Telemundo Launches Multiplatform DTV Campaign
Educational Effort Alerts Hispanics To Looming Digital Transition
By Laura Martinez -- Multichannel News, 2/12/2008 2:44:00 PM MT
NBC Universal-owned Telemundo announced today the launch of Alerta Digital (Digital Alert), a company-wide, national public service awareness campaign aimed at educating Hispanic viewers about the upcoming digital TV transition.
The effort officially kicks off Sunday Feb. 17 --one year ahead of the Feb. 17, 2009 digital switch deadline -- and features Telemundo’s on-air personality Natalia Villaveces as spokesperson. The 
Colombia-born Villaveces is the host and producer of Nítido, Telemundo’s weekend music and entertainment show.
The campaign’s on-air component includes a series of appearances by Villaveces on some of Telemundo’s programs, including morning variety show Cada Día, Titulares y Más and Al Rojo Vivo. But it will also be supported by a series of off-air efforts, notably informational flyers disseminated in conjunction with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; online banners; and radio spots.
Mun2, the bilingual cable network owned by Telemundo, will not participate in the campaign -- at least not initially, since it already caters to an audience that has cable TV.
“It is important for our viewers and the Hispanic community as a whole to be informed and prepared for the digital transition that has been mandated by the FCC,” said Telemundo president Don Browne.
Alerta Digital is expected to roll out in several phases. The first is intended to raise awareness among Hispanic viewers. Progressively, it will move on to promote the government-sponsored converter box coupon program or other choices, including subscription to a cable system or buying a digital TV set. Ultimately, the campaign urges viewers to take action.
A company spokesperson says the network’s owned stations and affiliates will join the effort by tagging a series of 30-second spots to their local call letters and talent. Telemundo’s local station Web sites will link to the network’s campaign, so that they can, in turn, link back to a dedicated page on Yahoo!Telemundo, which will go live on Feb.17.
Telemundo’s public awareness campaign follows Spanish-language broadcast leader Univision’s own effort, Televisión Digital: Una Nueva Era, which launched in October and features PSAs on both Univision and sister service TeleFutura TV networks, as well as Univision Radio.
Earlier this month, public TV network V-me and DirecTV Más also debuted similar initiatives -- in both English and Spanish -- to raise awareness among consumers about the switch, directing viewers to the official information site and encouraging viewers to spread the word to friends and family.
Hispanic TV households are expected to be greatly impacted by the switch.
In recent testimony before the U.S. Senate, National Hispanic Media Coalition president Alex Nogales emphasized that legislators should step up their efforts to inform minorities about the DTV transition, saying the consumer educational efforts were “grossly under-funded. Not many people outside the Beltway have heard about the digital transition and its possible impact on their households,” said Nogales speaking on behalf of the estimated 21 million households that rely solely on over-the-air television, including a “disproportionate number of Spanish-language speakers.”
