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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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VoxMox: creation of a website that reviews and critiques programming on Hispanic television networks
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VoxMox: creation of a website that reviews and critiques programming on Hispanic television networks
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Content
VOXMOX: CREATION OF A WEBSITE THAT REVIEWS AND CRITIQUES
PROGRAMMING ON HISPANIC TELEVISION NETWORKS
By
Veronica Villafañe
________________________________________________________________
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
May 2014
Copyright 2014 Veronica Villafañe
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1. Demographics 1
2. Need for project 2
CHAPTER 2 - CONCEPT
1. Executive summary 4
2. Problem 5
3. Solution 6
4. Competitive landscape 7
5. Target Audiences 8
6. Expansion and acquisition of new users 9
7. Social media promotion 9
8. Integrating user-generated content 9
9. Situation Analysis (SWOTS) 10
10. Interface 10
11. Website logistics 11
CHAPTER 3 - SCREENSHOTS OF WEBSITE
1. Homepage of VoxMox 12
2. User review section 13
3. Social Hub section 14
4. Comment section 15
5. Video section 16
6. Hispanic TV-targeted programming guide 17
CHAPTER 4 – CONCLUSION 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY 19
1
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
This paper consists of an explanation of my master’s thesis project: VoxMox, a
consumer-oriented website targeting Hispanic television programming. In addition to
providing background and context as to why I felt it necessary to create this site, I
describe the competitive landscape and how the project could potentially be viable.
The beta site currently lives at http://proyectox.com.s125890.gridserver.com, a private
site accessible online with the previous link. Screenshots of the site, with detailed
descriptions of the elements that differentiate VoxMox from other digital platforms are
included in this paper.
Demographics
There are currently 54 million Hispanics in the United States - 17% of the total
population. Projections estimate this ethnic group will triple by 2060.
1
This rapid
growth makes the Hispanic consumer market an important one for advertisers
and a valuable target for media consumption.
The most recent data from the Pew Research Center indicates that 78% of
Latinos
2
say they use the internet or send or receive email and that number
continues to be on the rise.
3
Not only are Hispanics very connected to the
internet, they’re also changing how they consume media online.
According to Hispanic digital strategy development Captura Group, the US
Hispanic online market has reached “critical mass,” with the number of users
continuing to grow at “explosive levels.” However, they still represent a relatively
1
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
2
The
terms
Latino
and
Hispanic
will
be
used
interchangeably
throughout
this
document
3
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/03/07/ii-internet-use-3/
2
underserved segment of the online population and aggregate Hispanic market.
4
As the demographics shift, more Hispanics being born in the United States are
more likely to consume media in English.
In a 2012 Pew survey, more than 80% of Latino adults said they get some or all
of their news in English from television, print, radio and internet outlets.
5
Despite
data showing more English-language news consumption, entertainment content
in Spanish remains strong, with Univision leading the charge in Spanish-
language television consumption. In fact, Univision ended the February 2014
ratings sweeps in third place, ahead of CBS and ABC, for the first time.
6
The Hispanic media audience is not a homogenous blob and is not abandoning
Spanish-language media. Yet, it thrives on consuming English content - whether
it’s on television, print or online. To tap that audience, Univision partnered with
ABC to launch Fusion, an English-language cable and digital network targeting
Hispanic millenials.
While there is no consensus on how to best tap this market, media outlets and
advertisers are trying to secure this very lucrative audience segment. In 2013,
Hispanic consumers in the U.S. had a purchasing power of $1.2 trillion. It’s
projected that will grow to $1.5 trillion by 2015.
7
The appeal of the Hispanic
consumer for advertisers is too significant to ignore.
4
http://www.capturagroup.com/our-thinking/hispanic-online-market/
5
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/07/23/a-growing-share-of-latinos-get-their-news-in-english/
6
http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/univision-achieves-highest-ranking-to-date-in-sweeps-
1201122707/
7
http://www.terry.uga.edu/news/releases/minority-buying-power-grows-in-2013-according-to-selig-center-
report
3
Need for the project
There are currently no sites that offer a critical review of Spanish or English-
language television content geared to Hispanic audiences. Univision, Telemundo
and MundoFox, for example, all have their own websites that only offer positive
reviews and promotion of their shows.
As those very networks expound they’re the only ones that understand the
Hispanic audience and claim to offer quality programming, there should be an
online digital platform that can offer independent coverage of all Hispanic media,
offering reviews and critique of their content.
