The opening monologue for the 2018 BET Awards hosted by Jamie Foxx reminded me to ask the question. You see, his comedic open was filled with acknowledgements and celebrations of the major entertainment wins for the African American community. From Black Panther to Michael B. Jordan, Jaime walked me down a list of TV and film achievements that were led by African American artists. He commented on how these achievements have pushed the culture forward and continue to expand on the African American narrative. Naturally, I began to consider the notable Latino achievements in entertainment. Where were they, and did those forward our cultural? While it seems there have been changes, has our narrative or our image in this country actually advanced? This is especially important for the state of the U.S. Hispanic media industry right now. So much of our future depends on an expanded understanding and showcase of who we are. Given the time of year and the industry I’m in, the first place I thought to look for signs of how Latinos faire in entertainment was to the swath of programming introduced at Upfronts. How would you score the Hispanic offerings shared by the various networks during the recent television Uupfront presentations? Forward progression or running in place? Let’s look at where we stand in Spanish- and English-language content.
By Joe Bernard / Chief Revenue Officer & Partner – NGL Collective