August 2007

In this issue:

President’s Message
NHMC Local Impact Awardees
Fall 2007 Writers Program
PBS Working Towards In-House Diversification
Revamp the Fairness Doctrine
Get Radio/Communities of Color
Alex Nogales Named to Latino Leaders Top 101 List
Esteban E. Torres High School Groundbreaking
Paula Madison Named Executive Vice President of Diversity for NBC
Congratulations

President’s Message

This will be my final President’s Message for the NHMC e-newsletter. Instead, I will be providing a weekly or bi-weekly video message on our web site highlighting NHMC activities and Latino cultural events, as well as our recommendation on books, plays, and films that we encourage you to go see or buy. Please be sure to visit our web site www.nhmc.org on a regular basis so that you are updated and informed on our progress. Un fuerte abrazo a todos, Alex Nogales President & CEO

NHMC Local Impact Awards to Honor Local Media Greats

NHMC will be honoring outstanding Los Angeles media luminaries at its 5th Annual Local Impact Awards Luncheon on September 13th at noon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The lovely and talented CBS 2 News anchor, Laura Diaz, and charismatic radio D.J. Big Boy, from Powerhouse KPWR FM, will again be the featured Masters of Ceremonies. This year’s honorees include Award-winning journalist Sylvia Lopez, KCAL9 News anchor at 9:00 p.m., a veteran newscaster in Los Angeles for more than two decades. Mario Solis, NBC4 weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter has covered nearly every major sporting event, including World Cup Soccer and the Olympic Games in a career that spans nearly 20 years. Additionally, Mr. Solis is currently calling the action for Spanish-speaking viewers tuning in to prize fighting’s most popular venue, HBO’s "World Championship Boxing." Another honoree this year is Gustavo Arellano, staff writer with OC Weekly, an alternative newspaper in Orange County, California. Arellano writes "Ask a Mexican!," a nationally syndicated column that now runs in 27 newspapers throughout the country. Gustavo is also the recipient of the 2006 Association of Alternative Weeklies award for Best Column in which he answers any and all questions about America’s spiciest and largest minority group. "Ask a Mexican!" is now available as a book, which published earlier this year to rave reviews. Eduardo Sotelo, “El Piolín, La Nueva 101.9FM” will be presenting to Gustavo. For more information on the event please contact Acasia Flores, Director of Operations at (213) 534-3026 or aflores@nhmc.org

Fall 2007 Writers Program

What do Jessica Lopez, Elizabeth Otero, Davah Avena and Rafael Garcia have in common? They are all talented and now employed network television writers, after successfully completing the 2006 Latino Television Writers Program workshop. Additionally, Tristin Sotomayor and Benjamin Lovato are aboard as Writer Assistants in line to also becoming staff Writers. “It was a great year,” said Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC, “Out of the 11 Writers that went through the 2006 program seven are employed and the other four will soon be brought into the industry.” The National Latino Media Council continues to strengthen its commitment to increasing Latino employment in the media industry by presenting its 4th Annual Latino Television Writers Program workshop, October 13th through November 17th in Los Angeles, California. “This is an amazing opportunity to discover new writing talent and to also enhance our diversity efforts in network television,” explained Robert Mendez, Sr. Vice President of Diversity, Disney ABC Television Group. “We look forward to once again participating in this workshop.” Those Writers selected to participate in the 2007 workshop will earn the unique opportunity of having their scripts reviewed by Network Television Executives. Those Writers that demonstrate particular promise will be subsequently mentored by these same Network Executives with the goal of hiring them to write for one of their television shows. “We’ve seen considerable success this past year and sincerely look forward to this upcoming season,” said Erika Kennair, Manager, Entertainment Diversity Program, “NBC is thrilled to have Davah Avena as part of our family.” This program is not for beginners. It is intended for experienced Writers, with the ability to write a one half-hour sitcom, or a one-hour television drama script during the five-week workshop. If selected to participate in the program, participants must be available to reside in Los Angeles from November 3rd through November 8th. A stipend of $250 per week will be provided to each participant, and air-fare, housing and meals will also be provided. Please note: writing “teams” are not eligible. The deadline for writing sample submissions is now September 14th and selected program participants will be announced on October 12^th To be considered for the 2007 Television Writers Program, please submit the following documents no later than September 14^th. 1 Program Application 2 Resume/Bio 3 (1) Writing Sample (submission must be in English and Television scripts are preferred) 4 Notarized Release Forms 5 1-Page Summary explaining why you want to write for Television Program Applications and Release Forms are available online. Please go to https://www.nhmc.org/writers/ for these documents and for more information on the 2007 Latino Television Writers Program. All writing samples must be postmarked by September 14, 2007 and sent to: National Latino Media Council 1201 W. 5^th Street, Suite T-205 Los Angeles, CA 90017 For more information please contact Acasia Flores at (213) 534-3026. ¡Buena Suerte!

