Media

The Pan American Games, last televised on ESPN in 1999, will be making a comeback to ESPN this summer. ESPN Deportes, the company’s Spanish-language network, today announced that it has acquired the exclusive Spanish-language multimedia rights throughout the United States and Puerto Rico to the XV Pan American Games Rio 2007. The Pan American Games, the largest international sports competition in the world after the Olympics, will celebrate the 2007 edition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 13 – 29. Like other recent ESPN Deportes rights acquisitions, the agreement includes access to extensive content that will fuel ESPN Deportes’ multimedia assets including ESPN Deportes television, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN Deportes Wireless. ESPNdeportes.com, the leading Spanish-language sports site in the U.S., will have non-exclusive Spanish-language rights in the U.S.

A new national study by The Media Audit shows that Texans are among some of the heaviest users of outdoor advertising in the U.S. According to the 87-market survey, Houston-Galveston and Riverside-San Bernardino (California) took the top two spots in a survey of the nation’s top heavy outdoor users, followed by Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas. According to the survey, heavy outdoor users are defined as having driven more than 200 miles in a typical week.

comScore released the results of a study analyzing Americans’ usage of, and attitudes toward, Mobile TV, which is defined as television watched via a mobile phone device (either live or on-demand). The study, based on a survey of more than 2,000 mobile phone users, revealed that nearly two out of three Mobile TV subscribers are male and that nearly half are below the age of 35. Also included in the study are insights about consumer behavior and attitudes toward Mobile TV, including information on product awareness, programming content, and key purchase motivators.

Banco Popular de Puerto Rico presents in DVD its first musical production from 1965 honoring one of Puerto Rico’s most famous and prolific composer, Rafael Hernández. Originally, this special was broadcast on all the then current television and radio channels to celebrate the inauguration of the Bank’s new Headquarters in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.

Over 43 million Hispanics lived in the United States in 2004 according to the U.S. Hispanic Synovate Report. The Hispanics in the U.S. are the second largest Hispanic Market, following only Mexico, and continue growing at outstanding speed, with a prediction by the U.S. Census Bureau of 29% growth in the following 8 years. This market also enjoys one of the highest disposable incomes amongst minorities. According to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, the purchasing power of U.S. Hispanics will reach $863 billion in 2007.

The following is a statement from Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis on behalf of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network:

The theme of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) is “Taking Back Responsibility.” We are consistent in our strong affirmation, defense, and protection of the First Amendment right of free speech and artistic expression. We have recently been involved in a process of dialogue with recording and broadcast industry executives about issues concerning corporate social responsibility.

Arbitron Inc. released the first “currency” radio ratings from the Philadelphia Portable People Meter radio ratings service, officially inaugurating the era of electronic measurement of radio audiences in the United States.

The March Portable People Meter (PPMTM) survey ratings, covering March 8 through April 4, is being delivered to subscribing radio stations, agencies and advertisers to be used in the buy/sell process for radio commercial time and as the basis for making programming decisions.

While broadcast and cable networks kept their clutter relatively flat in 2006 versus previous years, they are still running on average 15 minutes of non-program material per hour in primetime, according to MindShare’s annual Clutter Watch. The study, which identifies trends based on an analysis of prime-time commercial minutes and non-program minutes data from TNS, found one exception in FOX News. The cable news network increased more than 10% to 15 minutes and 10 seconds per hour in non-program minutes over 2005.