Danay’s Musings

Here is a great article by Jose Cancela, Principal at Hispanic USA that discusses some great milestones of hispanic tv.

http://www.hispanicad.com/blog/?p=203

By Laurel Wentz

Published: March 30, 2009

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Mired in debt and falling ad sales, Univision Communications posted a 7.8% drop in net revenue, to $502.1 million, for the fourth quarter of 2008 and a net loss of $1.99 billion, compared with a net loss of $201.5 million for the same period in 2007.

For the full year, the Spanish-language media company reported a 2.5% decline in 2008 net revenue to $2 million. Univision’s full-year net loss for 2008 was $5.1 billion, compared with $314.9 million in 2007.

For Univision, the recession is not only slashing ad revenue but also making it harder for the company to pay back the enormous debt load it took on when a consortium of investors bought Univision for $12.3 billion in 2007 at the height of the highly leveraged private-equity boom.

On a conference call to discuss the company’s results with analysts, Andrew Hobson, Univision’s chief financial officer, said several times that the company had made a $385 million debt repayment today. At the end of 2008, Univision’s long-term debt stood at just more than $10 billion.

Accounting for the loss
The 2008 net loss came largely from impairments the company took on assets and $610.8 million from settling a lawsuit in January 2009 with Univision’s main program provider, Mexican media giant Grupo Televisa. Most of the charge for the settlement relates to the free airtime Univision will provide Televisa for the next nine years, until the long-term programming agreement between the two companies ends in 2017. Other charges included investment losses of $162.9 million and restructuring charges of $45 million, including the most recent round of layoffs, in early 2009, when the post of chief marketing officer was eliminated.

Asked about the first quarter, which ends today, Mr. Hobson said, “The first quarter has been tough, and we expect the year to be tough, with weakness to be driven by auto and retail.”

Auto advertising was Univision’s biggest-spending category last year but had fallen to fourth by the last quarter of 2008, trailing retail, telecommunications and consumer package goods, he said. In the fourth quarter, Univision’s car advertising fell 41%, he said.

“In some of our markets, as many as 40% of local dealers have closed down,” he said.

In retail, among the best-performing categories in the fourth quarter, advertisers spent 3% more, and telecommunications and fast-food restaurants, the fifth-biggest-spending category, were both up 8%, Mr. Hobson said.

Getting ready for round two
Round two of the battle between Univision and Televisa will begin later this month. The two companies are still squabbling over who should get the U.S. digital-media rights to the Televisa programming Univision airs in the U.S. Since digital media didn’t really exist when the long-term programming agreement was signed in the 1990s, both companies claim the rights should belong to them. Unless they can resolve the issue out of court in the next three weeks, a trial will start April 21 in a Los Angeles court in front of the same judge, Philip Gutierrez, who presided over the January court case that was settled in mid-trial.

During the call with analysts, Univision’s chief operating officer, Ray Rodriguez, emphasized that Univision continues to add viewers, unlike the English-language TV networks.

“Univision was the only network to grow among adults 18 to 49 during the fourth quarter,” he said. For the first time, Univision became the fourth network among the 18-to-34 segment in 2007, ahead of CBS, he said.

“We’ve been told by advertisers that the Hispanic population is one of the few bright spots, and we continue to see growth in viewership,” he said.

M&C Saatchi has further extended its network by opening an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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The business, which will not launch with a founding client, will offer integrated advertising as well as traditional above-the-line creative.

Geoffrey Hamilton-Jones, the managing director of the Ogilvy Group in Sao Paulo, will launch the agency as its president.

The creative department will be run by Virgilio Neves, the former executive creative director at Ogilvy, and Lilian Lovisi, the creative director from Ogilvy’s 141.

Patricia Weiss, who has also worked at the Ogilvy Group, will take over the agency’s new-business duties.

Moray MacLennan, the chief executive of M&C Saatchi Worldwide, who spearheaded the launch, said: “We admire the creativity found in Brazilian ad agencies. Obviously, having a presence in Latin America’s target market considerably improves our chances of working on international and global business.”

DirectoryM, one of the fastest-growing local advertising platforms on the Web, today announced new services targeted squarely at the fast-growing, U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. With this initiative DirectoryM now offers content partners and advertisers a vehicle to engage with more diverse and local online audiences in Spanish and Portuguese speaking markets in the U.S. and Latin America.

In the United States alone, the Latino population presents a huge marketing opportunity for local advertisers. With an estimated purchasing power of more than $680 billion, according to Kalorama Information, Latinos are the most rapidly-expanding market in the United States. However, even as the market for local online advertising expands, the Hispanic/Latino market remains vastly underserved. According to Hispanic Business, 48 percent of Hispanic American Internet users prefer Spanish language destinations.

