Telemundo and Hispanic immigrants
Telemundo is a prominent Spanish-language television network in the United States, launched on March 28, 1954, originally in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The network provides a wide array of programming, including cultural shows, entertainment, news, and telenovelas, catering primarily to Hispanic households across the country. Its content plays a significant role in promoting Hispanic culture and fostering bilingualism, as the network offers bilingual captioning to help English-only speakers engage with its programming.
Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Telemundo has grown substantially over the decades, establishing a strong presence with over 200 stations nationwide by 2024. It offers original content, including talk shows, sports, and reality programs, while also broadcasting major events like the Miss Universe Pageant. Although it competes closely with Univision, Telemundo has carved out a unique position by focusing on diverse programming that resonates with Hispanic audiences. The network's influence extends beyond entertainment, serving as a cultural bridge within a multicultural society.
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Telemundo and Hispanic immigrants
IDENTIFICATION: Spanish-language television network
DATE: Launched on March 28, 1954
ALSO KNOWN AS: WKAQ-TV, Telemundo Canal 2
SIGNIFICANCE: Telemundo provides Spanish-language programming to Hispanic households in the United States (US), offering cultural shows, entertainment, and world news. The network’s bilingual captioning also enables English-only speakers to become familiar with various aspects of Hispanic culture.
Based in Miami, Florida, Telemundo originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 1954 as the television station WKAQ-TV. It was founded by Ángel Ramos, who also owned Puerto Rico’s first radio station, WKAQ-FM, known as Radio El Mundo, and its major newspaper at that time, El Mundo. Ramos established continuity between his radio and television stations by hiring Ramón Rivero (Diplo), the famous Puerto Rican comedian and actor, to produce shows for Telemundo. Radio El Mundo broadcasted Rivero’s popular comedy show El Tremendo Hotel, and Rivero created similar comedy-variety shows for Telemundo. Two of his shows, La Taberna India and La Farándula Corona, earned top ratings for Telemundo.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Telemundo became known for its Puerto Rican Spanish-language soap operas, better known as telenovelas, and was known as Telemundo Canal 2. Its logo was the number 2 with the silhouette of two upright fingers inside the number; thus, Telemundo was called “El canal de los dedos” (the channel of the fingers). The station updated its logo in 1993, 2000, 2012, and 2018.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the Telemundo network expanded due to acquisitions and mergers. It was launched in the continental US in 1987. The Telemundo Communications Group was formed and became part of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Universal on April 12, 2002. By 2009, Telemundo owned and managed sixteen stations throughout the US and was also associated with one independent Spanish-language station. In addition to its own stations, it had thirty-six broadcast affiliates and seven hundred cable affiliates. By 2024, Telemundo, which remained part of NBC Universal, had over 200 stations nationwide, including its owned and operated stations and affiliates. The Telemundo network is available to 95 percent of Hispanic households in the US.
Telemundo is one of the few Spanish-language network in the US that offers a prime-time program schedule of its original programming, including talk shows, news programs, sports, music programs, reality shows, and telenovelas such as Doña Bárbara. The network is also one of the few ones in the US that produces original telenovelas. Telemundo's major competitor is the Spanish-language channel Univision. In addition to its original programming, Telemundo broadcasts significant events in Spanish, such as the Miss Universe Pageant and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Telemundo also presents various Hollywood films dubbed in Spanish. The network also provides closed captions in both Spanish and English. Second only to Univision in viewership and ratings among Spanish-language networks in the US, Telemundo has experienced more success with its prime-time television line-up. Because Univision has historically had a broader reach, it continues to attract more advertisers than Telemundo, though both networks offer diverse programs and attract large audiences.
Bibliography
Dávila, Arlene. Latinos, Inc.: The Marketing and Making of a People. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001.
Rivero, Yeidy. Tuning Out Blackness: Race and Nation in the History of Puerto Rican Television. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2005.
Sutton, Kelsey. "Spanish-language TV Viewership is Surging." Marketing Brew, 16 Sept. 2022, www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2022/09/16/spanish-language-tv-viewership-is-surging. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
"Telemundo Delivers Historic Win as the Most-Watched Spanish-Language Network in Monday-Sunday Primetime for Two Consecutive Months." NBCUniversal News Group, 1 May 2024, nbcuniversalnewsgroup.com/telemundo/2024/05/01/telemundo-delivers-historic-win-as-the-most-watched-spanish-language-network-in-monday-sunday-primetime-for-two-consecutive-months. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.