PBS Working towards in-house diversification

Last year the National Latino Media Council (NLMC) began discussions with PBS regarding its concerns about the lack of diversity in PBS’ workforce. NLMC had direct discussions with the PBS strand producers about their employment statistics. As a result, the conversation has now been elevated. Recently, NLMC members and others met with Paula Kreger, PBS President, and other PBS Executives and Consultants to discuss Latino employment, procurement, governance and philanthropy. Ms. Kreger has agreed to work towards diversifying all areas at PBS. To this end, Kreger has announced the creation of a new position at PBS – Director, PBS Diversity Initiative. The initial term for this new position is expected to be of one year. Below is the job description for this important, new position at PBS, as we continue to work closely with the network in its effort to achieve a more diversified work-force. We ask that you please distribute the following job description far and wide. With your help, more eligible Latino candidates will end up in the job pool. A follow-up meeting with Ms. Kreger will take place in September. For more information on PBS and how to apply go to http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/jobsdatabase/ POSITION TITLE: Director, PBS Diversity Initiative (initial term anticipated to be 1 year) SUPERVISOR: Chief Operating Officer JOB OBJECTIVE:

Identify opportunities for PBS to encourage diversity throughout public television.
Manage the PBS Diversity Task Force Leadership Development program.
Develop a plan to increase diversity in ways that impact public television content across media platforms.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Manage foundation grants related to PBS diversity initiatives.
Serve as point of contact for and interact with affinity and other groups.
Implement measurement techniques to track progress and determine effectiveness of diversity initiatives.
Make recommendations to improve or enhance current programs.
Engage in outreach and relationship building with experts and other professionals in the field of diversity to share ideas and resources.
Collaborate with the Content organization to develop a set of strategies that will increase diversity in ways that impact public television content.
Work with the PBS Foundation to secure new funding to support diversity initiatives.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Minimum 5-7 years human resources or organizational development experience, with experience in diversity and/or EEO.
Must have demonstrated project management and budgetary management ability.
Must have experience in the field of diversity with demonstrated ability to mobilize that expertise into effective practical applications.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Organizational Development or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience is required. Master’s degree preferred.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Computer proficiency with MS Office.

OTHER SPECIAL SKILLS:

Exceptional communication skills and facility in understanding a wide variety of constituent groups for building consensus and support for innovative solutions.
Must have the ability to identify and advise on strategic direction.
Must have the ability to work collaboratively and influence others.
Must have change management skills.
The ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality is required.

Must be able to handle multiple priorities, with the ability to adjust to high pressure and rapidly changing business conditions. PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Revamp the Fairness Doctrine – Equal time in the media is needed