“We’ve achieved tremendous success in testing our solutions with different languages, priming us for a strong entry and leadership position within the Spanish speaking market. In some instances, we’ve seen 30 percent week over week growth.” said Hans Orejuela, VP of content, DirectoryM. “With three of our company founders being of Latin descent, this was a natural progression for our business.”

DirectoryM currently reaches visitors at more than 200 regional media sites and garners more than 2 million unique visitors each month. With this expansion, DirectoryM can now offer content publishers and advertisers the benefits of wide distribution and a more diverse audience.

“This is an opportune time to pursue the local advertising market in Latin America, starting with Mexico and expanding to Brazil and Argentina,” said William Pasos, VP of expansion, DirectoryM. “As the first to penetrate these markets, we believe in the power and strengths of these economies.”

About DirectoryM

Based in Cambridge, Mass., DirectoryM provides one of the fastest-growing local advertising platforms on the Web. The DirectoryM network is the first technology solution for online publishers to monetize their traffic and their content. Publishers on the DirectoryM network provide their readers with a highly-integrated directory that marries hyper-local advertisements with unbiased content from trusted sources such as PC World and NHIOndemand (Natural Health Information).

Founded in 2002, the company was purchased by its employees and relaunched in January, 2008. More information can be found at www.DirectoryM.com.

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ — MultiVu(TM), PR Newswire’s multimedia and broadcast PR company, in conjunction with its newly-formed Hispanic division, MultiVu Latino, today announced the launch of the Interactivo Multimedia News Release, the first-ever social media press release targeted to the U.S. Hispanic audience.

Videos
news video MultiVu Launches Interactivo Multimedia News Release
news video MultiVu inaugura su Interactivo Multimedia News Release

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/multivu/32477/

The Interactivo MNR (IMNR) is a Web 2.0 interactive multimedia platform that is unique among multimedia press release offerings because it features distribution and placement of video, audio, photos and text in Hispanic social network and news sites. From language translation to content development to web distribution, MultiVu Latino works with each client to create dynamic news announcements that are tailored to a Hispanic audience and delivered directly to news and online sources that are valued by the Hispanic community.

“The Interactivo MNR is the first communications platform designed specifically for companies and organizations looking to deliver high-quality, targeted multimedia content to the Hispanic market,” said Manny Ruiz, president, Multicultural Markets & Hispanic PR Wire for PR Newswire. “The IMNR’s strength comes from the unique combination of MultiVu’s industry-leading MNR production and delivery capabilities and the breadth of Hispanic PR Wire’s media distribution network, enabling organizations to take their messages to general web audiences as well as to influential media outlets and content providers that cater to the Hispanic community.”

All Interactivo MNRs are delivered over PR Newswire’s vast distribution network to thousands of media outlets, thousands more website and online databases, and nationally to Hispanic PR Wire’s network of more than 3,000 unique Hispanic news outlets. Additionally, IMNRs will receive placement on over 100 Hispanic media websites. Video content from Interactivo MNRs is further uploaded to more than a dozen Hispanic-related video sites including MiGente, MyGrito, starMedia, and Tu.TV, Hispavista, as well as mainstream video portals, including You Tube, Google Video, Yahoo!Video, Metacafe, and Blinkx.

Headlines and photos from IMNRs are also posted in Spanish for the first time ever on the 7,400 + square foot Reuters Digital Billboard in New York City’s Times Square. All Interactivo MNRs are also optimized for search engine visibility and enhanced for Web 2.0 distribution through embedded HTML links and social media tags, such as del.ic.ious, Digg and Technorati.

“The booming U.S. Hispanic Market is right now one of the most significant emerging markets globally and the best part of that for companies large and small is that this market is right in our backyard and ready for the taking. MultiVu Latino created the Interactivo MNR to provide companies with a simple, yet dynamic medium for communicating with the Hispanic community in a manner that is both compelling and understanding of the unique attributes that make the Hispanic culture so vibrant,” Ruiz said.

In addition to its flagship Interactivo MNR, MultiVu offers clients the ability to supplement any regular geographic distribution over Hispanic PR Wire with an Interactivo Basic. The Interactivo Basic includes press release and photo posting on more than 80 of HPRW’s 100 Hispanic online news partner sites such as LatinaStyle magazine, Catalina magazine, Diario Las Americas, Vida Nueva and El Latino de San Diego, among others; press kit posting in PDF, including fact sheets, biographies, newsletters, brochures, calendar of events, registration forms and more; a full screen, live preview of the Web site related to the press release providing easy navigation through a client’s Web site from within the HPRW press release page; text hyperlinks to relevant, search engine-friendly keywords such as company, product and service brand names; and a quote box, spotlighting a significant quote or sentence from a client’s story that best highlights what the story is about.

