Category Archives: Featured

Featured, Uncategorized

Telemundo Unveils A Wide Slate For The Upfronts

By Adam R Jacobson

NEW YORK (May 15, 2016) — Three days ago, a press breakfast held by NBCUniversal at the Museum of Arts and Design on tony Columbus Circle revealed a bevy of details on what Telemundo and cable TV sibling NBC Universo had in store for marketers eager to reach bilingual, bicultural millennials through social and digital platforms.

However, a cone of silence was placed on what the networks would be putting in the Upfront spotlight for 2016-17.

We can now reveal that Telemundo will be playing up four “Super Series” telenovelas, a Sunday early-prime children’s talent show, and a late show hosted by iconic former Univision personality Mario Kreutzberger — better known as “Don Francisco.”

Over at NBC UNIVERSO, season three of the dubbed-in-Spanish The Walking Dead will be highlighted, as are a Hispanic celebrity reality series.

There’s also a development and production deal with the estate of Jenni Rivera, perhaps the biggest draw for NBC UNIVERSO’s previous incarnation, mun2. The arrangement allows NBCUniversal’s Hispanic properties to produce a number of series and specials “inspired” by Rivera–including a bio-musical television series that sounds similar in concept to the Celia telenovela based on the life of the late Cuban entertainer Celia Cruz.

There will also be a “Jenni Vive” tribute concert in memory of the regional Mexican vocalist, who perished in a plane crash in Mexico in December 2012.

“The U.S. Hispanic market continues to be the biggest growth opportunity for any business,” Cesar Conde, Chairman NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, said in prepared remarks. “We are investing in the most innovative original content, a $250 million state-of-the-art facility and talent in front of and behind the cameras. We are pleased our investments are paying off.”

Luis Silberwasser, President of Telemundo Network and NBC UNIVERSO, added, “Heading into this Upfront season, we’ve gained more viewers year-over-year in Monday-Friday prime-time among key demos and are capitalizing on that momentum continuing to close the gap with [Univision].”

NEW SERIES SET FOR TELEMUNDO

Is it Better Call Saul for the telemundo set?

El Chema, a spin-off of El Señor de los Cielos starring Mauricio Ochmann, tells the story of Chema Venegas’ first years working in Mexico’s world of organized crime and his ascension to becoming the renowned cartel leader seen in Cielos, which is returning for a fifth season on Telemundo.

Meanwhile, viewers will be treated to a series based on the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez as his legacy has resulted in the near collapse of the oil-rich nations government and infrastructure.

Hugo Chavez, El Comandante stars Andres Parra as Chavez in “a fictional story inspired on the life of Hugo Chavez.”

Another key Telemundo prime-time offering is Señora Acero 3, La Coyote, the third season of the successful Señora Acero Super Series franchise, starring Sergio Goyri, Carolina Miranda and Luis Ernesto Franco. The series focuses on Vicenta Rigores, a courageous and rebellious woman who stands out in the male-dominated world of smuggling as the most feared and notorious coyote on the U.S. Mexican border.

Serialized Dramas

The breasts are back!

Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso, the sequel to Sin Senos No Hay Paraíso, tells the story of Catalina “La pequeña” (the small one), who seeks to redeem her family from the world of violence and prostitution that has brought them so much loss and misery. Starring Fabian Rios, Catherine Siachoque and Carolina Gaitan, the new story reflects the reality of a new generation of women determined to succeed in life without resorting to plastic surgery or falling for the lure of easy money.

Season two of La Querida del Centauro continues the story of Centauro’s revenge on Yolanda, his former mistress, and Gerardo, the detective who sought to bring him to justice. After being on the run from the authorities for two years and tired of the bloody war between his cartel and his rival’s, Centauro decides to fake his and his son’s deaths. This way, he will be able to rebuild his empire without the police after him, and, more importantly, allow him to carry out his plan for vengeance. Upon hearing the news of the deaths, Yolanda and her daughter Cristina, as well as Gerardo and his adoptive son, Gato, are able to return to Mexico from Canada, where they have been living under the Witness Protection Program. But it won’t be an easy return for Yolanda, as el Centauro will use all of his cunning and power to destroy her and her loved ones in his quest for revenge.

