The Latino Disconnect: an Introduction 6
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 1 Behind the Report: Partners and Funders 4 The Latino Disconnect: An Introduction 6 1. Off Camera: Latinos Before and After the Comcast and NBCUniversal Merger 9 2. Huge Deal: The Comcast and Time Warner Cable Merger 15 3. Game Over: Latino Advocacy and the Failed Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger 20 4. The Next Wave: Latinos and the New Telecom-Media Mergers 27 5. Online Views: Diversity in Streamed Original Programming and Corporate Leadership 30 Conclusion: Connecting Communities 33 Notes 34 Latinos are among the most connected investigated the multiple implications and media-savvy Americans: They of Comcast’s unsuccessful attempt to use smartphones, buy movie tickets, acquire Time Warner Cable, the nation’s and listen to radio at higher rates second-largest cable provider. Moreover, than any other ethnic or racial we analyzed the recent wave of mergers group. Comprising 17.4% of the after the failed Comcast-Time Warner population and commanding 1.5 Cable transaction and the important trillion dollars in buying power, Latinos role of Latino advocacy in influencing EXECUTIVE SUMMARY also make up nearly a quarter of the public discussion and outcomes coveted 18–34-year-old advertising around media consolidation. To assess demographic. Yet the media and whether the Internet offers a more telecommunications companies that inclusive alternative to traditional media collect billions of Latino dollars do companies, we considered the diversity not seem to notice. We call this state records of online content producers of affairs the Latino disconnect: despite Netflix and Hulu. Latinos’ notable population growth and increased share of American purchasing With few exceptions, the report reveals power, large companies continue to limit that merged and streaming companies access, representation, and opportunity deepen the Latino disconnect. The for Latino consumers, content creators, low number of Latinos in corporate and businesses. leadership and behind the camera is reflected by equally inadequate and The Latino disconnect has been highly stereotypical representation of exacerbated by the acceleration Latinos. The media giants offer limited of media market consolidation, a opportunities to Latino businesses process that is reshaping the US and fail to meet Latino consumer communications landscape. During demand for affordable and high-quality the past decade alone, there has been broadband service. Findings from the an average of two substantial mergers report further demonstrate the inefficacy per year in the media, telecom, and of memoranda of understanding Internet industries. These mergers (MOU) signed between companies and have often resulted in higher prices for Latino organizations to diversify content services, while giving a small number and leadership. of companies unprecedented power over what Americans watch, how it is The consequences of this disconnect are delivered, and whether independent far-reaching. Once a merger has been content producers are included or paid approved, it is final. If the companies sustainable fees. do not fulfill stipulations outlined in MOUs or other agreements, consumers The first study of its kind, this report are left with hardly any mechanisms highlights the impact of the Latino to affect changes in access or pricing. disconnect on consumers, communities Additionally, in the US, communities and mainstream media by examining and individuals cannot fully participate the representation of Latinos three in society without access to broadband. years before and three years after one This resource is particularly important of the most important media and for groups that have been historically telecom mergers in recent history: the excluded from opportunity and denied 2011 Comcast-NBCUniversal merger, a public voice as broadband provides which brought together a major cable not only access to entertainment but company, a film studio, and several also education, health information, job television networks. Our team also opportunities, government services, THE LATINO DISCONNECT 1 news, and other forms of enrichment. NBCUniversal merger. These included Yet, due to market consolidation, there criminals, law enforcers, and blue- are fewer choices to obtain the services collar workers, or an army of “people from an alternate provider and existing in uniform”: inmates, police officers, options may be financially out of reach janitors, and maids. While in film, for many. stereotypical characters reached an all-time high of 66.7% in 2013, on At another level, the low rates of Latino television, stereotypical roles rose from participation in the media industry 34.1% in the 2008–2009 season to implies widespread discrimination in 