For more information on the Interactivo MNR or Interactivo Basic, please call the dedicated toll free “bilingual” number 866.580.5326 or send an email to MultivuLatino@multivu.com.

About MultiVu(TM)
MultiVu(TM), a PR Newswire company, provides unsurpassed broadcast and multimedia production and global distribution services to organizations that want to reach the media, financial community, general public and other key audiences with their visual and audio messages.

Using the latest technologies and the vast distribution resources of PR Newswire, MultiVu(TM) multiplies the number of opportunities an organization has to communicate with specific audiences. A variety of current and developing platforms for tape and digital content make this possible, including traditional broadcast TV and radio, financial networks, company intranets, the Web and wireless devices.

About PR Newswire
PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.

Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers’ news to outlets in 170 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire’s leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

source: HispanicPRWire

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 25 — American Airlines announced today an exclusive multi-tiered sponsorship and marketing agreement that establishes the airline as the “Official Airline of Major League Soccer,” the “Official Airline of MLS Cup,” the “Official Airline of the MLS All-Star Game,” and the “Official Airline of SuperLiga.”

The agreement with Soccer United Marketing, Major League Soccer’s marketing arm, provides American Airlines — a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance — a variety of promotional and marketing opportunities with both MLS and SuperLiga, a tournament series between the Mexican First Division and Major League Soccer in July and August 2008.

We are thrilled to be associated with one of America’s increasingly popular sports leagues

“We are thrilled to be associated with one of America’s increasingly popular sports leagues,” said Roger Frizzell, American Airlines Vice President — Corporate Communications and Advertising. “We are especially pleased to have the opportunity to sponsor the SuperLiga tournament series, which in its first year attracted more than 10 million viewers in both Mexico and the U.S. We think this is a phenomenal opportunity to capitalize on the diversity of the MLS fan base.”

The agreement includes on-site advertising, television advertising on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol, promotional and marketing rights, on-site signage, and in-game promotional opportunities.

“With the MLS’ recent additions of star players David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Duilio Davino to its teams’ rosters and plans for future expansion, we are proud to be a part of the league’s continued growth and success,” said Frizzell. “The fact that the MLS product continues to be increasingly popular within the Hispanic community also creates a great opportunity to showcase American Airlines’ history of extensive service to Latin America and Mexico.”

“We are excited about the new partnership with American Airlines,” said Kathy Carter, Executive Vice President, Soccer United Marketing. “Together, we will provide our passionate fans with the opportunity to connect to their favorite teams. The sky is the limit when the world’s most popular game aligns with the world’s largest airline.”

About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world’s largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American’s award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, the AmericanConnection(R) airlines, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the United States and around the world. The League’s 13th season kicks off March 29. The 14 teams in MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, Red Bull New York, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC. The League’s 15th team, Seattle, will begin play in 2009, and 16th team, Philadelphia, will begin play in 2010. For more information about MLS, log on to the League’s official web site at http://www.MLSnet.com.

AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(R)
Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed via the Internet.
The address is http://www.aa.com

source: HispanicPrWire

Miami, FL –March 14, 2008–Television network SUR Corporation has launched a new publication in the U.S. called SUR Titulares. The innovative news product is a print media version of SUR’s television concept, offering a one-stop source for the most important news from different Latin American countries.

In each issue, SUR Titulares presents a weekly or bimonthly recap of the most important news stories from the main Spanish-speaking countries. The issues are published in different Latin newspapers distributed in the United States, thanks to a strategic partnership formed with each media outlet. These newspapers are able to offer their readers a summary of Latin American news and also receive promotion on the company’s TV channels, benefits which have been well-received by the ethnic newspapers.

“This is a strategic alliance in which everybody wins. We are strengthening our presence and at the same time giving our audience an increasingly better service,” said Cristina Luisis, Director of SUR Titulares.

The headlines and news are obtained from the best news outlets in countries such as Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, and are broadcast by the company’s various TV channels, including Canal SUR, SUR Mexico, SUR Peru and TV Venezuela.

“We’ve created this publication as part of our continued efforts to keep all Latin Americans living in the U.S. up-to-date on the most important news happening in their home countries, providing a simple way to stay in touch with the situation in Latin America,” added Luisis.

SUR Corporation (short for Sistema Unido de Retransmisión, or United Broadcast System), is an international company founded more than 14 years ago, whose purpose is to offer a window into the unity of Latin America’s nations, as well as a link to help keep immigrants in touch with their roots.

CONTACT
Cristina Luisis
PH: 786.597.18.29

source: Hispanic PR Wire