New to Telemundo is La Doña, based on Doña Barbara, the literary work by Romulo Gallegos. It’s a story of revenge and ambition, seduction and betrayal; all told from the perspective of an offended and abused woman named Altagracia.

In other Telemundo news, two musical dramas and comedies with working titles will be shared to Upfront attendees. One follows the story of Julio Cesar Solar, a Regional Mexican Music idol, whose death is the spark “that ignites this story of betrayal, rivalry, love and the search for fame at any cost.” The other is a series written by veteran actress Angelica Vale that shows what happens when an ultimate fan of a famous telenovela actor link up.

As previously reported in Multichannel News’ Hispanic Television Update, Silvana Sin Lana has kicked off production and marks the return of Carlos Ponce to Spanish-language TV.

Family Viewing Dominates Sunday Nights

With a working title of Los Reporteros, Conde and Silberwasser are hoping Telemundo’s multi-million dollar investment in its news operations will also result in interest for Hispanic television’s long-awaited answer to CBS’s 60 Minutes. This hourlong news magazine produced by Noticias Telemundo will showcase four interviews with politicians and celebrities.

The show will likely air opposite 60 Minutes, at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

At 8pm ET/7pm CT is not La Voz Kids but a new series with the working title of Siempre Niños — a kid-focused talent show. In the 9pm ET/8pm CT slot is a show featuring ZooMiami wildlife expert Ron Magill, guest celebrities, and exotic creatures and wild animals. The 10pm ET/9pm CT slot goes to Don Francisco, who gets an hour-long variety show that will likely borrow ideas and inspiration from the now-concluded Saturday evening series Sabado Gigante but on a new night and in a truncated format.

The abundance of family fare is striking for Telemundo, as it recalls a programming strategy not seen on English-language television in decades.

Lastly, Telemundo is expanding its weekday morning show, Un Nuevo Día, by 90 minutes, starting in early 2017.  The news and entertainment program will now air from 7am ET-11:30am ET, allowing for continuous coverage on both the East Coast and West Coast. The live show is hosted by Rashel Diaz, Adamari Lopez, Ana Maria Canseco, Daniel Sarcos and Diego Schoening.

NBC UNIVERSO GETS REAL

“Zapata Justice” – Set in a Texas border town, “Zapata Justice” follows the Mexican-American members of the small town’s Sheriff’s Department as they fight to protect their own from dangerous criminal activity.

“The Riveras” – The celeb-reality series follows the lives of the late regional Mexican music icon Jenni Rivera’s biggest legacy – her children. The Riveras are Mexican Regional Music’s most beloved family, but you’ve never seen them like this.  See Chiquis Rivera and her younger siblings step up and pull together to raise each other with humor and love; and go for their biggest dreams.

Editor’s Note: Telemundo declined to provide details regarding its 2016-2017 Upfront prior to the editorial deadline and publication of the 2016 Hispanic TV Upfront Guide. Information was first provided to members of the press May 14 with an embargo date of May 15 at 4pm. HispanicMarketOverview.com and HispanicAd.com have agreed to abide by Telemundo’s embargo.

Featured

AHAA: Financial Services, Insurance Companies See Revenue Boost From Hispanic Ad Spend Bump

AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing released a new comprehensive study at the ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference which reveals a positive connection between corporate ad allocation targeting the Hispanic market and overall revenue growth for the Financial Services and Insurance sectors. According to the new study, a 5 point shift in advertising allocation from English to Hispanic media results in a Total Market revenue boost of 6.4 points in Revenue CAGR for the Financial and Insurance sectors.ahaa13

 

“This new information is compelling because the data indicates that the Hispanic market can be a big determinant in corporate success,” said Carlos Santiago, chair of AHAA Research Committee and CEO of Santiago Solutions Group.  “Financial Services and Insurance companies not only want to gain market share among their competitors but they also want to provide growth and stability for their investors – investing in Hispanic marketing is a clear strategy in achieving both these objectives.”

