Joe Uva

 The CEO of Univision.

This interview appeared in the April 2009 MIPTV edition of World Screen.

With a promise to speak to the unique needs of U.S. Hispanics, Univision Communications remains the leader in its field. The top-rated Spanish-language broadcaster in the U.S., Univision also routinely out-rates the English-language broadcast networks among key demographics across the country. With its portfolio of channels, radio stations and online assets, Univision is focused on maintaining its share of the market. CEO Joe Uva explains his strategy.

WS: What are some of the strengths of Univision’s schedule?
UVA: Univision Network is one of America’s top networks, regardless of language and, in major markets across the nation, many nights beating CBS, NBS, FOX and ABC. Over the past five years, Univision’s prime-time audience has increased 17 percent while ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX have declined an average of 16 percent. At the local level, Univision stations consistently out-deliver other stations, regardless of language. For example, our Los Angeles station, KMEX, is one of the top-ranked stations across the top ten markets in the U.S.—this is regardless of language. Today, four of the top ten early-evening news programs are on a Univision station.

WS: How is Univision.com supporting the programming on the channel?
UVA: Univision.com offers comprehensive, 24/7 coverage of popular Univision programming and tent-pole events. Dedicated microsites, exclusive content and video offerings, sweepstakes, show clips and social-media features extend fan interaction and excitement online. Culturally relevant content offerings further engage the Hispanic community, from entertainment and news to sports and music. In addition, key services and shopping opportunities are geared toward the evolving interests of today’s Hispanics.
Young Hispanics interact daily across Univision.com to access a wide array of content, including auto, entertainment, music and videos. Community features such as social networking and forums are also popular, with the forums attracting over a million U.S. users per month.
Univision Móvil users are young and active. They generate higher click-throughs and page views. The most interesting [fact] is that approximately 60 percent (600,000) of Univision’s mobile portal (WAP site) is being browsed by English-dominant Hispanics.
WS: What is Univision doing to reach out to young Hispanics who are growing up bilingual and watching English-language channels?
UVA: Univision offers content that is innovative and culturally relevant to Hispanic Americans, regardless of their proficiency in English. Nearly three-fourths of our television audience live in a home where both English and Spanish are spoken, and the top 25 most-watched shows in those bilingual homes are on Univision. Bilingual Hispanics in particular come to Univision for content that doesn’t translate into English. News coverage on Spanish-language television, radio and online covers topics that are specifically of interest to Hispanics; sports coverage offers the best of soccer; and novelas are a unique formula that have proven to be uniquely successful in Spanish. Interestingly, our strongest demographic performance is among 18- to 34-year-olds. Certainly, a growing number of this segment is bilingual, yet, according to the Nielsen ratings, they are choosing to seek out and watch Univision.

WS: As the U.S. enters a recession, what do you have to say to advertisers about the importance of continuing to advertise even during an economic downturn?
UVA: The Hispanic population continues to be the nation’s fastest-growing consumer segment, estimated to be more than 45 million, which makes every dollar invested in the Hispanic market a dollar invested in growth. Hispanics over-index in many categories, and given that they are highly brand loyal, focusing on this segment during times like these is key.
We are the number one brand for Hispanic Americans, with a connection to our audience which allows us to provide advertisers deep insight into the U.S. Hispanic population—helping them create more relevant offerings to grow their businesses. We listen to each advertiser’s unique challenges, gain an understanding of their particular objectives, and then work with them to develop solutions across our portfolio, which puts the right pieces together in the right way to deliver the desired results. We also offer them high-profile sponsorships of major events, including the Latin Grammys, and the biggest sporting event on the planet, the soccer World Cup.

WS: What are your priorities for the next 12 to 18 months?
UVA: Univision is about growth and innovation. Our priorities are basic: to be the most valued and valuable partner to our viewers, listeners, interactive consumers, advertisers, distributors and owners, while rigorously managing costs and focusing on flawless execution.