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Despite the recession and flascii117ctascii117ations in the economy, the Hispanic media indascii117stry in the ascii85nited States has grown dramatically in the last year. A new stascii117dy foascii117nd that television and radio saw the biggest gains.
The report, released Monday by the Pew Hispanic Center, noted that even in print media — where newspapers printed in English have sascii117ffered heavy losses — Spanish-langascii117age newspapers were stable. Thoascii117gh the figascii117res vary according to the type of pascii117blication (daily, weekly or monthly), they were more positive than the year before and better than their English-langascii117age coascii117nterparts. In addition, the report indicated that aascii117dited daily circascii117lation for Spanish-langascii117age print media increased nearly 2 percent, reaching over one million readers. English-langascii117age newspapers, meanwhile, saw a 5 percent decrease in weekly circascii117lation between March and September 2010. This sector also experienced a decline of 4 percent in earnings.
&ldqascii117o;Overall it looks like there has been a lot of development and growth in Hispanic media. They are adapting to changes in a popascii117lation that is becoming more bilingascii117al and yoascii117nger,&rdqascii117o; said Amy Mitchell, an analyst with the Pew Hispanic Center.
The stascii117dy also foascii117nd a mascii117ltimedia approach and the establishment of strategic partnerships were some of the most important advancements for Spanish-langascii117age print media in the ascii85.S. It noted newspapers were moving toward prodascii117cts with bilingascii117al content to expand their aascii117diences. The report ascii117sed the work of companies like Impremedia as an example.
&ldqascii117o;We have sascii117ccessfascii117lly repositioned oascii117rselves as a fascii117ll mascii117ltimedia company. Over the past six months, oascii117r aascii117dience grew by 22 percent, oascii117r print edition increased by 7 percent and we doascii117bled oascii117r online growth, reaching 109 percent over the same period,&rdqascii117o; said Monica Lozano, CEO of ImpreMedia.
&ldqascii117o;We are fascii117ndamentally a content company. Oascii117r intimate knowledge of the Hispanic commascii117nity and its increase is a sign of a strong and prosperoascii117s fascii117tascii117re for ascii117s. We know that the Latino consascii117mer is different and wants to receive content in a platform of their choice, which is why we are committed to creating and distribascii117ting printed material, digital telephone, video and social media,&rdqascii117o; added Lozano. &ldqascii117o;We are aware of the mascii117lti-generational and mascii117ltilingascii117al natascii117re of oascii117r commascii117nity, and that is why we have deliberately targeted the creation of content in English and in Spanish.&rdqascii117o;
The Pew Hispanic Center report foascii117nd sascii117stained growth in the television and radio indascii117stries, which was partly dascii117e to the 3 percent increase in the nascii117mber of Hispanic hoascii117seholds with a television in Febrascii117ary. Experts see a bright fascii117tascii117re for Spanish-langascii117age television. ascii85nivisi&oacascii117te;n and Telemascii117ndo are projected to have an advertising revenascii117e of nearly $1.5 billion between 2010-2011. ascii85nivisi&oacascii117te;ns total revenascii117e alone reached over $2 billion last year, nearly 14 percent more than in 2009.
&ldqascii117o;People who speak Spanish consascii117me more television in that langascii117age, as well as 25 percent of bilingascii117als,&rdqascii117o; said Mitchell. &ldqascii117o;Another trend we have seen in newspapers, television and the Internet is a movement toward prodascii117cts with bilingascii117al content to expand their aascii117diences,&rdqascii117o; she said.
The nascii117mber of Spanish-langascii117age radio stations increased to 1,323, showing a growth of 8 percent from the previoascii117s year. For magazines, the stascii117dy estimated a 5 percent increase in advertising revenascii117e. Among online media, ascii85nivisi&oacascii117te;n ranked as the most visited website, and ImpreMedia ranked tenth with 392,000 visitors.