Financial/Insurance companies shifted almost $100 million in four years to Hispanic Media, at twice the rate of English media increases. Shifts in Hispanic Dedicated Allocation alone explain about 22 percent of the category’s change in topline revenue growth. The Financial/Insurance category spends a total of $352 million against Hispanic media. On average, it allocates 5.5 percent, or $10.1 million, of its advertising budget to Hispanic – this is a 35 percent increase since 2010. State Farm leads the charge in both investment percentage against Hispanic dedicated efforts at 22 percent and total Hispanic ad spending at $109 million. Wells Fargo, Nationwide, Allstate, JPMorgan Chase, American Family, AFLAC and MasterCard are close behind, setting the pace of the sector.

“AHAA’s research proves that companies applying a Total Market approach with well-funded in-culture Hispanic efforts are more likely to achieve greater overall growth than those marketers integrating Hispanics into their current English efforts,” said AHAA Chair Linda Lane Gonzalez, president of viva partnership. “The most successful campaigns lead with consumer insights that are then integrated, segmented and aligned – that is the winning combination driving superior growth performance.”

Methodology
Data was collected from Nielsen Monitor Plus which tracked over 340,000 companies’ advertising expenditures in English and Spanish.  This data was analyzed by Santiago Solutions Group for AHAA.  SSG divided companies into 5 Tiers according to the percent allocation to Spanish/Bilingual media: Best-in-Class (more than 14.2%), Leaders (6.4%-14.2%), Followers (3.6%-6.3%), Laggards (1.0%-3.5%), and On the Sidelines (Less than 1%). SSG also segmented the Top 500 Overall Spending (English + Spanish) Companies for years 2010-2014, thus permitting the analysis of trends in the marketplace. Ad Spend Includes spending in Network TV, Spot TV, Cable TV, Radio, Magazines, Newspaper & FSI. It excludes B2B, Display, Outdoor and Cinema.

Featured

La Prensa, Excélsior Newspapers Return To Inland Empire, OC

The following is a press release related to material contained in the 2015 Hispanic Market Overview. To view the report, please visit http://reports.hispanicad.com/reports/HMO-2015/

SANTA ANA and RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – May 1, 2015 – To actively engage and better serve the 3.3 million Latinos that live and work in Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties, Freedom News Group is reintroducing its weekly Spanish-language UNIDOS newspaper as two distinctly local editions – La Prensa and Excélsior – starting today.

La Prensa, founded in 1999, concentrates on news and information specific to Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Excelsior, founded in 1992, focuses on Orange County. The two newspapers had previously been combined and renamed as UNIDOS in March 2014.

Both newspapers also cover topics of general interest to the Latino community, and are closely integrated with Freedom News Group’s daily newspapers, The Press-Enterprise and The Orange County Register.

Additionally, the newspapers will also launch local websites on ocexcelsior.com and laprensaca.com websites this summer, leveraging a mobile-friendly platform that delivers market-specific content and location-based advertising.

Total Friday circulation for the two newspapers is 170,000. La Prensa distributes 95,000 copies in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and the eastern tip of Los Angeles County. Excélsior distributes 75,000 copies in Orange County.

The evolution is a direct result of feedback from readers and advertisers, who had developed strong affinities and recognition for the newspapers under their original names, said Orlando Ramirez, Publisher of La Prensa and Excélsior.

“Together La Prensa and Excélsior have a combined history of nearly 40 years, and have played important roles in the Latino community,” Ramirez said. “By re-launching these brands, we honor our history and renew our commitment to the growing Latino markets in the Inland Empire and Orange County.”

Ramirez, a 33-year journalism veteran in Southern California, will be hosting Meet the Publisher events with Latino leaders at the newspapers’ offices to explain how they can be more actively involved and engaged with their local newspapers.

Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are among the most desirable in the nation for reaching Hispanics with expendable income and buying power. When combined, the three counties rank as the second largest Latino community in the nation based on population.

Section-specific, run-of-paper and insert advertising is available in both newspapers. Insert ads may be targeted to north and south zones in Orange County, or one of six geographic zones to reach Riverside or San Bernardino counties.

Both papers are distributed across nearly 3,000 rack and retail locations. Distribution is audited, and focuses on Hispanic-dominant communities and locations where multigenerational Hispanics live, work, shop and play. They include Latino grocers, family and children’s clothing stores, restaurants, coffee shops, toy stores, electronics retailers, beauty salons and entertainment venues.

