Ethnic Media for President

Newsflash to the presidential candidates: Nearly a quarter of the country consumes ethnic media, according to a 2006 poll by New America Media. So it's no surprise that Spanish-language TV network Univision recently asked that the presidential candidates participate in a Spanish-language debate. The request comes from the highest-rated Spanish-language TV network. Univision has high viewership among young adults and viewership ratings above CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to the LA Times.

The network hopes to televise a debate for each party on back to back Sundays in September, according to the L.A. Times, and the debates are likely to be held in Miami and focus on immigration issues. The debates "would mark a rare foray into presidential politics" for Univision, the article noted. They would also be the first entirely Spanish-language debates conducted for a U.S. presidential election.

So far New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd have accepted the invitation to participate. Not a bad idea, as the Democratic presidential candidates are said to be "courting Hispanic voters like never before" because of early primaries in heaviy Hispanic-populated states, according to The New York Times on Sunday.

To learn more about Univision's request, visit: http://www.freepress.net/news/23687