A site with information about all Hispanic and Spanish-language television
programming will offer a valuable service to consumers interested in learning
more about all the available viewing options, including those they were previously
unaware existed.
That’s where VoxMox comes in. In addition to reviews and critiques, the site
would also offer information about programming produced by Latino content
producers that is not Hispanic-themed and is airing on mainstream networks.
Additionally, as there is yet no consensus on how to best reach Hispanic viewers,
because they don’t just consume media in Spanish or only watch Hispanic-
themed programming, VoxMox can capitalize on the opportunity to learn more
about their interests by tapping them directly, encouraging them to express their
own views about what’s available on TV. This would be done by developing a
section of the site that would allow for user-generated content that includes
reviews, comments and recommendations about programming on the networks
4
of their choice, regardless of language. As viewers populate this section, VoxMox
will be able to glean more information that will paint a better picture of audience
preferences.
5
CHAPTER 2 - CONCEPT
Executive Summary
VoxMox (working title, subject to change) is a consumer-oriented digital news
platform that aims to become the bilingual Latino hub of media news and
information covering Spanish and English language television and online
programming in the United States.
VoxMox seeks to connect and empower Latino media consumers by creating an
engaged online community that actively participates in the discussion of the
content that’s currently being produced and on the air.
Spanish-language networks’ claims that they’re producing quality programming
for Hispanic audiences is questionable when you look at programming grids that
offer mostly telenovelas. VoxMox will review, analyze and critique the
programming to give readers a summary of what the Hispanic media universe is
offering them and what’s worth viewing. In addition to news, reviews, critiques
and recommendations of television programming offered to Hispanic audiences,
VoxMox will encourage and promote “citizen reviewers” to share their opinions of
the shows in a special “Viewer Reviewer” section.
During a second phase, VoxMox will launch a mobile application to make it
easier to access information via mobile devices, combining content options with
social networking to encourage interactivity and the development of an engaged
community.
Latinos are avid online users and television watchers. On average, they log
online 8.7 hours a week vs 8.3 hours of television viewing. They’re also avid
6
online researchers.
8
VoxMox combines programming and research to create a
one-stop source where users could access all relevant information, reviews and
recommendations to help them make television, cable and internet channel
viewing decisions.
The VoxMox business model will focus on sponsorship revenue streams from
video preview and trailer ads, display ads on the website, App, mobile ads, RSS
and twitter feeds.
VoxMox will be a lean operation. The only two full-time staff members will be the
editor and publisher of the site and the business development manager. The
remainder of the personnel will include a web consultant and freelance content
producers, hired on a contractual basis, depending on the need.
Problem
VoxMox intends to specifically address the quality of Hispanic programming by
offering reviews and critiques of available offerings. In addition, the site will help
viewers explore and discover programming alternatives on cable, satellite, online
and video streaming services.
A myriad of television networks claim to be offering quality programming for
Latinos when that’s not the case. Univision and Telemundo-run telenovelas in the
afternoon and during the entire evening primetime. Newly launched MundoFox
offers afternoon novelas and narco-series in the evening. While telenovelas have
and continue to be popular, new networks are starting to offer alternative
programming, which people are unaware of.
8
2012 Terra Hispanic Digital Consumer Study by comScore
7
Some mainstream publications now report on the business side of Hispanic
networks, while others offer gossip about on-air personalities. No media outlet is
currently reviewing or critiquing the programming available on these networks.
Univision, Telemundo, MundoFox, Azteca América and Estrella TV may be the
only over-the-air broadcast television networks, but the rise of cable and satellite
has created a wealth of alternative programming options for Spanish-language
audiences. With so many different options out there, how can viewers discover
and identify what’s worth watching?
Solution
VoxMox will offer detailed reviews of available Hispanic programming, including
options from cable and satellite providers, such as Discovery and History
channels en Español.
The reviews will intelligently and constructively critique programs, sorting out
through the good and the bad, helping viewers navigate through the options. The
site will provide a wider-reaching platform for viewers to create their own reviews
of programs, comment and share their opinions about what the networks are
offering, as well as recommend their favorite shows.
Offering viewers the opportunity to voice their discontent over programs or
suggestions on how to improve them in an engaged platform that lives outside of
a particular network’s closed forums will make networks and content producers
aware they’re beholden to much more informed consumers. To succeed in this
particular area, the key will be getting a critical mass of people to contribute on
the site.
8
VoxMox will also provide a television grid, similar to a TV guide, specifically
showing the programming of all Spanish-language and Hispanic networks,
making it easier for viewers to navigate the wealth of alternative programming
available to them.
