|
|
Pop TV quiz: What
do Hispanics watch?
Would you believe TV Land is their No. 1 network?
By Marisa Hoheb
Flip on the television and it’s
easy to suss out who’s watching what. Blacks gravitate toward
black-centered networks. Hispanics prefer Spanish-language networks
such as Telemundo.
Well, actually, not necessarily.
Presuming television watching habits based on ethnic
background turns out to be a risky business, according to a new
study by BIGresearch of Columbus, Ohio.
The study, which examined the media habits of nearly
12,500 white, black and Hispanic Americans, found that minorities
don’t automatically tune in first to the networks that target
their ethnic group.
“Stereotyping doesn’t hold up very well in the face
of these findings,” says Joe Pilotta, BIGresearch’s vice
president of research.
One head-turning example: The No. 1 cable network among
those Hispanics surveyed is none other than that Wonder Bread of the
airwaves, TV Land.
A host of factors explain why.
According to Pilotta, “There are at least two to
three generations of American-born Hispanics living in the United
States, and they can be just as nostalgic as anyone else."
But even among recent immigrants, TV Land is a major
presence.
Why?
For one, the vast majority of the programs featured on
the network don’t require a sophisticated command of the English
language to grasp their generally less-than-intricate plotlines,
observes Pilotta.
TV Land may also serve as a teaching tool for those
eager to better their English.
Pilotta also sees Hispanic culture as placing great
value on humor, making the network’s numerous sitcoms highly
appealing.
In the case of African Americans, BIGresearch's study
found that BET is the most-watched cable network. That's hardly
surprising. But what may be surprising is the popularity of pay
cable channels in black households.
BIGresearch's study found that in fact both blacks and
Hispanics are more likely than whites to watch pay cable.
“It’s largely a status issue,” he says. “It’s
a matter of ‘I can be seen to have one.’”
Indeed, minorities
of all socioeconomic levels are more likely than whites to select
pay cable as their primary source of entertainment.
Minority groups also show non-stereotypical preferences
when it comes to other forms of media as well, the study found.
For example, Latin-format radio stations are nowhere
near as popular among their target audience as might be expected or
hoped.
“The Latin format doesn’t stand out as No. 1 among
Hispanics,” says Pilotta. “In fact, it’s more like No. 6 or 7,
far below several English-language formats.”
|
AFRICAN
AMERICAN VIEWERSHIP
Ranked on Households
Week Ending May 23
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1 |
MOTOWN 45(S) |
ABC |
19.8 |
2543 |
|
2 |
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
19.8 |
2542 |
|
3 |
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY |
FOX |
18.1 |
2323 |
|
4 |
MY WIFE & KIDS-WED
8:30PM |
ABC |
14.3 |
1834 |
|
5 |
MY WIFE AND KIDS |
ABC |
14.0 |
1805 |
|
6 |
ALL OF US |
UPN |
13.2 |
1699 |
|
7 |
LAW AND ORDER:SVU |
NBC |
12.4 |
1596 |
|
8 |
HALF AND HALF |
UPN |
12.1 |
1563 |
|
9 |
GIRLFRIENDS |
UPN |
12.1 |
1562 |
|
10 |
ONE ON ONE |
UPN |
11.9 |
1527 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media
Research
|
|
SPANISH-LANGUAGE
TELEVISION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending May 23
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
NHTI*
Rtg% |
Projection
(000) |
|
1 |
MARIANA DE LA NOCHE MON |
UNI |
23.0 |
2430 |
|
2 |
MARIANA DE LA NOCHE TUE |
UNI |
22.1 |
2340 |
|
3 |
MARIANA DE LA NOCHE WED |
UNI |
21.9 |
2313 |
|
4 |
BAJO LA MISMA PIEL TUE |
UNI |
21.5 |
2273 |
|
5 |
MARIANA DE LA NOCHE THU |
UNI |
20.8 |
2201 |
|
6 |
BAJO LA MISMA PIEL WED |
UNI |
19.4 |
2054 |
|
6 |
BAJO LA MISMA PIEL THU |
UNI |
19.4 |
2050 |
|
8 |
AMAR OTRA VEZ THU |
UNI |
19.2 |
2028 |
|
9 |
BAJO LA MISMA PIEL MON |
UNI |
19.1 |
2017 |
|
10 |
MARIANA DE LA NOCHE FRI |
UNI |
19.0 |
2012 |
|
11 |
AMAR OTRA VEZ TUE |
UNI |
18.9 |
1999 |
|
11 |
AMAR OTRA VEZ MON |
UNI |
18.9 |
1998 |
|
13 |
AMAR OTRA VEZ WED |
UNI |
18.6 |
1963 |
|
14 |
BAJO LA MISMA PIEL FRI |
UNI |
17.6 |
1855 |
|
15 |
CRISTINA-MON |
UNI |
16.4 |
1731 |
|
16 |
NOT UNI PRESENTA
5/20(S)-05/20/2004 |
UNI |
16.3 |
1728 |
|
17 |
DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA-WE |
UNI |
16.2 |
1715 |
|
18 |
AMAR OTRA VEZ FRI |
UNI |
16.1 |
1703 |
|
19 |
ESCUELITA VIP FRI |
UNI |
15.3 |
1618 |
|
20 |
AL FILO DE LA LEY TUE |
UNI |
13.3 |
1405 |
|
* Nielsen Hispanic
Television Index; ratings based on 9.7 million Hispanic TV
homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
May 26, 2004© 2004
Media Life
-- Marisa
Hoheb is a staff writer for Media Life.
|
|
|
|
