According to Nielsen Claritas, Denver’s Latino population, roughly 20 percent of the market, is growing three times faster than the population as a whole.
The Denver Post‘s Joanne Ostrow in April 2010 talked to local and national media executives who shared their thoughts about the booming Latino population.
Most expect a thorough national head count – Census 2010 – to quantify their potential for growing audiences … and ad revenues.
“Denver has been late to the table,” said Miami-based Hispanic media consultant Adam Jacobson. “But maybe the time is ripe, and maybe the dollars are finally there for it to work.”
Jacobson also told Ostrow that the pace of growth among U.S.-born Hispanics is greater than that of immigration. Thus, use of English among Latinos tuning in to media across the nation may eclipse Spanish as the years go by.
“Especially out West, the Hispanic population growth is age 10 and under. At that age, you’re probably watching Nickelodeon (rather than Univision or Telemundo). Within the next 10 to 15 years, the number of Hispanics who prefer to use English will increase.”
This is a controversial belief. Jacobson asks, “But who’s going to consume Spanish-language media if more of the kids speak English?”
At this point, a comment was misunderstood by Ostrow.
“The under-30s watch “Grey’s Anatomy” more than what’s on Univision,” he said.
Adam notes:
I was talking specifically about Cuban Americans born and raised in Miami, and did not clearly state this in my interview. As any statistician will tell you, Hispanic television viewing is driven nationally by the 18-34 demographic. So my comment is obviously a bit odd and out of context.
The article appears on the front page of the April 20, 2010 edition of the Denver Post.
To read the entire story, simply click here.