MIAMI — A decade ago, Jay Meyers was a key executive at Adelante Media Group, an owner of Spanish-language radio stations in emerging markets such as Salt Lake City and Milwaukee. Back then, he believed the 2010 Census data would result in a such a big revenue bump, that dollars would “run through the door.” By 2016 Adelante was no longer in operation.
Fast-forward to today, and there’s a sense of deja vu: The 2020 Census numbers would run revenue through the door for Hispanic radio. But … is it?
Some of the Hispanic radio industry’s key leaders offered their insights on the subject, along with other key discussion points, in an Executive Roundtable that proved to be an engaging Hispanic Radio Conference session held Wednesday in Doral, Fla.
Meyers, who today serves as President/CEO of Broadcast Management and Technology and is based in the Space Coast of Florida, was told by Donny Hudson, EVP of Local Media for Radio, TV and Digital at Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) that Miami was doing well. Maire Mason, SBS’s EVP/GM for New York and Chicago, then chimed in, noting that New York was also doing well, and that the sales revenue was “getting better” in Chicago. Meanwhile, Orlando — a new market for SBS — already puts the company in the Top 5 among all stations when it comes to billing, according to Miller Kaplan data Mason cited.
That’s all fine and well, but Meyers wanted Hudson and Mason to look beyond their own stations in asking if all Hispanic-focused radio stations are getting their fair share of the ad dollars. Miami, Hudson replied, wasn’t really a fair look at the Hispanic market as it is the total market given the population of Latinos. Mason shared the New York revenue distribution, and it hit Meyers’ point right on the head.
According to Mason, New York’s Hispanic radio stations billed $70 million; African-American focused stations billed $90 million; the rest of the ad dollars totaled $350 million. Of course, ratings and the number of stations have much to do with the dollars. But, given the ratings TelevisaUnivision and SBS enjoy from their respective radio stations versus R&B and hip-hop stations owned by iHeartMedia and MediaCo, the disparities become a bit clearer.
Hispanics comprise 27% of the population in the City of New York, Mason says.
For Jeff Liberman, the Hispanic market veteran who today is President/COO of Entravision, too many “zero accounts” remain on the roster. “It is the advertiser’s choice not to buy, and we have to change their mindset,” he said.
DIVERSITY PLAY A HINDRANCE?
Could going after “diversity dollars” put Hispanic radio at a disadvantage? Meyers suggested this, and suggested that Spanish-language sales reps “stop knocking on the ‘Diversity’ door at the agency” and start getting more of the general-market dollars.
This suggestion was not universally accepted, generating debate and discussion. Eric Garcia, the TelevisaUnivision VP of Multiplatform Sales for New York and VP of Audio Sales for the Eastern Region, noted that 2 of 3 brands do not sell against Hispanics. And, the one that does gets a 70% lift. For Liberman, convincing the client that they are underspending is an absolute necessity.
Mason then reacted to Meyers’ “diversity door” comment with a quip. “What door? I would go through all of the doors and maybe even climb through the window!,” she said, resulting in laughter from the packed ballroom at the Intercontinental at Doral Miami.
Eastman Radio President Tucker Flood then approached the mic from the audience, arguing that it is “both doors,” diversity and total market, that are equally important for Hispanic radio. “There are people invested in diversity affecting outcomes,” Flood said.
Meyers then lobbed a fireball of words at Hispanic radio by stating that those handling sales at “Urban radio” are doing a better job of it. So what can Spanish-language radio learn from those serving African American audiences? Liberman replied, “We need to form a coalition and go out and get the dollars we deserve.”
While his comment resulted in applause, such suggestions have gone unanswered over several years, as the fierce competitive nature within the U.S. Hispanic market among companies has overpowered a desire for the creation of a united voice to fight for more radio ad dollars.
Whether or not those selling Hispanic radio should consider themselves “multicultural” media was also a hot-button topic of discussion. Veteran Hispanic marketing and advertising pro Gene Bryan, who publishes HispanicAd.com, called it a mistake that the U.S. Hispanic market uses the phrase “multicultural” and argued that the industry needs to sell the U.S. Hispanic market. “The word ‘multicultural’ should be thrown out,” he implored, resulting in applause from the crowd.
Garcia, from the dais, brought the conversation back to the panel by calling “preposterous” that after 15 years, Hispanic radio is still begging to get its fair share of the ad pie. “We need to start speaking to the outside world and not just to ourselves,” he said.
Later, Garcia commented on the fate of AM radio in the U.S.; TelevisaUnivision sold a group of its AM radio stations to Latino Media Group, and Garcia said “they are going to make lemonade of the AMs.” The comment came as word emerged in Canada that Bell Media had abruptly ceased transmissions on six AM radio stations, with properties such as CJBK-AM in London, Ont., and CFUN-AM in Vancouver permanently ceasing broadcasts.
In the U.S., Liberman argued that AMs serve as important homes for niche formats, and that brings value to those stations. Plus, there is technology that can improve the reception of AM.
Meyers wound down the conversation by touching on political dollars in 2024. His closing thought? The time to get the 2024 money is now.
2023 MEDALLAS DE CORTEZ WINNERS NAMED
This year’s honors saluting the best talent in U.S. Hispanic radio were handed out at the close of the first day of the Hispanic Radio Conference in Miami.
Here are the list of award recipients:
- MARKETER OF THE YEAR: Claudia deLeon, La Mega Media – Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio; and Pittsburgh
- SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR: George Sanchez, SBS/Orlando
- PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: Everardo López, WLKQ-FM & WTSH-FM in Atlanta (Davis Broadcasting)
- PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Oscar Rios, TelevisaUnivision- Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Chicago
- DOS/SALES MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Jim Reilly, SBS/New York
- MARKET MANAGER/GM OF THE YEAR: Shirley Davenport, Curtis Media Group/Greensboro-Winston Salem
- STATION OF THE YEAR: KBUE “Que Buena”/Los Angeles (Estrella Media)