The following opinion piece by Alex Nogales has been published in local media newspapers throughout the nation. Conservatives are decrying any talks of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. It’s an attack on our first amendment rights, they say, the liberals want to muzzle us. That is bogus. The Fairness Doctrine which was made moot during Reagan’s Administration required broadcasters to offer competing viewpoints in a balanced manner when presenting controversial issues. There are compelling reasons why Latinos and others are demanding a version of the Fairness Doctrine. Hate Speech is on the increase and promoted daily on radio and television. The radio shock-jock format enthralls an audience that seems to enjoy the malicious rhetoric spewed by DJs that target people for their ethnicity, color of skin, religion, sexual orientation, or any other distinctive characteristic. A preferred target is the undocumented Latino. To hear hate speech DJs you would think undocumented workers are to blame for all of society’s ills. Like in a mob, the hate speech audience gets invigorated by the ugly one-sided hate speak that attacks without regard to veracity and provides no fairness, equal time or right of response to the injured party. The father of television hate speech, as far as Latinos are concerned, Lou Dobbs of CNN claims to be a journalist while editorializing and making assertions, true or untrue, to drive home his points. He incorrectly attributed the increase of leprosy to undocumented immigrants and then erroneously stated that one third of the inmates in the federal prison system are undocumented immigrants, the number is actually 6% of the prison population. When Dobbs invites the other side, he manipulates the conversation, attacks and speaks over his guests to the point that Latino leaders have decided that it is counterproductive to participate. Regrettably, Dobbs is not the only promoter of hate speech. Earlier this year, under the offensive name, “La Cuca Gotcha,” a reference to catching cockroaches, “Jersey Guys” a radio show in New Jersey asked its audience to turn in illegal immigrants who live in the state to federal authorities. In New York, the Chinese, women and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender communities came together to demand tolerance and respect after the CBS radio show “The Dog House JV and Elvis” aired a six-minute segment of their prank call to a Chinese restaurant using language demeaning and insulting to Asian Pacific Americans, women, and the gay community. Hate speech not only affects Latinos but it affects all Americans, turning us one against the other. It encourages bigotry, makes it acceptable, and emboldens the extremists among us to take action against those who are least able to defend themselves. The Anti-Defamation League has issued two reports documenting that hate crimes against the Latino immigrant population has become the primary focus of hateful and racist rhetoric and extreme violence. And the violence isn’t just against the undocumented; it is also against documented Latinos and citizens because no one can tell one from the other. Conservatives clamor that reviving the Fairness Doctrine is about Liberals wanting to stymie them. We don’t know the politics involved, but we do know that Latinos and other marginalized groups are being maligned day in and day out because media owners allow it to go on. Hate speech boosts station ratings and higher ratings generate more advertising revenue. It is shameful that our nation should be subjected to such crass and divisive behavior because it pays off. Our organization has asked Congress to request an update of the 1993 National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Report to Congress: “The Role of Communications in Hate Crimes”. We expect the report will document that there is a direct cause and effect to violence generated by what radio and television is broadcasting. We see it anecdotally. The report, however, will take a year and a half to complete. In the meantime, we ask you to join us in standing up against hate speech. Demand that the owners of the radio and television stations that allow this kind of programming stop it. Discussion on any subject and issue is important but discussion should never deteriorate to one-sided bigoted attacks. Hate speech dehumanizes the targeted population and empowers those that hate to turn violent. Let’s recall a basic premise. We the people own the airwaves. We the people demand that broadcast licensees who profit from our airwaves use it responsibly and seek to provide varied points of view. Only then can Americans be part of meaningful dialogue and together reach consensus. It is the American way.

