LV Hispanic media partnership seeks business, political clout

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998 | 10:48 a.m.

A handshake agreement between Las Vegas' Hispanic broadcast stations and the Spanish-language newspaper El Mundo has a bigger goal than just encouraging businesses to market to the burgeoning Latino community.

The alliance between KBLR Channel 39, KDOL 1280-AM and El Mundo is bidding to register 10,000 Hispanic voters in an effort to influence upcoming elections.

Scott Gentry, president of Summit Media Inc., which owns Telemundo, the Spanish-language television station that also appears as Prime Cable Channel 9, said the alliance formalizes proposals that have been in discussion between the management of the Hispanic broadcast and print media for two years.

Gentry, who on Sunday officially took on programming responsibilities for KDOL radio in addition to Telemundo's, said the alliance with El Mundo gives the Hispanic media a unified front to serve what he said is the fastest-growing Hispanic market in the nation.

Although the companies will continue to work independently, they plan to cross-market content and advertising to serve the estimated 178,000 Hispanics in Southern Nevada.

Gentry announced the formation of the alliance Monday and said it intends to educate corporations about building relationships with loyal Hispanic consumers.

But it was Eddie Escobedo, owner and publisher of El Mundo and president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, who spelled out the biggest goal of the alliance: "We want to be the key to the next election."

Escobedo, who also serves as chairman of the board for KDOL and is planning to develop Escobedo Professional Plaza, Las Vegas' first Hispanic business complex, said if the group is successful in registering 10,000 Hispanic voters, it can make a difference in establishing policy.

"I am convinced that through our combined efforts in getting the Hispanic community out and voting in increased and recognizable numbers, we will be the swing vote in the upcoming election season," said Escobedo.

Ray Vega, one of Southern Nevada's leading Hispanic businessmen and an honorary consul to Mexico, said the alliance will provide better communication to the community and the bid to register voters could lead to greater representation.

Vega said many of Southern Nevada's new Hispanic residents came from countries where the value of the vote is not as important as it is in the United States. That's why it's important for the Hispanic media to band together to educate Spanish-speaking residents about the elective process, Vega said.

archive