Each award-winning newspaper contains the following three sections:

•Noticias: Spotlights news, business developments and newsmakers on a local, regional, national and international level – with a special focus on Latin America where readers have deep roots and family connections;

•Deportes: From the Mexican and European leagues soccer, as well as MLS soccer to upcoming boxing matches, MLB, NBA and NFL, Deportes covers the the major league teams as well as local fútbol club leagues triumphing on the neighborhood fields.

•NEXT: The section appeals to bilingual and multigenerational Hispanics who love all things entertainment – celebrity news, movie and music event listings and reviews, a gossip column, nightlife, fashion, trending topics on Twitter, top 10 lists and crossword puzzles. A robust list of events will also be included in the section, to offer suggestions on things to do and places to go throughout the weekend and coming week.

Featured

I Envy Pitbull: His Musical Contributions Are Questionable, But He Perfects Hispanic Marketing

I envy you, Pitbull.

You are everywhere.

Germans no longer love David Hasselhoff. They love Pitbull.

You truly are Mr. Worldwide, injecting your 305-fueled lyrical interludes into just about every high-energy song played on contemporary hit radio stations around the world.

Personally, it irritates me.

I’m not a fan of your music; of endless lyrics about fiscal irresponsibility, getting bottle service at a night club, and looking good to score hot chicks; and your ability to present to the world that every Latin guy in Miami is just like you.

Yet I applaud you, Mr. Armando Christian Pérez, the 34-year-old golden boy who first rose to prominence 11 years ago, following 2002 work with hip-hop artist Lil’ Jon.

Why?

Because he has emerged as a master of Hispanic marketing, and he may not even realize it.

By navigating around a choppy sea of reggaeton artists and a Latin Urban explosion that is today in sonic and artist transition, Pitbull has successfully infused the sounds and beats that move today’s Hispanic millennial into straight-ahead pop and dance tunes that have found not only a “total market” audience in the U.S. but a global audience as diverse as Muslim teens in the United Arab Emirates, Jews celebrating Israeli Independence Day in Fort Lauderdale, and fortysomething white gay men in South Florida reveling at a black-tie affair in support of cancer research.

What Pitbull has mastered is Hispanic intregration into global messaging.

This is unique and differs from some of the more high-profile marketing executions achieved on a global level. Coca-Cola, a company profiled in the 2015 Hispanic Market Overview, presented by Lopez Negrete Communications, is perhaps the one company that has taken a global message and tweaked and adapted it for specific audiences. “Open Happiness” was the most recent effort that sought to accomplish this.

But “Open Happiness” was not inherently Latino, nor is any other global marketing effort tied around a singular theme.

Pitbull has also demonstrated that, despite what this author thinks about his musical contributions of late, today’s Hispanic culture is bilingual, bicultural and decides at any given moment whether it wishes to speak in Spanish or hear a Latin-tinged beat.

Interestingly, Pitbull has recorded far more works in English than in Spanish. Sure, his use of the Cuban way to say “C’mon” — ¡Dale! — has made it a household phrase in many a household that believes a biblioteca is a church because it is “the home of bibles, right?” The album El Mariel, released in 2006, included several Spanish-language tracks. He even enjoyed his own show from 2007 to 2009, airing in Spanish, on NBC Universo predecesor mun2. In 2010, Pitbull received 7 nominations for Spanish-language work released that year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.

But it’s songs like “I Know You Want Me,” “Give Me Everything,” and “Fireball” that have grabbed the world’s attention, not “Bon, Bon” or “Echa Pa’lla (Manos Pa’rriba).”

This is an important fact, because it also ties in to the demise of NUVOtv, formerly Si TV; the shift in focus from U.S. Hispanics to Latin Americans by Viacom’s Tr3s, resulting in widespread layoffs; a rebranding of former Hispanic millennial-focused mun2 to sports-and-entertainment focused NBC Universo; and lingering questions about the viability of 24/7 networks “superserving” Latino millennials in English–such as the much-hyped El Rey Network and ABC/Univision joint production, Fusion.

The state of Fusion is addressed in this year’s Hispanic Market Overview by Univision executive Keith Turner.

