NES Profile: Essential Academic Skills Subtest I1: Reading (001)

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid $3 billion3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid $3 billion3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid $3 billion3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid $3 billion3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid $3 billion3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.