Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference – Day One Highlights

Futbol de Primera Stands Tall With Talent, Properties and Reach

Radio stations that offer sports programming in Spanish are a vital part of Hispanic radio’s long-term growth. In the second portion of our exclusive three-part interview with Futbol de Primera chairman Andrés Cantor, the legendary soccer play-by-play announcer tells Hispanic media marketing strategist Adam R Jacobson about the advertiser benefits of advertising on Spanish SportsRadio. He also shares some of the network’s top offerings.

ADAM JACOBSON: Advertisers that are thinking about Spanish-language radio for a media buy have several options. What is it about Spanish Sports, and FDP Radio, that an advertiser should strongly consider when finalizing their media buying and planning?

ANDRES CANTOR: That’s an easy one. It comes down to the best talent, properties, massive reach, and ratings results. In the PPM landscape, we have the ability to measure in-game listenership based on the “actual game”, not quarterly or bi-annual time period averages. The results are amazing. Like with that other medium (television), the Mexican National Team and World Cup matches produce record ratings for FDP. Our Time Spent Listening numbers are also brilliantly through the roof. We are talking about the very best games, and not just any sort of soccer or sports in general. Our matches are appointment listening, with a proven track record. We also provide in-program and in-game entitlement integration with live reads within the pre-game, halftime, and post-game periods. We also offer integration within play by play for those special broadcast partners. With the Brazilian World Cup coming, an advertiser need only focus on the best of the best.

AJ: FDP Radio is known for its World Cup coverage, but there’s much more. Let’s talk about what else are hallmarks of the network.

AC: Yes, we are known for our World Cup coverage by carrying the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, but it’s not over anytime soon. We are the only U.S. network, English-language or Spanish-language, to retain our broadcast rights beyond 2014, with the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

After the 2022 final, we will have been FIFA’s radio broadcast partner for 20 years. In addition to our Mexican National Team matches and other incredible live World Class soccer properties, we also have our staple daily program — the Fútbol De Primera Show that I host. In August 2012 the FDP Daily Show will celebrate its uninterrupted 23rd season. FDP Radio also offers daily vignettes and our lifestyle program “Casos y Cosas de Collins,” with acclaimed Univision news anchor Maria Antonieta Collins.

The conclusion of our conversation with Andrés Cantor appears in our Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference coverage distributed Friday, March 23.

Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference – Day One Highlights

ADAM R JACOBSON, reporting from San Diego

Action. Unity. Those were the two words Radio Ink publisher Eric Rhoads asked attendees of the Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference to write down and act upon. Kicking off the two-day confab yesterday, Rhoads advocated for industry unity. “This conference represents opportunity for the heart of the radio industry to make change.”

Still, the industry has come a long way since 1962, when honorary conference chair and industry icon Eduardo Caballero launched a Spanish-language radio station in New York. Later, when he launched a national network advertising sales representation firm for Hispanic radio, there were still challenges – just 49 Spanish-language radio stations were on the air in the U.S., and agencies ignored him. This forced Caballero to go direct to the advertisers – something that gives Hispanic broadcasters an advantage today, capitalizing on the ability to sell to people without having a microfocus on CPM.

‘DON’T MISUNDERSTAND THE THREAT OF THE INTERNET’

In a moving acceptance speech of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement “Medallas de Cortez” award, Lotus Communications CEO Howard Kalmenson urged conference attendees to pay heed to the threat of in-vehicle internet access – something that will end radio’s exclusivity while on the road. “Exclusivity in the car has been our life blood. Now, you’ve got competitors you’ve never dreamed of. They don’t need towers. They don’t need offices. Think over what’s really coming … and ask, ‘What do I do for the next 50 years?’” Going back to basics is one of Kalmenson’s suggestions; he refused to reveal the other ideas he has in mind. Receiving 2012 Medallas de Cortez as Station of the Year for Markets 1-25: Entravision’s Mexican Regional KDLD-FM 103.1 “El Gato” in Los Angeles. Taking the award for markets 25+ is Connoisseur Media’s KBBX-FM in Omaha. For a full list of award winners, visit http://www.radioink.com.

A POLITICAL STORY THAT MUST INCLUDE HISPANICS

Hispanic entrepreneur Charles Garcia, best-selling author of A Message from Garcia and Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows, told conference attendees in a keynote address that radio’s key business trait is its ability to touch people’s hearts. He devoted much of his conversation to the importance of Latinos in the 2012 Race to the White House: Of the 15 “swing states” Republicans must capture, the majority have significant numbers of registered Hispanic voters. Given the lack of support among Latinos of the two leading Republican presidential nominees, Garcia believes it is nearly impossible for President Obama to lose the November election. For radio, bringing the political message of both the Republican nominee and Obama’s reelection campaign to Latinos is essential – and the industry should do its part to foster political advertising at its stations.

In a prerecorded statement, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) noted that radio plays a critical role, not just in this year’s elections, but moving forward with respect to connecting to a large segment of voters. Politicians should rely on Spanish-language to get the message out, and to continuously inform the public on information pertinent to them.

SESSION SOUNDBYTES

“We have to keep a particular eye on what is going on in digital. It is growing and it is working and at the end of the day it is about the right ROI.” – MEC Managing Director Gonzalo Del Fa

“To win the game, you have to know what the rules are to win that game.” – Programming consultant Bob Perry, who says a station with both English-language and Spanish-language programming is dependent on the unique dynamics of each individual market.

“In the PPM world we’re programming on a minute-by-minute basis.” – Haz Montana, Operations Manager, Univision Radio/Los Angeles, who believes growing the “big tent” has led to the end of Spanish-language radio shows known for “shock moments” designed to aid recall when completing an Arbitron diary.

For complete conference coverage, please visit http://www.radioink.com