But Pitbull may have the best answer as to why English-language media focused on Hispanics hasn’t worked: It’s all about relevance, and the best language to bring that relevant content to U.S. Hispanics.

As we learned through interviews conducted for Hispanic Market Overview and from research studies used to prepare the 2015 report, the increasingly bilingual Hispanic population is indeed consuming more English-language media. But, on the whole, it still uses more Spanish-language media and is a consumer group that continues to resonate strongly to Hispanic culture and messaging when delivered in Spanish.

A look at the latest Nielsen ratings confirms that the ratings for any given prime-time telenovela airing on Univision are substantially higher than the top-rated English-language program in Hispanic homes, Dancing With the Stars.

Popularity in U.S.-based sports is indeed growing, with NCAA College Football the next huge growth opportunity for multicultural marketers. But have you seen any dip in soccer ratings?

Meanwhile, Hispanic newspapers and magazines are skillfully learning how to bring old media to a new media world in a fiscally sensible way–something its non-Hispanic counterparts have been struggling with for years.

We even learn why Direct Response is a highly effective way to reach specific segments of Hispanics, since they are not a homogenous consumer group and should not be treated that way by marketers.

In short, it’s time for marketers to get back to basics by understanding that the U.S. Census Bureau did not suddenly wave a magic wand in 2010 and turn millions of Hispanics who communicate in Spanish into English-only consumers. These individuals may watch “The Americans” on FX, but they also may watch soccer on beIN SPORT or Fox Deportes.

Jimmy John’s gets it. While watching the season finale of “The Americans,” the sandwich shop aired a slightly goofy commercial featuring a Hispanic man who comes home after a hard day of work to find his home in disarray. His wife is complaining in Spanish, his kids have made a mess, but he has a solution: call Jimmy John’s. All of the dialogue is in Spanish; the music is Latin. Only the tag line and end message are in English.

I’ve not seen this spot yet on Spanish-language television. But I hope Jimmy John’s is as smart as I think they are, and puts this spot on every channel consumed by Hispanics aged 18-49.

It’s also a shame they couldn’t incorporate a Pitbull song into the spot.

In an uncertain economy that has the potential for growth or could spiral into another recession, one thing is certain: Marketers best start listening to Pitbull’s music a whole lot more, study his rise to fame and transfer those learnings into a savvy marketing plan that taps into both Spanish-language and English-language media.

With Latin themes and smart creative, marketers have only ROI to gain from delivering messages that Hispanics can be proud of while also positively impacting the non-Hispanic consumer.

 

Adam R Jacobson

 

 

Featured

Hispanic Market Overview 2015 Now Available For Marketers To Get ‘Back To Basics’

Sixth annual Hispanic Market Overview state-of-the-industry report now available.

Presented by Lopez Negrete Communications

LOPEZ-NEGRETE-LOGO-300x225

 

 

Produced by Adam R Jacobson with exclusive distribution from HispanicAd.com

hmo2013Hispanic Market Overview 2015 builds on the insights and observations provided each business day in HispanicAd.com and in the November 2014 Hispanic CMO Thought Leadership report.


Hispanic Market Overview 2015, presented by Lopez Negrete Communications, is a  detailed overview of the state of U.S. Hispanic marketing and advertising, delivered complimentary via digital download in a new easy-to-use flipbook format. Get the facts, thoughts, ideas and knowledge to propel your company’s multicultural outreach.

MAIN TOPICS: A Focus On the Fundamentals: Why targeting Hispanic millennials means retaining–and growing–your Spanish-language media buys; Hispanic media and the “OTT” opportunity; The overall state of Hispanic advertising: data overview and analysis; economic outlook and visibility

AUDIENCE: Client-side marketers, advertisers and brand managers; Hispanic media (TV/Radio/Print/Digital/Social platforms); Media buyers and planners.

CIRCULATION: HispanicAd.com eBlasts to more than 25,000 unique industry professionals, linking readers to download page at HispanicAd.com. Bonus promotion at AdamRJacobson.com, including full Google SEO platform, Twitter, LinkedIn and press release distribution to U.S. consumer and business media.

