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Hispanics represent 14% of Chicago's population, or 1.3 million people. The majority of those (about 70%) are of Mexican descent. The Latin population is concentrated in the Pilsen, Humboldt and Little Village neighborhoods. In the May Hispanic Sweeps, WGBO scored an average 14.9/36 among adults 18-34; WSNS registered an average of 8.4/20. The stations were ahead of the Fox 0&0 WFLD-TV (4.1/10), NBC's WMAQ-TV (2.8/7), Disney/ABC's WLS-TV (2.5/6), and CBS' WBBM-TV and WB affiliate WGN-TV (both had a 1.0/3). Statistics are provided on ratings and shares for television and radio stations, as well as newspaper circulation.
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Hispanics represent 14 percent of the Windy City's population, or 1.3 million people. The majority of those (about 70 percent) are of Mexican descent.
The Latin population is concentrated in the Pilsen, Humboldt and Little Village neighborhoods.
The Telemundo station WSNS-TV, Channel 44, has recently relocated from the John Hancock building to the Sears Tower with a stronger digital signal. WSNS became a full-time Spanish television station in 1985 as an affiliate of Spanish International Network (SIN was later bought by Hallmark Cards, and Hallmark formed the Univision network). The station bought by Telemundo in 1996; Univision subsequently created the station WGBO.
WSNS took a major hit for several years, going from double-digit ratings to low single-digit ratings. But earlier this year, the station started to see some growth.
In the May Hispanic Sweeps, WGBO scored an average 14.9/36 among adults 18-34; WSNS registered an average of 8.4/20. The stations were ahead of the Fox 0&0 WFLD-TV (4.1/10), NBC's WMAQ-TV (2.8/7), Disney/ABC's WLS-TV (2.5/6), and CBS' WBBM-TV and WB affiliate WGN-TV (both had a 1.0/3).
Starting Jan. 1, WSNS will launch a one-hour local newscast from 6-7 a.m. The news will lead into Esta Manana, from 7-9 a.m. Noticias 66 is WGBO's only local program. It scored a 12.9 rating and a 56 share among adults 18-34 and an 11.6/51 among adults 1849. WSNS' Noticiero 44 scored a 1.9 rating and an 8 share among adults 18-34 and a 2.0/9 for the 18-49 demographic.
In May, WGBO hired former WSNS newscaster Carla Sanchez. WSNS countered by hiring Luisa Torres as coanchor of Noticiero 44 at 5 and 10 p.m. Torres is a popular personality in Chicago, where she did a radio show on Hispanic Broadcasting's WIND-AM.
Spanish Broadcasting System's Spanish regional music station WLEY-FM is the top Hispanic station, with a 2.1 share for the 12-plus group in the morning drive and a 3.4 share in the evening drive, according to the Arbitron Spring 2000 Market Report.
Hispanic Broadcasting's WOJO-FM finished second, with a 1.8 share for both the morning and evening drives, and its WIND-AM, a Spanish news/talk station, was third, with a 0.9 share for the morning drive and a 0.4 for the evening drive. Entravision-owned WRZA-FM was next, with a 0.7 share for the morning drive and a 0.3 for the evening drive.
About 62 percent of Hispanic households subscribe to cable television, according to Scarborough.
There are 14 Hispanic-oriented newspapers in Chicago, according to Lopez-Negrete/American Minorities Media. The only daily Spanish newspaper is La Manana, with a circulation of 30,000. The weekly with the largest circulation is the bilingual tabloid Lawndale Group News (180,000 for the Thursday edition; the Sunday edition has a circ of only 29,400), with La Raza at a weekly circulation of 150,000.
The weekly magazine Tele Guia de Chicago has a circulation of about 23,000. Hispanic Magazine's local circulation is 5,700.
Copyright ASM Communications Nov 13, 2000