52.5% in the 2014–2015 season. This hiring and the marginalization of diverse was also the case in news stories about perspectives. The stereotypical nature of Latinos and Latin America. A stunning existing Latino stories and roles further 64% of Latino-themed NBC Nightly skews the perception of the country’s News segments from 2012 to 2014 largest minority group. This makes it focused on illegal immigration and more difficult for the United States crime. In news, Latinos were largely to address pressing challenges such as represented as threatening to the United immigration reform, rising economic States in one of three ways: as criminals, inequities, and equal access to education illegal immigrants, or communists. for the nation’s children, 22% of whom are Latino. 3. Latino leaders segregated and media partners paid less. Although the Comcast-NBCUniversal merger led KEY FINDINGS to expanded operations in its Spanish- language properties, Latino leadership Our analysis of the relationship between was segregated. Only one top Latino media mergers and Latinos over the last Comcast-NBCUniversal executive seven years includes the following key oversees non–Latino-specific markets findings: or initiatives. In addition, Comcast’s willingness to pay sustainable fees to 1. Less diversity after the merger. We competing Latino Spanish-language found no significant increase in diversity networks like LATV and Estrella TV behind the camera after the 2011 sharply declined after the merger. Comcast-NBCUniversal merger through to the 2014–2015 television season. 4. Latino advocacy plays an In most categories, Latino inclusion increasingly bigger role in declined. On average, Latinos accounted mergers. During the 2011 Comcast- for less than 7% of behind-the-camera NBCUniversal merger debate, Latino talent in the top ten shows, national national organizations succeeded news programs, and films. Moreover, in negotiating a memorandum of no Latinos were among the C-suite understanding (MOU) to increase decision-makers and only one served on diversity and establish a benchmark. the board of directors. Newly merged Three years later, in part due to the media and telecom companies have limited impact of the MOU, Latinos similarly low levels of diversity. helped to derail the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger through the 2. Stereotypes on screen surged creation of a broad coalition of after the merger. At NBCUniversal, advocates, consumers, members of while the percentage of Latino actors Congress, scholars, and content- modestly increased, stereotypes grew producers. In 2016, Latino advocates considerably after the Comcast- continue to play this role. 2 THE LATINO DISCONNECT 5. Latino advocacy impacts industry leaders, advocates, consumers, programming. Latino consumer government officials, and a wide range dissatisfaction and advocacy before of organizations. To this end, we provide and during the Comcast-Time Warner the following recommendations. Cable merger debate correlates to a rise in the number of Latino-themed pilots. For company and creative leadership: The percentage jumped from 0% in the 2014–2015 season to 8% for the 2015– 1. Develop a comprehensive and 2016 season. Even more dramatic, four enforceable plan to significantly diversify out of thirteen new NBCUniversal leadership and creative positions as well pilots, or 30.8%, have a Latino lead, all as expand opportunities for Latino- of which are women. owned companies over the next five years. 6. Online content is also stereotypical and talent is segregated. In Netflix 2. Recruit from diverse, experienced, productions from January 2014 through and underutilized Latino talent June 2015, Latinos have similarly low pools; inform writers, producers, and rates of representation as in traditional directors regarding the diversity of the media: they account for 8.1% of actors Latino experience to avoid persistent and 3.6% of the behind-the-camera stereotypical representation. talent. Likewise, 49% of Latino roles are stereotypical. In Hulu shows, Latino 3. Create pipelines of opportunity for presence was notably higher, comprising Latino leaders and content producers in 33.3% of writers and 31.5% of actors. Spanish-language media to participate in Even further, their characterizations the production and creation of English- were far less stereotypical. At the same language media. time, the vast majority of Latino Hulu talent appeared in a single series, East For Latino advocates and consumers: Los High. Without this show, Latino inclusion plummets to 0% of leads and 4. Actively participate in public debates behind- the-camera talent. concerning media consolidation at both the local and national level. 7. New wave of mergers extends the Latino disconnect. The new mergers 5. Boost organizational capacity and