To download your copy, click here: http://reports.hispanicad.com/reports/HMO-2015/

Featured, General

Hispanic Market Overview 2011, presented by Telemundo: Available Now

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The Adam R Jacobson Editorial Services and Research Consultancy, in association with HispanicAd.com, is proud to announce the release of the 2011 edition of the highly anticipated HISPANIC MARKET OVERVIEW 2011, presented by Telemundo.

Distributed exclusively in the U.S. Hispanic market by HispanicAd.com,  Hispanic Market Overview 2011, presented by Telemundo, offers marketers and advertisers, advertising agency executives and junior multicultural marketing pros a clear, concise snapshot of the state of the U.S. Hispanic market. A review of advertising expenditures and the Spanish-language media those budgets go to is featured throughout the report. Hispanic Market Overview 2011, presented by Telemundo also shines the spotlight on the out-of-home segment, Direct Reponse advertising and the growing call for Spanish-language call centers.

New for 2011 is a breakout section on the rapidly growing Hispanic health and wellness category, which has seen new radio and television programming and the rise of an internet portal devoted specifically to the hot topic.
Also new in Hispanic Market Overview 2011, presented by Telemundo is a streamlined, easy-to-read Hispanic DMA Grid powered by Geoscape.

Hispanic Market Overview 2011, presented by Telemundo is available for download at no charge here.

 

Featured

Mixed Results For Hispanic Radio As Overall Dollars Tumble In Chicago

CHICAGO — January 23, 2015 — According to the annual Miller Kaplan revenue report for the nation’s third largest market, total radio income for the market’s stations dipped from $419,715,000 in 2013 to $376,231,000 in 2014. For Hispanic radio, the growth seen in recent years has perhaps ebbed — substantially.

Univision’s regional Mexican WOJO-FM remains the billing leader for Spanish-language stations in Chicago. However, total station revenue (which includes NTR and digital) is off 12.8% year over year, to $18.5 million. That puts it ninth overall.SBS-owned regional Mexican WLEY-FM enjoyed a 3.4% jump in revenue in 2014. However, it’s total revenue of $8,592,000 — while No. 2 among Spanish-language stations in the Windy City — remains nearly $10 million behind WOJO in the battle for dollars.

Meanwhile, iHeart’s WNUA-FM 95.5, the one-time Spanish Hot AC “Mega” which in its final Hispanic incarnation competed against WOJO and WLEY as regional Mexican “Patron,” saw revenue slide nearly 18% from 2013 to 2014, to $7.5 million. WNUA earlier this month changed its programming to English-language country music, as WEBG.

There was a huge gain in total revenue for Univision’s Spanish contemporary “Latino Mix” WVIV-FM 93.5/WVIX-FM 103.1 (the simulcast partners saw total revenue increase 60.9% year-over-year), to $5.1 million. Still, the overall numbers pale in comparison to general-market radio stations, increasing the call among Hispanic marketers and media sales executives to do more to build their “total market” stories.

— Adam R Jacobson

Featured

‘Birdman’: A Film That’s Supremely Latino

On Saturday afternoon, I ventured to South Miami’s Sunset Place to catch a film that’s been getting significant buzz and Oscar mentions for its star, Michael Keaton.

 

The film, “Birdman,” is described as “an American black comedy” co-written, produced, and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

But make no mistake — this is a very Latin film, one that could never reach the masterful, mind-blowing and perhaps game-changing way that Mexico City-born Iñárritu has brought the story to the screen.

Without having to put “spoiler alert” in this piece, one can argue that Iñárritu’s tale of washed up actor Riggan Thomson, played by Keaton, is easily the best film of the year, if not the 2010s so far.

The plot is simple: Thomson, who rose to superstardom as the lead actor in the multi-million dollar “Birdman” film franchise, has fallen hard. He’s hedged all his bets on the staging of a Broadway play in which he stars – an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.”

Sound familiar? Keaton shot to worldwide fame some 25 years ago opposite Jack Nicholson as “Batman,” following a moderately successful film career that included such forgotten 1980s faves as “Johnny Dangerously” and “Gung Ho.”

Keaton then “vanished” from the screen.

Life imitates art, and art imitates life.

