NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Univision Communications Inc. (“Univision”) and Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (“Televisa”); (NYSE:TV); (BMV:TLEVISA), two of the world’s leading media companies focused on serving Hispanics, today announced plans to expand upon their existing programs to provide more opportunities for Latinos in the U.S. media and technology sectors in 2016. The new efforts will include a wide variety of education, mentorship and career development programs.
As the economic, political and cultural impact of Hispanic Americans continues to grow, Univision and Televisa believe it is critically important for Latinos to play a leading role in participating in and shaping the media industry in the United States. Accordingly, the two companies have joined forces to accomplish two overarching goals: 1) Strengthen and expand their existing efforts to increase the pipeline of Latinos in media and technology; and 2) Develop and educate future media leaders and professionals.
Commenting on the initiative, Alex Nogales the president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, said: “One of my lifelong goals has been to provide access to careers in media for future generations of U.S. Hispanics, and to create opportunities for Latinos both behind and in front of the camera. That is why we are supporting the joint initiative announced today by Univision and Televisa -- because it will create opportunities for a new generation in our industry at this critical time when it's so important for diverse voices to be heard.”
“The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) commends Univision and Televisa on this initiative, which is the result of the productive partnership between the two companies, and is critical to the development of original content that touches and concerns the Latino community," said Felix Sanchez, NHFA chairman and co-founder. “NHFA looks forward to working with the companies to usher in the next generation of talented Latino filmmakers, who are waiting in the wings and ready to take the center stage of the U.S. entertainment and media world."
Axel Caballero, the executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), added: “NALIP's multiple media incubation initiatives foster, promote and advance Latino content creators behind and in front of the camera; providing the necessary tools to strengthen our communities' access and representation across the industry. We've had a long and successful partnership with Univision in forging these types of efforts over the years and we know that Televisa will only strengthen and redouble these efforts that will have a huge impact in our ability to reach our goals. Our community of Latino filmmakers, writers, directors, entrepreneurs, executives and media consortia is rich, talented and diverse and together we are paving the way to lead the next generation of media makers.”
“The role that U.S. Hispanics are playing in all aspects of shaping the future of our country has never been greater. As part of our ongoing mission to empower our community, and through our partnership with Televisa, we are enhancing our efforts to help ensure that Latinos are well-represented across all aspects of the media sector,” said Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. “Given the convergence of technology and media, we are promoting STEM education and skill development among Hispanics, beginning at a young age, to help them attain the technical skills they need to compete and contribute to the media industry and its consumers.”
“Our mission to empower Latinos in the media and technology industries extends deep into the United States through our longstanding partnership with Univision, as well as the wide array of initiatives undertaken by the Televisa Foundation,” said Alicia Lebrija, president of Televisa Foundation. “The expanded partnership we are announcing today will significantly advance our joint efforts to ensure Hispanic American children and youth have more and better opportunities to pursue STEM careers and develop the skills to be among the best and brightest leaders in the media and high-tech industries.”
In furtherance of their efforts, Univision and Televisa will focus on the following activities, working with key partners in the community, advocacy and academics:
Strengthening the Pipeline of Latinos in Media & Technology:
- Production Projects – bring together students and emerging talent to produce and develop documentaries and short fiction pieces to air on Fusion, Univision’s millennial-focused, bilingual television and digital network. This effort will include mentoring from top journalists from Univision News, Fusion and The Root.
- Writers Programs – support programs that foster Hispanic writers, as well as promote efforts to create mechanisms to systematically highlight the writing skills and talents of Hispanics to media and tech outlets.
- Development Fellowships – offer development fellowships to mentor and promote multicultural and millennial writers across broadcast, film, digital and other media formats.
- Incubator Programs – leverage newly-created incubator programs to allow emerging Latino media makers to showcase their production and writing skills, both at the local and national level.
- Entrepreneurial Development Opportunities – jointly promote a marketplace and collaborative exchange for entrepreneurs and investors, to support multicultural entrepreneurs and minority-owned small businesses, in the U.S. The program will enable participants to further build business and supplier relationships, especially within media and technology.
- STEM and Media – host a series of educational programs, events and symposia in various locations, including Silicon Valley, in order to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities in the media industry and highlight the sharpest Latino STEM talent. The events will be developed in partnership with community, education, and technology partners. In addition, Univision will open a technology and learning center at its station in San Jose, CA, which will include computer coding training and other STEM related training and events. This commitment builds on Univision’s long-term focus on education under its award-winning empowerment initiative Univision Contigo.
- School Programs – build media labs in select middle schools around the country, starting with the New Venture School in the Bronx, which will provide students with the tools and training to understand how a media newsroom operates. In addition to gaining experience with production and editing equipment, the students will receive training from Univision news executives.
- Scholarships, Internships & Fellowships – include multicultural awards in both media and STEM in our scholarship program. Similarly, Univision’s internship programs and partnerships with high schools, universities, and foundations will be expanded to increase broader minority representation and assignments related to media and technology occupations. Lastly, we will support fellowship opportunities that highlight policy implications related to Hispanics and the media.
