Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008 - (Page 54)

CHAMBER FOCUS BRING HISPANICS INTO FOCUS TELEVISION SHOW COVERS BUSINESS, POLITICS, EDUCATION, ART, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MORE FROM THE LATINO PERSPECTIVE By Millie Acebal Rousseau Augustine “Augie” Martinez barely stepped into his new position before he started making plans on how to elevate the proﬁle of Hispanics in business. Part of that strategy: taking the syndicated television show, Hispanics Today, to the next level. As the interim president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Martinez knows the show can be a powerful tool in sharing the success stories and addressing the interests of the Latino community across the nation. Perhaps that is because Martinez has been the general manager for the show for the past year. When former USHCC president Michael L. Barrera announced he was leaving to work for Source One Management, Inc. of Denver, the organization tapped Martinez to ﬁll in while they searched for a permanent replacement. Martinez, who has a 30-year history in broadcasting—putting in time at CBS, FOX, Telemundo and Univision, and even serving for nearly 10 years as the general manager for KMEX, the Univision afﬁliate in Los Angeles—immediately saw the opportunity to market USHCC. “We’re doing great things, but haven’t been able to convey it to supporters,” he says. He believes the show can market USHCC more efﬁciently, better reaching sponsors, advertisers and constituents. “The potential of this vehicle it’s a great opportunity to enhance branding, to tell our story of what Latinos have accomplished.” 54 Hispanics Today was launched eight years ago. The half-hour newsmagazine is taped and airs nationally every week on 165 stations across the country in 112 markets, such as Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Chicago and Dallas. It airs on major networks such as NBC, between Friday and Tuesday, depending on the market. “Our goal is to increase viewership and expand reach,” says Erica Ortiz, the show’s host and one of the producers. Right now, she explains, they reach 84 percent of the Hispanic population— that’s 26 million households. The show is broken down into four segments and covers topics such as politics, education, art, entertainment, sports, ﬁnance, business and culture. “We’re showcasing the contributions of Hispanic leaders in these areas, and issues affecting the Latino community,” says Ortiz. While the show is in English, it has a bilingual tone. For example, rather than saying Mexico, you may hear the host pronounce it as Méjico. One segment, Healthy Recipe Makeovers, a new feature, asks viewers across the country to submit their favorite traditional recipes. A nutritionist then shows them how to make the selected dish in a healthier way. The show also has special editions, including an immigration series and an ongoing segment on women entrepreneurs. To Martinez, showcasing the Latina initiative is very imporHISPANIC ENTERPRISE February/March 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008

Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008 Contents Briefcase: BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Briefcase: Trendsetters Briefcase: BIZTECH: Virtually Meeting BizLife: Travel: Madrid's New Attraction Q & A: Mi Case es su Casa Hispanic Commerce: The Agenda Cover Story: The Top 50 Corporations for Supplier Diversity Technology: Hispanic Web 2.0 Success & Motivation: Sweetening the Deal Politics & Government: The Rescue Generation Managing: The Method Franchising: The Hispanic Face of Franchising Chamber Focus: It's Showtime Movers & Shakers: Open for Business Finance & Investing: Getting Your 401(K) on Target

Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008

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