Keaton is perfect for a role that many may assume is a story about him.But it’s not. It’s a tale loosely based on him that incorporates the magical realism more commonly seen in a Guillermo Del Toro film (“Pan’s Labrynth”) with the story-within-a-story familiar to Almodóvar fans (the incorporation of “A Streetcar Named Desire” into Todo sobre mi madre).

For added affect, Iñárritu allows “Birdman” to be told in slightly shifting points of view that also include Riggan Thomson’s inner voice.

By blending the complicated reality with the complex fantasy, Iñárritu has achieved nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece that, sadly, could not be realized by the Anglo establishment in Hollywood.

Thus, a new age in international cinema has arrived, and while “Birdman” may not be the box office blockbuster that the fictional early 1990s series featured in this film was, it’s a blockbuster in the sense that it has officially put a stamp on a new age for Latin filmmakers.

It should also be noted that Iñárritu’s considerable accomplishment with the film “Birdman” comes with no Hispanics cast in any of the film’s main roles. Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough are English. Edward Norton and Zach Galifinakis are as American as contemporary American cinema can get.

Yet, the lone visible Latin star carries the film; he has no dialogue but can be heard throughout. It’s Mexican jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez, who carries Iñárritu’s direction, voice and vision from start to finish.

Whether Mr. Keaton wins the Academy Award for Best Actor opposite one Bill Murray, another 1980s icon who has reinvented himself following a starring turn in Sofia Coppola’s not-so-unsimilar-to-“Birdman” 2003 classic “Lost In Translation,” is not the issue here.

What matters is what Iñárritu has put on the screen, and how the Age of the Latin Filmmaker has been cemented with a cinematic masterpiece.

Featured, Hispanic Radio

Piolín Part II: 16 Entravision Stations Add Host’s New Radio Show

December 9, 2015 — The one-time rey of la radio is heading back to the AM/FM dial, and AGM isn’t the only broadcaster partnering up with the man known in Spanish as “Tweety Bird.”

Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo, whose new self-syndicated El Show de Piolín will air on two American General Media (AGM) stations starting in January, has also reached a deal with Entravision Communications that will see the program land on 16 stations in 14 markets, starting Monday, January 5.

“Piolín’s return to network radio is nothing short of monumental, and we are eager to bring his incredibly popular program to our twelve Tricolor stations, La Nueva in the Rio Grande Valley and Super Estrella in Los Angeles,” said company COO Jeff Liberman. “Building on the success of our wildly popular afternoon program El Show de Erazno y La Chokolata, Piolín is a perfect complement to our current programming lineup. Further, the addition of Piolín will significantly strengthen Entravision Solutions as the premier advertising sales organization for syndicated Spanish-language content nationally. When combined with our fast-growing digital assets and big data resources, we are ideally positioned to maximize the incredible star power that Piolín brings to our multimedia organization.”

Entravision Solutions, the company’s national sales and marketing arm, will retain the exclusive rights to handle network advertising sales for El Show de Piolín, which is being syndicated across the country with the assistance of Ed Krampf, COO of Adelante Media Group, which is presently divesting its media holdings.

“I am so excited to be launching El Show De Piolin through my syndication company, Alliance Radio Network,” said Sotelo. “I am also thrilled to be working with Entravision again, not only as the major affiliate group but also as the sales organization representing all network sales for the program. The move is the natural next step for me, and I can’t wait to bring the show to their incredible and dynamic audience … I can’t wait to get back in front of my wonderful fans!”

Specifically, El Show de Piolín will be heard on KLNZ La Tricolor 103.5 FM in Phoenix; KMXX La Tricolor 99.3 FM in El Centro-Yuma, KSSC/KSSD/KSSE Super Estrella 107.1 FM in Los Angeles/Oxnard-Ventura/Riverside-San Bernardino, KLOK La Tricolor 99.5 FM in Monterey, KPST La Tricolor 103.5 FM in Palm Springs, KRCX La Tricolor 99.9 FM in Sacramento, and KMIX La Tricolor 100.9 FM in Modesto, Calif.; KPVW La Tricolor 107.1 FM  in Aspen and KXPK La Tricolor 96.5 FM in Denver; KQRT La Tricolor 105.1 FM in Las Vegas and KRNV La Tricolor 102.1 FM in Reno, Nevada; and KYSE La Tricolor 94.7 FM in El Paso, KAIQ La Tricolor 95.5 FM in Lubbock and KKPS La Nueva 99.5 FM in McAllen- Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas.

