Unbelievable Influence: How American Spanish-language Radio Start-ups Are Taking Latin America by Storm!

Title: The Rise of Spanish-Language Radio Start-Ups: A Booming Market in the United States

Introduction:
The Spanish-language radio landscape in the United States is undergoing a transformation with the emergence of new players. Americano Media and Latino Media Network (LMN) are capitalizing on the growing economic, social, and cultural mobility of Latinos while catering to the conservative and nonpartisan preferences of their audiences. This article explores the key players in this market, their strategies to capture the Latino vote, and the significance of Spanish-language media in reaching this fast-growing demographic.

The Rise of Americano Media:
Americano Media, founded by telecommunications executive Iván García-Hidalgo, aims to provide a national media platform for Hispanic conservatives. By securing exclusive interviews with prominent Republican figures such as Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio, Americano Media hopes to become the Spanish-language equivalent of Fox News. With a recent deal with iHeartRadio, the network gains nationwide digital distribution, amplifying its reach and influence.

Latino Media Network’s Unique Approach:
Latino Media Network, founded by former Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama aides Jess Morales Rocketto and Stephanie Valencia, takes a different approach by focusing on nonpartisan content. Beyond political news, LMN covers a range of topics including sports talk, immigration, health, and personal finance. With a diverse group of advisers from both political parties, LMN aims to engage and inform Latino audiences across multiple interests.

Challenging Dominant Players:
Spanish-language media in the U.S. has long been dominated by Telemundo and Univision. However, the entry of Americano Media and LMN introduces new competition. Given the popularity of radio among American Latinos, these start-ups have an opportunity to become important conduits for candidates seeking the Latino vote. Broadcast radio has been found to be the leading platform for reaching Latino audiences, with 97% of American Latinos listening to the radio monthly.

The Power of Spanish-Language Media:
Spanish is the most common non-English language in the United States, spoken by nearly 50 million people. This demographic represents a significant portion of the electorate, with their share doubling since 2000 to 14.3%. While Latino voters tend to lean Democrat, there has been an increase in Republican support, particularly in states like Florida. Spanish-language media outlets play a crucial role in communicating with Latino audiences in a culturally appropriate manner.

The Economic Growth of the Latino Population:
Investors and industry experts recognize the potential of the Spanish-language media market to align with the economic growth of the Latino population. It is seen as an opportunity to address the lack of representation and make Latinos more visible in mainstream media. By catering to the diverse interests and perspectives of Latinos, start-ups like LMN aim to fill the gaps in the media landscape and provide a platform for informed and engaged discussions.

Conclusion:
The emergence of Americano Media and Latino Media Network in the Spanish-language radio market reflects the changing dynamics of Latino media consumption and the pursuit of the Latino vote. While Americano Media seeks to become a conservative voice, LMN adopts a nonpartisan approach, focusing on a wide range of topics. With the influence of Spanish-language media on Latino audiences and the demographic’s growing economic and political power, these start-ups have the potential to shape the media landscape and amplify the voices of the Latino community.

Additional Piece:

Title: The Power of Spanish-Language Media in Shaping Political Discourse

Introduction:
Spanish-language media in the United States holds significant potential to shape political discourse and influence the Latino vote. As the Hispanic population continues to grow and gain economic and social mobility, the rise of Spanish-language radio start-ups presents an opportunity to engage with this demographic in a culturally relevant and inclusive manner. This article dives deeper into the power of Spanish-language media, its impact on political preferences, and the importance of providing diverse voices and perspectives for the Latino community.

Cultural Relevance and Engagement:
Spanish-language media serves as a vital platform for reaching and engaging with the Latino population. By communicating in their native language, these outlets establish trust, foster a sense of cultural connection, and provide content that directly addresses the issues that resonate with Latino communities. This level of cultural relevance is crucial when attempting to capture the attention and support of Latino voters.

Influence on Political Preferences:
Spanish-language media has the power to shape the political preferences of Latino audiences. With the increasing polarization of media outlets, these new start-ups have the opportunity to provide alternative perspectives and counterbalance the dominant narratives in the mainstream media. By presenting a range of voices and opinions, Spanish-language radio can contribute to a more informed and well-rounded public discourse.

Representation and Visibility:
Historically, the media has often overlooked or misrepresented Latino communities. The emergence of Americano Media and Latino Media Network signals a shift towards better representation and visibility for this fast-growing demographic. By providing a space for Latinos to share their experiences, perspectives, and concerns, these start-ups contribute to a more inclusive media landscape and ensure that the Latino community’s interests are heard and considered.

The Latino Vote and Political Influence:
The Latino vote has become increasingly important in recent elections. While traditionally leaning Democratic, there has been a noticeable shift in support towards Republicans, particularly in states like Florida. Spanish-language media plays a crucial role in shaping the political preferences and voting behaviors of the Latino electorate. By providing fair and balanced coverage, start-ups like Americano Media and LMN can influence the voter sentiment and potentially sway election outcomes.

Conclusion:
The rise of Spanish-language radio start-ups presents a unique opportunity to engage and mobilize the Latino community. By providing culturally relevant content, diverse perspectives, and a platform for informed discussions, these start-ups have the potential to shape political discourse, elevate Latino voices, and influence the Latino vote. As the Latino population continues to grow and gain influence, it is crucial for media outlets to prioritize their representation and ensure that their interests are adequately represented. Spanish-language media has the power to drive meaningful change and make a significant impact in the political landscape of the United States.

