Alex Ben Block, correspondent at The Hollywood Reporter, discusses with the major players involved CNN’s push to create eight hours of Spanish language programming for digital and broadcast stations.
KTLA reporter Elizabeth Espinosa will host a nightly magazine show that is part of an eight-hour programming initiative, according to the article. “The goal is to create an unwired network of stations,” says Cynthia Hudson-Fernandez, senior VP and GM of CNN en Español and Hispanic Strategy for CNN/U.S, in the Hollywood Reporter article.
Espinosa will host an hour long show Sin Limites, a five-day-a-week magazine and lifestyle entertainment show, that will break new ground, and target the interests of a new multi-cultural, mixed, Hispanic American population. “The target audience, says Espinosa, is not just those who speak Spanish, but one that is bi-cultural and bilingual and shifts back and forth in both worlds. We’re speaking to that voice, which certainly is bursting.” CNN Latino seeks to expand Latino audience viewership and engagement in all aspects of social, political and economic avenues.
Hudson-Fernandez says, “After Mexico, the U.S. is the largest Spanish speaking country in North and South America.” She adds that it “puts the buying power of U.S. Hispanics at $1.5 trillion.”
While there is lots of Spanish language programming available already, CNN believes there is still a void to be filled. “The difference between us and other alternatives is that this is not about bringing canned programming from somewhere else and slapping a logo on it,” says Hudson-Fernandez. “This is about developing really relevant, specific content that meets the needs of the audience we’re talking about.”
Espinosa will host segments in both Spanish and English, switching between the two languages when necessary, and depending on the topic of discussion. She is also still a full-time reporter at KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles.
Other shows set to launch on CNN Latino include: Showbiz Latino, hosted by CNN en Español correspondent Juan Carlos Arciniegas and Mariela Encarnacion; “Aristegui, with Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui doing interviews with newsmakers; Choque de Opiniones with Juan Carolos Lopez discussing issues and holding debates from Washington, D.C.; CNN Vida, with Dr. Marisa Azaret discussing healthy living; and Deportes USA, sports news hosted by Marcela Trucios.
In a new era, set to redefine Latino identity, biculturalism, and expand viewership, CNN Latino has the opportunity to seize the reins, and impact a new generation of curious Latinos.
