Cable Industry Pays Tribute to Influential Hispanics with On Demand Programming

Partners with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

(National Harbor, MD September 19, 2011) -- Now and throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, many cable companies and cable networks are joining together to pay tribute to the powerful and positive influence of Hispanics in America by shining a spotlight on compelling Hispanic-themed programming and movies On Demand. This positions digital cable customers just a “click away” from the history, struggles, art and food that are emblematic of Hispanic and Latino culture.

“I am honored to be a part of Hispanic Heritage Month," said Michael Portugal, vice president, affiliate marketing, Scripps Networks Interactive. “We have such a compelling story to tell about our history and culture, and this celebration is an excellent opportunity to share the very best we bring this great country of ours. It’s an opportunity to also recognize our community’s growing influence in television; the Hispanic A25-54 population is expected to increase 12 percent and outpace all other demos in the next five years.”

“Hispanics are extreme entertainment enthusiasts,” said CTAM President and CEO Char Beales. “Taking a look at CTAM’s soon-to-be released TV viewership study*,we now know that in a variety of program genres, such as sitcoms and comedies, sports, reality competitions, and children’s programming, Hispanics watch more frequently on a TV set than total households.”




Q. How often do you watch the following types of programming or do the following activities on the following devices?

Base: Households that own the specified technologies and watch/do following activities somewhat or very often.



Hispanic Heritage Month provides the perfect opportunity to examine compelling figures and events in Hispanic history, and witness how Hispanic culture has contributed to the fabric of our nation. Hispanics are also taking advantage of this On Demand, with three-fifths (61%) ordering an On Demand program compared with 65 percent of digital cable households.

As partner in the effort, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) will share information about “Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand” and the associated programming through its social media and other traditional communication channels with its more than 200,000 members.

Viewers wanting to explore the cross-section of On Demand programming being offered can visit www.thisiscable.com. Cable’s Hispanic Heritage Month On Demand programming highlights include:

• Profiles in Courage: Biographies of influential Hispanics come to life with dramatic portrayals such as that of real-life high school teacher Jaime Escalante, who inspires a class of barrio kids to pass an AP Calculus Test. Examine fundamental issues of morality by looking at the life of quadriplegic Ramón Sampedro who fights a 29-year campaign in support of euthanasia and his right to end his own life.

• A Storied Past: Struggles, Strife & Civil Rights -- Gain new understanding of events through the stories of the people who lived through them. The dramatic account of Dominican Republic’s heroic Minerva Mirabal examines how she and her sisters represented a threat to Dictator Rafael Trujillo.

• Talent & Tragedy: Delve into the promise and human failings of Hispanic entertainment legends such as salsa singer Héctor Lavoe, who according to his wife Puchi, grows as an artist but sinks as a person; or the heartbreaking story of Texas-born singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, whose meteoric rise to fame ends tragically at age 23.

• Hispanic Hearth & Home: Join Chef Marcela Vallodolid as she celebrates the diverse culinary gifts of Mexico’s tastiest states with recipes for Jalisco’s pork sandwich, Baja’s lobster burrito and Puebla’s pippian chicken. And design expert Luz Blanchet will share secret solutions for brightening up your home.

*The Hispanic sample was based on a telephone survey conducted by CENTRIS as part of the CENTRIS omnibus survey conducted from July 18-Aug. 31, 3011. This sample includes 366 randomly selected Hispanic consumers age 18+. This sample has a +/-5.3 percentage point margin of error.

About LULAC:
LULAC is the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group in the Unites States. LULAC works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans from every region looking for freedom and an honest way of life. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.

For media inquiries, contact:
Jason D. King, ABC
Director, Communications & Media Relations
CTAM
301.485.8914
jason@ctam.com

CTAM, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, is a non-profit professional association, dedicated to helping the cable business grow. To that end, CTAM provides consumer research, an interactive executive innovation series, conferences, awards and the “CTAM SmartBrief” to its individual members. On behalf of 90 corporate members, the organization leads the Advanced Cable Solutions Consortium and Business Services Council, and facilitates national cooperative marketing efforts, including the Cable Mover Hotline® and Movies On Demand® initiatives. The corporate website is www.ctam.com and CTAM can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.