Cross posted at VivirLatino.

If you’re like me, you watch Spanish-language television but think that most of what’s on it makes you feel like it was created for people who lack brain cells. It seems like the people behind the production fail to realize that their viewers aren’t idiots, and insist on feeding them TV psychics, Mario Almada movies and lots and lots of novelas. I’m not sure if that will change any time soon, but this might be a good sign:

A for-profit venture partnered with public television, V-me (pronounced “veh-meh,” from the Spanish veme, for “see me”) is a 24-hour digital broadcast network carried on basic digital cable and satellite systems. The network will be partners with public TV stations, which will receive V-me at no cost… Programming features a mix of original productions and acquisitions as well as public television fare adapted for American Latinos, with content organized into four categories: lifestyle, factual, movie/special events, and kids (with V-me devoting 36 hours per week for programming devoted to preschoolers).

V-me has established content and co-production relationships with PBS producers WGBH and Thirteen/WNET, in addition to Sesame Workshop, HiT Entertainment, Alliance Atlantis and others. Familiar programs on the schedule range from “Cyberchase” and “Plaza Sesamo” to “Nature” and “Great Performances.” The network’s flagship original program, “Viva Voz,” is a nightly interview series that promises to discuss social issues affecting Latinos and society as a whole.

A couple of interesting things here. One is the obvious: “Nature” and “Great Performances” are at about the very opposite end of the spectrum of what is currently seen on Telemundo and Univision. Appealing to a higher common denominator, what an interesting concept. But is it risky? I don’t think so. I often watch Univision agape, asking myself why they air such trash, supposedly for people from Latin America, when in Latin America there actually is good programming.

Also interesting: V-me is devoting 36 hours per week to kids programming — precisely the area that Univision got fined a record $24 million for skimping on recently.

Interesting too is the language of choice. V-me appears to be banking on US Latinos whose language is primarily Spanish, rather than the other way around like Mun2 and other ventures have done it.

I have to say their branding speaks to me, and it probably will resonate with a lot of people who have the same gripes I do about Spanish language TV. From their website:

Porque queremos vernos y mostrarnos de una manera positiva. Porque esperamos más de la televisión en español.

According to AP, V-me will initially be available in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco and San Antonio, among other cities.

Via / Yahoo! Entertainment

Images via V-me and NielsenMedia.com

The opportunity to reach Latinos 18-34, the prime group for marketers, is online, plain and simple. I keep going back to the fact that no one is doing it well. Maybe the lack of interest is due to the fact that no one up until this point seems to be paying attention to the compelling data about Latinos online. Perhaps this new data from comScore Media Metrix will light a fire under someone:

The growth of online use by Hispanics has surpassed the general market by a factor of 6.5, according to Terra Networks, citing data from comScore Media Metrix. The U.S. Hispanic online audience increased by 13 percent between Dec. 2005 and Dec. 2006, while the general market increased just 2 percent within that same time period. U.S.

Hispanics have also surpassed the general market in terms of time spent online per day. Hispanics spent an average of 88.1 minutes online per day, while the online general market spent 81.7 minutes per day during Dec. 06.

What would happen if someone started creating culturally-relevant, engaging online offerings for this community instead of regurgitating what’s already out there and stamping “Hispanic” on it? It would be a boon. Too bad no one is. Maybe I’m in the wrong business.

Via - MediaBuyerPlanner.com and Hispanic Trending