Get Radio/Communities of Color

The following opinion piece was co-written by Joe Torres of Free Press and Alex Nogales of NHMC. It has been published in various publications throughout the nation. Radio historically has played a critical role in the lives of people of color. In 1924, Pedro J. Gonzalez first took to the airwaves in Los Angeles to stand up for immigrant rights, more than 80 years before millions of Latinos marched in cities and towns throughout our nation in demand of a just immigration system. Ora Eddleman Reed also began broadcasting in 1924 on KDFN in Wyoming, becoming one of the first American Indians to host a radio program and one of the first talk show hosts in radio history. During the 1960s, African-American deejays advocated for social change and were instrumental in giving voice to the protest for equality during the civil rights movement. Despite this long history, radio still fails to reflect the concerns or informational needs of communities of color. According to a recent study by the media reform group Free Press, people of color own just 7.7 percent of the 10,000-plus radio stations in the United States — even though they currently make up close to 35 percent of the U.S. population. And people of color make up just 6 percent of the U.S. radio workforce, according to the latest study released by the Radio and Television News Directors Association. While radio remains a critically important medium for communities of color, people of color are seldom in a position to determine the format or editorial direction of a radio station. And increased media concentration has made it more difficult for people of color to purchase a station or to compete in a consolidated marketplace. But people of color have a rare opportunity this fall to obtain a license to operate a full-power station in many markets across the nation. It is an opportunity they can not pass up. For one week this fall – Oct. 12-19 – the Federal Communications Commission will accept applications for new, noncommercial radio licenses. These stations will appear between 88.1 MHz and 91.9 MHz on the FM dial. The power of these stations will range from 100 watts to as strong as 100,000 watts. To be eligible to apply, applicants:

Must be an organization with a noncommercial, educational mission. An individual cannot apply.
Should be an incorporated organization. But groups do not need to have a 501(c)3 (tax-exempt) nonprofit status to qualify.
Don’t have to be a school to have an educational mission.

These stations won’t be available everywhere and are more likely to be found in rural or suburban areas. Please visit GetRadio.org to find out if any licenses might be available near you. The deadline is approaching fast, and you should be aware that the process of obtaining a license and constructing a station is a major investment of time and money. It may take up to five years before a station actually makes it on the air. And depending on the area, the cost of constructing a station could range from $25,000 to $200,000. If there is room on the dial for a station in your area, the next step is hiring an engineer to conduct a study to demonstrate that your prospective station won’t cause interference with existing stations. The study costs about $3,000. Both GetRadio.org and RadioForPeople.org provide a listing of resources to help you through the application process, including finding a radio engineer and a telecommunications lawyer. It is critical for communities of color to take advantage of this rare opportunity to ensure that our diverse news and information needs are being served on the public airwaves. Radio remains a critical medium for our communities. Let’s make sure our voices are heard on the radio dial.

Alex Nogales Named to Latino Leaders’ Top 101 List

Congratulations to Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC, for being named once again among Latino Leaders magazine’s list of "Top 101 Influential Leaders in the Latino Community.” The complete list of Latino Leaders’ "Top 101 Influential Leaders in the Latino Community” list appears in the summer 2007 issue of the magazine.

Esteban E. Torres High School Groundbreaking

The June 6 groundbreaking ceremony for Esteban E. Torres High School was 85 years in the making. The well attended event marked 85 years since a high school has been delivered to East Los Angeles and the East Los Angeles community, School District officials, and local elected officials turned out to honor Congressman Esteban E. Torres, for whom the new school is named. Actor and Executive Art Director of East LA Classic Theatre, Tony Plana, claimed the school as the new home for his educational theatre program. The new campus will feature both indoor and outdoor performance venues with the goal of inspiring more high school students to embrace the theatre arts . Some long-time Eastside residents who came to show their support had themselves attended Hammel Elementary (which will be reconstructed just blocks away to allow for the high school reconfiguration), as far back as the late 1930s. The story of Esteban E. Torres is an inspirational story of what a boy raised in East Los Angeles can achieve if allowed to reach his full potential. We hope that with a Los Angeles High School now carrying Esteban E. Torres’ name, students all around the region will learn more about this great man. Retired Congressman Torres is a product of East Los Angeles public schools. After graduating from James A. Garfield High School he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Corps of Engineers during the Korean conflict; he left the Army holding the rank of sergeant first-class. He worked as an assembly-line welder, and became active in the leadership of the United Auto Workers (U.A.W). With the help of the GI Bill, he attended East Los Angeles College, and California State University at Los Angeles. Torres founded The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU), a community action program that under his leadership grew to be one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty agencies. President Jimmy Carter appointed Torres to the post of U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, France. He was confirmed by the U.S Senate with the rank of Ambassador. In 1979, he was appointed special assistant to President Jimmy Carter, and functioned as the director of the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs. Torres was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 to represent the newly-created 34^th District in California. He was subsequently re-elected seven times, each time with at least sixty percent of the vote. Among his many achievements in Congress, he asked the Environmental Protection Agency to close a neglected landfill that caused hazardous-waste problems in his district. He also worked on the 1983 Hazardous Waste Control Act, which requires landfill owners to carry out studies of health risks to nearby communities from the effects of substances in their landfill. In 1984 he spoke out against a guest worker program for agricultural laborers, which in his opinion would lead to exploitation based on his own experience with poor working conditions in the fields. In the 102^nd Congress, he became Majority Deputy Whip and participated on the House-Senate conference committee on a bill that contained important changes in federal housing programs. Through his influence, the bill included a disaster-assistance program for low-income people. During the same Congress he became Chairman of the Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee, where he worked on a bill to grant consumers easier access to their credit histories, and help them correct mistakes in their credit reports. He also authored a bill, the Truth-in-Savings Act of 1992, to simplify the disclosure of interest rates and conditions for savings accounts, which was signed into law. In the 103^rd Congress, Torres became a member of the Appropriations Committee, and his anti-gang legislation became law as part of the 1994 Crime Bill. Additionally, while in Congress he fought successfully for full employee benefits for the servers that worked at the House Members Dinning Room. At that time, Congress would hire the workers as seasonal employees leaving the workers without a salary or benefits when Congress went back to their Districts. Congressman Esteban E. Torres has dedicated his life to public service and continues to do so by among other things chairing the National Latino Media Council that is comprised of 17 of the largest Latino organizations in the nation working on Latino media advocacy issues. Congratulations Congressman, your legacy lives on!

