Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Telemundo Seeks Spanglish Speakers, Aiming for New Viewers - NYTimes.com

Telemundo Seeks Spanglish Speakers, Aiming for New Viewers - NYTimes.com: Telemundo has long trailed its rival Univision in their competition for Hispanic television viewers in the United States. But as the number of second- and third-generation Hispanic-Americans skyrockets, the perennial runner-up is embracing a new strategy — English-language subtitles and Spanglish — to attract deep-pocketed viewers and the advertisers who covet them.

The new approach, reflecting the changing dynamics of Hispanics across the country, can be seen in the network debut of the Cuban-born television personality Cristina Saralegui as the host of a Sunday variety show, and in a crop of new telenovelas intended to reflect the sensibilities of acculturated Hispanics.

In each case, the programs will feature a sprinkling of English and be available with English subtitles — something not as readily found on the competing Univision.