The placement of Piolín’s new terrestrial radio show on Entravision’s “Super Estrella” trimulcast in Southern California brings immediate speculation that the Spanish Hot Adult Contemporary station will change formats to a form of regional Mexican programming. The company did not offer any hints as to any other programming adjustments at Super Estrella.

— Adam R Jacobson, reporting from Miami

Featured, Uncategorized

Miami’s Lite FM, Magic and The Ticket Going To Entercom as Lincoln Financial Sells Radio Assets

MIAMI —  One of America’s biggest radio industry operators just got a little more Lite, and has a Ticket to ride in the Magic City.

In an agreement announced this morning, Lincoln Financial Media–the radio division of Lincoln Financial Media–will disappear through its absorption by Entercom.

The value of the deal is a steal: $105 million, plus working capital.

By comparison, Cox Media Group in February 2000 purchased one Miami radio station — WFEZ 93.1 FM (then Classical WTMI) — for $100 million.

The transfer of Lincoln Financial Media’s radio assets is subject to FCC and other customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. The deal will likely close in Q2 2015. However, Entercom anticipates that it will begin operating the Lincoln Financial Media stations under a time brokerage agreement starting in late January.

Entercom gets a total of 15 radio stations. In Miami, the company gains heritage AC WLYF-FM “101.5 Lite FM,” Classic Hits WMXJ-FM “Magic 102.7,”  and Sports Talk WAXY-AM 790 & FM 104.3 “The Ticket.”

Additionally, Entercom is picking up 11 radio stations located in Atlanta (including WSTR-FM “Star 94”), Denver, and San Diego (including KIFM-FM 98.1, KSON-FM 97.3 and KBZT-FM 94.9). In order to comply with the FCC’s station ownership limitations, Entercom will divest one FM station in the Denver market.

In formal comments, Entercom President/CEO David J. Field stated: “Lincoln Financial Media is a great organization that has done an excellent job serving its listeners, customers and communities over many years and we look forward to building on that tradition. LFM is a perfect fit for us as it bolsters our position in Denver and expands our footprint into Atlanta, Miami and San Diego with terrific brands that have significant growth potential. Furthermore, it fulfills our disciplined acquisition criteria as it enhances our company’s competitive position and growth and should be accretive to shareholders in 2015 while having a minimal impact on leverage.”

Dennis R. Glass, President/CEO of Lincoln Financial Group, added, “Not only will this transaction allow Lincoln Financial Media to align itself with a well-respected media organization, but it also enables Lincoln Financial Group to focus on its strategy to grow its core lines of business.”

The transaction is structured as an acquisition of the stock of LFM with a tax election that allows Entercom to receive a step-up in the tax basis of the station tangible and intangible assets providing additional future tax shields and enhancing future free cash flow. Specifically, the $105 million purchase price will be paid in the form of $77.5 million in cash and $27.5 million in new perpetual cumulative convertible preferred stock that will be issued to Lincoln. Entercom expects to finance the cash portion of the purchase price through a combination of its existing $50 million revolver, cash on hand, and through other financing sources, if necessary.

Complete List of Stations to Be Acquired

Lincoln Financial Media Radio Stations to be acquired by Entercom
Market Stations Format
Atlanta WSTR-FM Hot Adult Contemporary
WQXI-AM Sports
Denver KEPN-AM Sports
KYGO-FM Country
KKFN-FM Sports
KQKS-FM Rhythmic CHR
KRWZ-AM Oldies
Translator Comedy
Miami WAXY-AM/FM Sports
WLYF-FM Adult Contemporary
WMXJ-FM Classic Hits
San Diego KBZT-FM Alternative
KSON-FM/KSOQ-FM Country
KIFM-FM Adult Contemporary

About Entercom

Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE:ETM) , led by President and CEO David Field, is one of the largest radio broadcasting companies in the United States, with a nationwide portfolio of over 100 stations in 23 markets, including San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Sacramento and Kansas City.

(C) 2014 The Jacobson Consultancy.