Paula Madison Named Executive Vice President of Diversity for NBC Universal

Paula Madison was named Executive Vice President of Diversity for NBC Universal in May 2007 and is the first senior executive in the company’s history to hold a position solely devoted to diversity. In her new role, Madison is the liaison between the company and key national and local leaders and serves as the diversity spokesperson for NBCU. She is responsible for working with the company’s business executives to ensure the organization is an industry leader in developing culture that will enable the company to better reflect the makeup of its increasingly diverse, globally-based customers, clients and audiences. From November 2000 to May 2007, Madison served as president and general manager of KNBC, NBC’s owned and operated station in Los Angeles. She was the first African American woman to become general manager at a network-owned station in a top five market. She was also named regional general manager for the Telemundo television stations in Los Angeles (KVEA and KWHY), when the NBC network purchased the Telemundo network in April 2002. In July 2006, NBCU’s then-chairman and CEO, Bob Wright, named Madison the executive vice president of Diversity, a position she held in addition to her station responsibilities. Madison originally held the position of Vice President of Diversity, and then Senior Vice President of Diversity, for the NBC network from February 2000 to May 2002. In addition to many awards she was named one of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America by Black Enterprise magazine in 2005 and has been included in the Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100. Additionally, Madison received the “Citizen of the Year Award” from the City of Los Angeles Marathon in 2004 and the Anti-Defamation League’s “2003 Deborah Award.” “We are thrilled about Paula’s promotion to Executive Vice President,” said Alex Nogales. “This shows real commitment by NBC Universal heads. Only by having Diversity Programs led by Executives at the very top of an organization’s structure will we see real positive change.”

Congratulations to ABC NEWS for launching "EXCLUSIVA"

"Exclusiva" is a new source for news about the Hispanic world. Created and anchored by David Puente, "Exclusiva" brings you in-depth interviews, information and breaking news. You can watch "Exclusiva" on ABC News Now and via streaming video on abcnews.com . But you can also listen to the "Exclusiva" podcast on iTunes and read the "Exclusiva" blog on abcnews.com . The video, the podcast and the blog all report the news – international politics, entertainment, culture and sports – from Latin America and the Hispanic world. "Exclusiva" is also interactive. You can join the conversation on the blog and send in your questions via cell phone video for the newsmakers that we interview. A new "Exclusiva" is produced every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. A Spanish-language "Exclusiva" is also available on iTunes.]]>