Building on a Tradition of Empowerment:
These initiatives build on the work Univision and Televisa have already done and continue to do to inform, empower and serve the U.S. Hispanic community, including:
- Workforce Diversity: Univision is developing and growing its diverse workforce and has been recognized as a diversity leader in the media industry by the Walter Kaitz Foundation. Eighty percent of Univision’s workforce is made up of minorities, making Univision a leading employer of multiculturals in the U.S. In addition, since Televisa became a significant investor in Univision in 2011, Univision’s local and network production workforce has grown by 26%, and Latinos and multiculturals now make up 98% of the total production employee base. At the same time, total programming hours produced in the U.S. continue to grow – up 37% between 2001 and 2015 to more than 22,700 hours. This increased programming opens the doors to more production opportunities for Univision’s growing multicultural employee base in the U.S. The employment, training, and development of a diverse, contemporary workforce is a significant contribution by Univision to giving Hispanics access to the media sector and providing diversity and innovation to viewers.
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Through Univision Contigo, Univision has delivered community programs focusing on educational attainment, prosperity, health, and civic participation. In one year alone, Univision committed over $82 million of airtime to Contigo’s efforts, mobilized hundreds of thousands through mobile and digital platforms, and held over 500 community and empowerment fairs and events tied to these four key areas. In that same year, Univision’s corporate social responsibility efforts received 16 awards and further recognition from affiliate organizations, including LULAC, NALIP, KIND, and NALEO.
- Technology and Education: In 2015 Univision launched the award-winning program under Univision Contigo called Avanzamos Conectados, to raise awareness among Hispanic families about the educational importance of having Internet connectivity in their homes and the impact of technology on their children’s education by expanding on the successful broadband initiative. To date more than 95,000 families have inquired or received information and 31,000 individuals have participated in local education fairs throughout the country.
- English-language Learning: In recent years, Televisa has made meaningful contributions to organizations and classrooms nationwide to support English-language learners. Televisa aims to help over 5 million English-language learners enrolled in the public K-12 system by offering free downloadable applications for children to learn English, online courses for parents and teachers and research fellowships with academic institutions. Televisa’s commitment to English-language education and investment has also allowed Univision to provide enhanced content to English-speaking Latinos, African-Americans, and Millennials through outlets like Fusion, El Rey, FLAMA, and The Root. These efforts have led to more variety and, as a result, more diversity, evidenced by the El Rey Diversity Council, which is working to fully represent the changing face of America.
- Community Support: In recent years, Televisa developed the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute in San Antonio (CRIT) and the associated Teletón USA, which to date has served more than 600 children and their families from over 35 states. The Teletón, which airs on Univision, has raised more than $60 million since 2013. Televisa has also been expanding its philanthropic contribution in the U.S. with the Televisa Foundation. To date it is working to promote early childhood education among Latino families and developing both STEM and entrepreneurship programs for Latinos. Key actions include national media campaigns, afterschool programs in five U.S. cities, sponsoring children STEM zones in various events serving over 25,000 families as well as empowering young Latinas through the national TECHNOLOchicas program.
About Univision Communications Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a leading content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched broadcast television network among U.S. Hispanics available in approximately 93% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 87% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to telenovelas, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings -De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; Univision Television Group, which owns 59 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; digital properties consisting of an array of websites and apps, including Univision.com, the most visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics, UVideos, a bilingual digital video network and Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content; and Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group in the U.S. which owns and operates 67 radio stations including stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico. UCI’s assets also include a minority stake in El Rey Network, a 24-hour English-language general entertainment cable network and a joint venture with Disney/ABC Television Network for Fusion, a 24-hour English-language news and lifestyle TV and digital network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.Univision.net.
About Televisa
Televisa is the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world based on its market capitalization and a major participant in the international entertainment business. It operates four broadcast channels in Mexico City, produces and distributes 25 pay-TV brands for distribution in Mexico and the rest of the world, and exports its programs and formats to the U.S. through Univision Communications Inc. (“Univision”) and to other television networks in over 50 countries. Televisa is also an active participant in Mexico’s telecommunications industry. It has a majority interest in Sky, a leading direct-to-home satellite television system operating in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Central America. Televisa also participates in Mexico’s telecommunications industry in many regions of the country where it offers video, voice and broadband services. Televisa also has interests in magazine publishing and distribution, radio production and broadcasting, professional sports and live entertainment, feature-film production and distribution, the operation of a horizontal Internet portal and gaming. In the United States, Televisa has equity and warrants which upon its exercise and subject to any necessary approval from the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) in the United States, would represent approximately 36% on a fully diluted, as-converted basis of the equity capital in Univision Holdings Inc. (f/k/a Broadcasting Media Partners, Inc.), the controlling company of Univision, the leading media company serving the United States Hispanic market.
