision released a video application for BlackBerry. And late last year the media giant put its programming on YouTube for anyone to watch and share. Univision executives are taking the necessary steps to engage audiences in every way possible.
As the U.S. Hispanic population grows, so is the competition to reach that audience. But ultimately it will be the programming that keeps or drives away viewers. So, how will these broadcasters decide target U.S.-born Hispanics versus foreign-born Hispanics? It will be interesting to see (no pun intended) how U.S. Hispanic media evolves to address issues relevant to both audiences. If you were head of one of these broadcasters, what would you do? Would you include Spanglish (a mix between English and Spanish) programming like cable networks Mun2 and MTV Tr3?
You might not have guessed it from my last name, but I’m a Nicaraguan-born U.S. Hispanic and I love Spanglish. There, I admit it. I think it’s practical for people who are caught between two cultures. While I understand how many people, including my colleague and fellow blogger Maite, disapprove of anyone using Spanglish terms, I feel that its only organic to combine the two popular languages to casually express myself. In an NPR interview, Ilan Stavans, professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and author of Spanglish: The Making of a New Language, said that Spanglish is a creative way also of saying, ‘I am an American and I have my own style, my own taste, my own tongue.” And I couldn’t agree more.
What is your take on the Spanglish revolution and how the media is adapting to it? Watch an episode of Lopez Tonight and let me know what you think.
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Posted in: Media
Tags: Hispanic Media, Media Consumption, Media Industry, Multicultural, Spanglish, Spanish, Spanish Media, Univision
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Good one, Lily!
To clarify…I don’t hate Spanglish. Heck, I’m an “offender” myself. I just think there is an art to it. Actually, there is a reality to it. Spanglish can’t be forced. I know there are some media outlets and marketers out there that just throw a Spanish word here or there hoping that it’ll speak to their target audience in a way they can relate. But just like literal translations sometimes do not work, fake Spanglish can be off putting.