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New York
The nation's second-largest Hispanic market holds a wealth of media opportunity
November 01, 2004
By Aimee Deeken
New York Hispanic media had a difficult summer. First, the city media outlets contested the TV ratings measurement system, then contended with fraudulent newspaper circulation.
Despite the controversies, being in the nation's largest market commands attention from advertisers. BIA Financial Network counts 20.6 million people (7.5 million households) in the television DMA — which encompasses the tri-state area — of which 19 percent are Hispanic. Thus, advertisers seeking to reach the nation's second largest Hispanic contingent (behind Los Angeles) have three broadcast TV stations, eight radio stations and two daily newspapers from which to choose.
Though Univision Communications in May refused to subscribe to Nielsen Media Research's new local people meter — citing incorrect representation and measurement of Hispanics in the market — Univision O&O WXTV-TV bests NBC's Telemundo affiliate WNJU-TV in sign-on to sign-off, weekday prime time, and 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, according to Nielsen. Data revealed that from Sept. 30 to Oct. 12, WXTV received a 1.4 sign-on to sign-off NSI household rating against WNJU's 0.9. In the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. half-hours, Univision attracted 2.4 and 2.6 ratings, respectively, compared with Telemundo's 1.7 and 1.4. The weekday prime time slot is the most competitive, with WXTV earning a 3.0 and WNJU a 2.1.
Both offer prime-time novelas, plenty of local news throughout the week and local programming on weekends geared to the market's predominance of Dominican, Puerto Rican and Mexican populations.
Telemundo touts more local news than Univision, 19.5 hours per week, and more local programming. "The Telemundo network is specifically geared for the U.S. Hispanic, and this station mirrors that network strategy locally, not just offering programs produced in other countries," explains WNJU vp and general manager Manuel Martínez, referring to Univision's programming partnership with Mexico's Televisa.
Telemundo's broadcast of the Olympics in August did not fare well compared with audiences watching the Olympics on NBC's English-language networks. More popular with Hispanics was Copa America, Latin America's 20-day soccer tournament. The final championship game on Sunday, July 25, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Univision WXTV won the time period in the overall local market with a 4.5/10, according to Nielsen. Univision also broadcast Copa America games on its secondary station, Telefutura, WFUT-TV in New York and WFTY-TV in Long Island. The network launched in 2002 and offers counter programming to Univision, often geared to a younger audience.
WXTV earned $73.2 million in 2003 revenue, nearly doubling that of competitor WNJU, which drew $40 million, according to BIA. (Figures differ from data reported by TNS Media Intelligence/CMR [see chart] due to different parameters used in calculation.)
Still, both remain far behind the general market — revenue leader WNBC-TV, generated $335.8 million last year. Though the gap in ad rates between general-market TV stations and Hispanic stations remains wide, "the general market is not growing as much as the Hispanic market [in spending] in year-to-year growth," notes Rosa Serrano, senior vp/group account director of multicultural at Initiative. "As more advertisers come, it drives up the price, and they're able to command the level of pricing equal to the general market."
New York Hispanic radio caters to more niche markets within the Hispanic community. "While Anglo stations are strictly by demo, age, gender, our formats are designated by culture and country of origin," says Carey Davis, vice president and general manager of Spanish Broadcasting System's two local outlets, WSKQ-FM and WPAT-FM. WSKQ's Tropical format caters to the large population of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans; WPAT attracts listeners from Mexico, South America and Central America with its Spanish Adult Contemporary format, says Davis.
Though Univision Radio and Multicultural Broadcasting each own more stations than SBS in New York, its two outlets pack a punch. WPAT drew a 3.1 average-quarter-hour share in spring 2004 among persons 12-plus, according to Arbitron. WSKQ's 5.4 share last spring not only made it the number one radio station among Spanish-language listeners, but also the number two station in the general radio market of 15.3 million people.
"With only 19 percent Hispanics in the DMA, that's pretty telling," Serrano says. "We'll probably see the conversion of lower-performing English-language stations to Hispanic formats." SBS has a total market share of 8.5 percent and its revenue represents 6.3 percent of New York's radio industry.
Univision Radio's strongest station is WCAA-FM, which simulcasts a Spanish contemporary format called Latino Mix with sibling station WZAA-FM. Univision in January purchased WZAA, formerly Long Island Rock station WLIR-FM, for the sole purpose of extending Latino coverage in Long Island "as more Hispanics move out there," says general manager of Univision Radio's New York outlets Stephanie McNamara. The stations together drew a 2.8 share last spring, reports Arbitron, and will continue to simulcast to a primary demo of women age 25-54.
Univision's third station in the market is WADO-AM, which has been a Spanish-language News/Sports/Talk format for 43 years, prior to Univision ownership. WADO garnered the most revenue last year, $7.6 million, among New York's Hispanic radio. WADO also is part of Radio Cadena, Univision Radio's syndicated national network that in April began broadcasting nine hours of programming to the company's AM properties. Multicultural Broadcasting barely registers a blip on the general-market share and revenue radars, but leases blocks of time on multiple AM stations for Spanish programming. WJDM-AM was one of the stations in Multicultural's February purchase of Radio Única's 15 stations, and it offers mostly a Spanish/Christian format, says Gene Heinemeyer, general manager of Multicultural's New York properties. WPAT-AM offers Mexican and South American programming Monday through Friday. WKDM-AM, formerly Mexican format, now is Russian, but WNSW-AM, previously Korean, now offers mostly Spanish/Christian, Heinemeyer says.
Hispanic daily newspapers in the market have been rocked by last summer's circulation scandal at the Tribune Co.'s Newsday and Hoy. On June 12, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) found that Hoy, the market's reigning Spanish-language daily, and its sister title had reported fraudulent circulation figures.
Through the six-month period ending March 31, 2004, ABC listed Hoy's circ at 109,598. After the revelation, Tribune in August revised the number to 92,000 and in September further adjusted its circ to about half its previously purported size, 45,000 to 55,000 copies. The revised ABC report is expected to list Hoy circ at 45,000 to 55,000 through Sept. 30, 2003, and at 40,000 to 50,000 for the six-month period ending in March 2004.
Fallout from the scandal has included resignations, as well as advertiser compensation forecast between $45 million and $60 million.
Since the circ debacle, Hoy has made significant editorial changes, cutting wire copy and weekly sections and expanding daily entertainment and sports coverage and service features. Additionally, the circumstances have made Hoy uncomfortably close to New York's other daily, El Diario La Prensa, as ABC lists El Diario's circ at 50,019. In February, the 91-year-old paper, owned by ImpreMedia, reorganized sections, updated the flag and unveiled more color and bigger pictures. It now offers daily business and entertainment (previously weekly sections) and local sports.
Despite the controversy among the dailies, the local Hispanic print industry is strong.
The New York Daily News in September launched its third attempt at a Spanish-language publication with Hora Hispana. The weekly, consisting mostly of original copy, has a controlled circulation of 200,000 distributed free to Hispanic households in four of the five boroughs.
Dominican Times magazine celebrated its third anniversary in September. The lifestyle bimonthly publication caters to the region's bilingual Hispanics in a glossy distributed in both English- and Spanish-language editions. In January it will increase to monthly frequency. Its 76,000 total circulation is primarily newsstand.
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