Cable Recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month

Disney celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Before Hispanic Heritage Month concludes this week, we wanted to highlight a few of the special programs and efforts being made throughout the internet and television community that recognize the contributions of Hispanics to American history and culture. Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15 because the 15th marks the independence days of several Latin American countries, is a time in which communities all over the U.S. celebrate the second-fastest growing ethnic group in the country.

Many internet service providers and television programmers take this opportunity to not only pay tribute to Hispanic society and the blend of U.S. and Hispanic cultures that is occurring throughout the country, but to emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion of a wide range of perspectives in the industry. 

Here is just a small sampling of initiatives and events taking place:

Altice is conducting its annual student essay for middle and high school students, which asks students in the Suddenlink and Optimum service areas to name and discuss a Latino "with whom you would choose to spend a day and explain why." The essay is conducted every year in hopes of inspiring the next generation to learn about and appreciate Hispanic history and culture. Winners are awarded cash scholarships and iPad minis.

It's also worth mentioning that Altice will receive the award for Corporate Leadership in Hispanic Television & Video at the 15th Annual Hispanic Television Summit on October 19, for its commitment to the Hispanic community. The provider plans to expand its offerings with new Spanish-language TV packages in the coming weeks for its Suddenlink and Optimum customers.

In its Phoenix area, Cox has partnered with Telemundo, Teleritmo magazine and La Campesina radio and launched a multimedia campaign that spotlights outstanding Hispanic leaders in the community. The spotlights are on a rotation on Cox channels throughout the month. Cox started honoring Hispanic leaders in the community back in 2004. 

On October 13, a comedy special will air exclusively on HBO Latino showcasing three comedians who will share stories of what it was like to grow up Latino in the U.S. The special, Entre Nos: Part 2, is a follow up to Entre Nos: Part 1, which premiered in June.

Starz also announced that it picked up a Latino-themed series, Vida, two days before the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. In its attempt to attract more Latino viewers, the network is aiming to provide a Latino perspective throughout the show, directed by Mexican film director Alonso Ruizpalacios, and which revolves around Mexican-American twin sisters in east Los Angeles. The network also chose Mexican-born playwright Tanya Saracho to serve as the showrunner.

Disney featured Hispanic actors on its interstitials programming series, "Be Inspired." They shared their personal stories, traditions, values and customs. The channel also showcased notable real-life professionals of Hispanic descent in a variety of careers to help inspire kids. 

And in a new move that conveys its commitment to its Hispanic audience, ESPN has been airing its Monday Night Football broadcast in Spanish on ESPN 2, and plans to do so for the first nine weeks of the season.

As we wrote about last month, creating a diverse workforce and a diverse programming lineup and reaching out to diverse audiences has always been a priority for the internet and television industry. We look forward to continuing to highlight and recognize the unique perspectives that our operators and programmers strive to include in their work, whether it’s behind the scenes or on the screen.