(NewsDirect)
Comcast todayannounced a partnership with Se Habla Media to support and expand its Spanish-language newscast to the more than 60,000 members ofthe Hispanic community in Seattle. The partnership includes a grant tosupport operations and technology along with a regular spot onComcast’s Xfinity TV Channel 79 to air its broadcasts.
“When SinclairBroadcasting group let go of its Univison affiliate at the end of2023, the only local Spanish newscast on TV in our area alsodisappeared,” said Diana Oliveros, co-founder of Se Habla Media.“This sudden lack of a newscast posed yet another barrier toimportant information for many Hispanics. So, we decided to create ourown local media outlet.”
Se Habla Media was born out of Oliveros’ andJaime Mendez’s desire to fill the void left by the disappearance ofUnivision. The two decided that creating their own media outlet wasthe best and likely only solution to avoid the disappearance of localSpanish-language news. They also realized that they didn’t have timeto waste. In roughly three months they created Se Habla Media and launched on Jan. 1, 2024. It was a labor of love in more ways thanone—Oliveros and Mendez are married and live in the home that hasalso become their studio.
"Our collaboration with Jaime and Diana aligns seamlesslywith Comcast's mission to support our communities, advance digitalequity, and help small businesses succeed," said Rodrigo Lopez,Senior Vice President of Comcast Pacific Northwest Region. "Bysupporting Se Habla Media, a news outlet created by Latinos forLatinos, we are helping to keep our Spanish-language communityinformed about local events and raise awareness of important localissues."
Before the partnership with Comcast, Jaime Mendez News, thenewscast produced by Se Habla Media, was limited to online broadcasts.Even without a lot of marketing or a TV cable channel, it was able tobuild a critical mass of more than 120,000 followers. Additionally,the outlet has reached more than a million viewers across Facebook,Instagram and YouTube. Most of the Se Habla Media’s online audiencelives in the Puget Sound area, but it also has followers in Centraland Eastern Washington, California and Mexico. The addition of a TVcable channel and the support of Comcast will help expand its reachand audience.
“There is a huge technological gap for some members of theHispanic community,” said Oliveros. “It is often taken for grantedthat anyone has access to internet connection and social media, butthe truth is that TV is still an important, and sometimes the onlysource of information for some people. These are the people that tendto be some of the most vulnerable.”
Mendez was the news anchor for the now closedSeattle Univision broadcast. He has been a pioneer in Hispanic mediafor the last 25 years. Oliveros is a career diplomat specializing incommunity outreach and local economic development. During her sixyears in Seattle, she acted as Consul for Community Outreach at theConsulate of Mexico in Seattle, leading the efforts of collaboratingwith the Mexican migrant community in Washington and Alaska, toprovide health, education and financial literacy programs. Herposition created a deeper and better understanding of the needs andculture of the local and regional Spanish speaking community.
The financial supportfrom Comcast will also aid in paying for freelance reporters todevelop news stories. In the future, Mendez wants to provide moredaily news and add a sports show with specialized segments.
“We feel glad to seethat other stakeholders, like Comcast, see the value of what we aredoing and commit to strengthen projects like ours,” said Mendez.“The partnership with Comcast helps us bring reliable information tomore people and gives us the exposure we need to raise awareness aboutthe need in the Hispanic community.”
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global mediaand technology company. From the connectivity and platforms weprovide, to the content and experiences we create, our businessesreach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guestsworldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and videothrough Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, andstream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brandsincluding NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bringincredible theme parks and attractions to life through UniversalDestinations & Experiences.
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