Telemundo & GE Hispanic Forum host HAZTE CONTAR Town Hall.

Telemundo and GE Hispanic Forum, are hosting an ¡Hazte Contar! (Be Counted!) town hall and panel discussion today focusing on the 2010 Census and the Hispanic community. The discussion will be held at the Congressional Visitors Center in Washington, DC.  Among the distinguished group of panelists will be Dr. Robert Groves, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Don Browne, President, Telemundo; Rep.  Mario Diaz-Balart, R. Florida 25th District, and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D. California 31st District.  Natalie Morales of NBC News and Jose Diaz-Balart of Telemundo will serve as moderators for the panel.

“Our country is going through profound changes. Every ten years, the Census gives us a clear picture of the demographic composition of the U.S. and will have an important effect on the current and future direction of our nation,” said Don Browne, President, Telemundo. “Every person residing in the U.S. is affected by this and it is essential that we inform, empower and energize our community to participate in this critically important national effort.”

As part of Telemundo’s ¡Hazte Contar! campaign the network produced and is broadcasting a third wave of Public Service Announcements, featuring key Hispanic legislators. The following Congresspeople and Senators will be recognized at the event:

Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D, Texas 20th District
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R, Florida 21st District
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D, Texas 28th District
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R, Florida 25th District
Rep. Albio Sires, D, New Jersey 13th District
Rep. Xavier Becerra, D, California 31st District
Rep. Jose Serrano, D, New York 16th District
Sen. Robert Menendez, D, New Jersey
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D, California 39th District
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R, Florida 18th District
Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D, New York 12th District

“We are counting on trusted voices to partner with us in spreading the word among the Hispanic population that the 2010 Census is easy, important and safe,” said Dr. Robert M. Groves, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau.  “The Census Bureau deeply appreciates the support of our partners in encouraging the public to mail back their questionnaires, so we can achieve a complete and accurate count in the 2010 Census.”

¡Hazte Contar! (Be Counted!) is Telemundo’s company-wide, year-long national multi-platform campaign initiative designed to increase awareness of the 2010 Census among U.S. Hispanics and increase their participation in this significant national process in order to obtain appropriate representation in the total U.S. population. This campaign launched on April 1, 2009 and is running across all Telemundo properties, including the network and affiliate stations; mun2, Telemundo’s cable channel aimed at bilingual Latinos; and digital platforms telemundo.com and holamun2.com.

Telemundo is featuring special segments, investigative reporting and interviews with experts, all aimed at educating and raising awareness on the importance of the 2010 Census, its inner workings and its social, political and economic impact for Hispanics in the United States. Throughout the campaign, Telemundo’s news programming has incorporated the Census message in its programs including “Noticiero Telemundo” and “Al Rojo Vivo.” In addition, Telemundo has launched a series of public service announcements at a local and national level to supplement the campaign.

Telemundo.com launched a special site where visitors can access videos and information from the network’s shows, as well as user comments and links to the Census Bureau website and to Hispanic community organizations.

Telemundo has also joined important community organizations like LULAC, MANA and the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) to take the Census message directly to local communities. In addition, the network has joined with education experts Young Minds Inspired (YMI) to present the  “?Hazte Contar!” campaign in classrooms across the country via virtual lessons designed to raise awareness and motivate young people to participate in this national process.