—————————————————-

Hours before being arraigned this week at a Miami courthouse, Donald Trump phoned a South Florida radio station to give an exclusive interview.

Host Carines Moncada interviewed the former US president in English. Then, with a colleague, she translated the interview into Spanish for Radio Libre 790 listeners.

Moncada likened the “persecution of the conservative political opposition” in Latin America to what she said “is happening here in the United States.” Trump agreed, praising the host for his “kind” and “incredible” questions.

The talk show airs on Americano Media, a broadcaster that calls itself the country’s first Spanish-language curator. media band. Americano’s programming will soon reach 50 markets across the United States.

The Florida-based network, founded by former telecommunications executive Iván García-Hidalgo, launched last year just as a rightward shift among Latino voters continued into Congress in 2022. midterm elections.

Americano Media has raised $20 million from private investors, executives said, and expects to raise another $50 million in its next seed round. A recent deal with iHeartRadio, the largest radio station owner in the United States, gave it nationwide digital distribution.

“A lot of Hispanic conservatives get their news and opinion on talk radio, but there’s no national media platform serving that audience,” said García-Hidalgo, who is also chief executive of Americano Media.

Americano Media isn’t the only newcomer tapping into the Spanish-language radio market. Last summer, Jess Morales Rocketto and Stephanie Valencia, former aides to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, founded Latino Media Network and raised $80 million – a historic figure for a Hispanic-owned American media startup.

LMN bought 18 radio stations from TelevisaUnivision and started operations in the Río Grande Valley in Texas, where Asset made significant gains among Latino voters in the 2020 presidential election. It now reaches eight of the nation’s top 10 media markets.

For generations, Spanish-language media in the United States has been dominated by Telemundo, now owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Univision, which in early 2022 merged with Mexican entertainment giant Televisa to become TelevisaUnivision.

Although TelevisaUnivision and Telemundo also own radio assets, the arrival of LMN and Americano brings new competition to the Spanish language radio market.

The radio is immensely popular among American Latinos. According to Nielsen, broadcast radio leads all other platforms in reaching Latino audiences on a monthly basis. In 2022, 97% of American Latinos listened to the radio every month, compared to 92% of the general population. From 2017 to 2022, live TV viewership declined by 13% among Latinos to 84%.

Spanish is also the most common non-English language in the United States, spoken by nearly 50 million people in the country, 12 times more than the other four most common languages, according to Census Bureau data.

“There are new opportunities for Spanish-language radio start-ups,” said Stacie de Armas, senior vice president of Divers Insights at Nielsen. “There are new voices. . . and perspectives that have not surfaced before.

Jessica Retis, a journalism professor at the University of Arizona, said “we are in a new transformation of the Latino media landscape” and its new actors reflect the growing economic, social and cultural mobility of Latinos.

It gives new entrants to the Spanish-language media market a chance to become influential voices for one of the country’s fastest-growing populations — and important conduits for candidates chasing the Latino vote.

“To get that vote, you want to talk to [Latinos] in a culturally appropriate way. And that means Spanish language,” said Steve Haro, executive vice president of government affairs at TelevisaUnivision, the largest historical Spanish-language media outlet.

Latino voters’ share of the electorate has doubled since 2000 to 14.3%, and although they tend to favor Democrats, a 2020 report by data group Catalist found an increase of 8 percentage points of their support for Republicans since 2016, with a 14-point swing in Florida.

García-Hidalgo is behind Americano Media’s efforts to capitalize on this shift and fill what he calls a conservative “vacuum” in Latino media. In addition to Trump, Americano Media has already secured interviews with Republican politicians such as Senator Marco Rubio.

“Our syndication model delivers our hosts to the most important markets in vital battleground states. This immediately puts us in a good position for brand and political campaign advertising revenue in the coming quarters,” said García-Hidalgo. He said his ambition was to make Americano Media “Fox News in Spanish”.

This ambition is “stupid” for Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist. He said a push for a conservative Spanish-language media company was “much more symbolic than substantial”, given that Spanish is in decline as the dominant language among audiences moving to the right.

Last year, Latino Media Network acquired Radio Mambí, a Miami station long associated with conservative programming. The purchase provoked backlash from critics who claimed the takeover signaled an attempt by the left to consolidate control of the media. Lourdes Ubieta, a former host, quit Radio Mambí, describing the deal as “a stab in the heart” of her community. She now hosts a show on Americano.

Despite their Democratic backgrounds, the founders of LMN focus less on political news than Americano Media and have stressed that its shows will go beyond politics to include sports talk as well as shows on immigration, health and personal finance.

LMN claims to have a nonpartisan mission and has a wide range of advisers, from actress Eva Longoria, who supported the Democrats, to Al Cárdenas, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, a Republican.

For Luis Ubiñas, investor in LMN and former president of the Ford Foundation, the media sector is only beginning to catch up with the economic growth of this population. “The media insists on making Latinos invisible. Latino Media Network is one small step towards solving a big problem.

https://www.ft.com/content/ea3fea89-eeb5-4f89-a607-32d83fb744a6
—————————————————-