National Hispanic Media Coalition, Univision and Televisa Officially Kick-off New Partnership on Diversity Programs for Latinos in Media and Technology

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), Univision Communications Inc. (Univision) and Grupo Televisa S.A.B. (Televisa) today officially kick-off a partnership to develop programs designed to increase diversity in media and technology, where Latinos are still severely underrepresented. The announcement was made at an event in Los Angeles, where NHMC, Univision and Televisa representatives were joined by Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, and Chief of the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Dr. Linda Lopez. The programs include a television writers graduate program, a writers’ database and a policy fellowship program in Washington, D.C.

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"The television industry must adapt the diversity of their programming to meet the diversity of America today, and it starts by hiring the immense talent in our communities," said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of National Hispanic Media Coalition. "We're proud to join with Univision and Televisa to bring Latino writers and students in public policy to the attention of those who want to re-shape the media landscape into one that is more inclusive of Latino voices."

"Programs such as these are very important to our community. These young, energetic and creative writers are the voices that will tell our stories, the joys and sorrows of our very rich culture," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo.

"For Televisa, this partnership represents an amazing opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to diversity broadening opportunities for young professionals," said Alicia Lebrija, President of Fundación Televisa. "We hope that this experience helps them become inspiring role models for other members of the Hispanic community across the United States."

"At a time when the lack of diversity in media and technology is front and center, we could not be prouder of Univision's nearly 60-year legacy of providing opportunities, skills, and careers for Latinos in these industries," said Roberto Llamas, executive vice president and corporate officer of Univision Communications Inc. "I want to thank NHMC and Televisa for their partnership and their commitment to expanding the pipeline of talented Latinos into an industry that sorely needs their contributions.”

"I am so grateful to the NHMC for its writing program. The NHMC writers' program brought me out to Los Angeles, validated my dream to write for television and gave me the tools and access to build a career," said Joseph Vargas, a NHMC TV writers program alum staffed on the first season of Fuller House on Netflix. "What else could a budding writer ask for?"

"The NHMC writing program brought me to the attention of a manager, who then got me an agent, who then staffed me on a network show," said Spiro Skentzos, a NHMC TV writers program alum who wrote for the latest season of Hulu's East Los High. "It was the very first link of the many links required to launch a career."

The programs, which kicked-off at an event held in NHMC's headquarters, include:

NHMC Television Writers Graduate Program. The TV writers graduate program will serve as a continuation of NHMC's original TV writers program and include eight writers program graduates working on original scripts over a period of four weeks. Participants in NHMC's original writers program currently work on award-winning and top rated shows on ABC, NBC, CW, Disney Jr., Hulu and Netflix.

NHMC Writers Database. In partnership with Televisa and Univision, NHMC will expand this important effort to keep track of the organization's 130+ writers that have completed the program as well as facilitate their contact information and as scripts to television and film executives as well as talent agents and managers.

Policy Fellowship Program. Fellows from different legal institutions from across the country serve for a semester, learning about media and telecommunications policy issues from a civil rights and public interest perspective. Students will spend a week in DC or Miami observing English language production facilities at Univision. Alumni of the program have gone on to judicial clerkships, the FCC, non-profit organizations, and law firms large and small.

In December 2015, Univision and Televisa announced plans to expand their existing program to provide opportunities for Latinos in the U.S. media and technology sectors with numerous partners, including NHMC. The organizations joined efforts to achieve 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.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications.

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 Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country 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 online and mobile 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 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.

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Univision Communications Inc.
Yvette Pacheco, 646-560-4879
[email protected]
or
Andrea Alford, 703-477-1075
[email protected]

Source: Univision Communications Inc.

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