Competitive landscape
There are a variety of websites that offer a limited amount of information about
Hispanic television programming. Each Hispanic network has websites that
promote their own programs. A wealth of other sites offer entertainment content,
which includes news about Hispanic television celebrities and some
programming, based on ratings successes. No site offers exclusive programming
content, reviews, critiques or user-generated recommendations.
Here’s a list of some of those sites:
1. www.univision.com: Website dedicated to Univision network’s programs,
TV stars, in addition to general news, sports and entertainment news. The
site now also offers full episodes of their novelas.
2. www.msnlatino.telemundo.com: Website dedicated to Telemundo
network’s programs, TV stars, in addition to news, sports and
entertainment content produced by the network’s shows. The site, which
also features video segments of their novelas, is produced in conjunction
with MSN Latino.
3. www.mundofox.com: Website dedicated to MundoFox network’s
programs. It also offers a news feed of general news and a programming
grid of their shows.
4. www.mynuvotv.com: Website strictly dedicated to NUVOtv network’s
programs. It includes clips and full episodes of a limited number of their
shows, as well as a TV schedule.
5. www.us.azteca.com: Website dedicated to Azteca network’s programs. It
also features video trailers, as well as a general news, sports and
entertainment news feed.
9
6. http://www.estrellatv.com: Website that exclusively promotes its programs.
7. http://www.mun2.tv: Website dedicated to bilingual cable network mun2’s
programs, which includes clips and full episodes of their shows.
8. www.fusion.net: News site that in addition, also promotes its shows in a
dedicated section. It also offers a TV schedule of their programs.
9. www.voces.huffingtonpost.com: Spanish-language version of the
Huffington Post. The site has an entertainment section that covers Latino
television celebrities, as well as mainstream stars.
10. www.latinospost.com: General news website that also covers
entertainment news.
11. www.latingossip.com: Gossip website that covers entertainment news,
including Hispanic television celebrites and the shows they’re in.
Target Audiences
Primary Audience:
• Latinos 18-49 who watch Hispanic television programming and are avid
online users.
Secondary Audience
• Latinos 18-49 who don’t normally watch, but are interested in exploring
Hispanic television programming offerings, and are solid online media
consumers.
Other Audiences
• Latino media consumers seeking information through search.
• General market media consumers interested in Hispanic television
programming offerings.
• Television producers and programmers interested in following consumer
recommendations and trends.
10
Expansion and acquisition of new users
VoxMox will establish strategic partnerships to have a presence in other sites
that can benefit from the content. Partnership agreements would include
providing links back to VoxMox. Potential partners could be Fox News Latino and
Huffington Post Voces, both Latino targeted sites that cover general news, but
could benefit from the added enhancement of Hispanic television programming
content reviews.
Social media promotion
Leveraging the potential of different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram), VoxMox would increase traffic to the website by creating a more
engaged community willing to share and promote the content of the site, a great
portion of which will be user-generated.
Integrating user-generated content
“VoxMox” will nurture and promote user-generated content to populate a portion
of the site. This will increase interactivity with the audience and keep costs low.
Peer reviews and a social component will help the site build an audience through
recommendations by current users.
The review process will include a user generated rating system, similar to
Amazon and Yelp, allowing “VoxMox” consumers to discover new shows based
on user recommendations. Not only will the Hispanic audience find useful
information, critiques and reviews, they’ll be able to “join” the site and share their
point of view on the programming.
11
Situation Analysis (SWOTS)
Strengths – Extensive knowledge and solid connections in the Hispanic media industry
will allow the production of premium content for VoxMox. Additionally, prior experience
and success with established website Media Moves (founded in 2007) offers industry
programmers and executives added credibility about the new project.
Weaknesses – VoxMox is a start-up in a crowded digital sphere, where great effort must
be made to create awareness of the existence of a new digital platform. Finding funding
for the site will be essential prior to its launch. If no funding can be secured to support
essential staff to produce, curate and maintain the site, it would fail, because there would
be no way to maintain a daily rhythm of content production.
Opportunities – No other website currently provides what VoxMox is offering. If
positioned correctly and promoted effectively, it could grow to become a popular go-to
site where users can find, explore and recommend Hispanic television programs,
creating a new socially engaged platform. The content matter on the site opens it up for
networks to heavily promote their content via paid video trailers and previews.
Threats – Other currently established websites can quickly pick up on what VoxMox is
doing and expand their content to include a section with a similar offering.
Strategic Implications – Several Hispanic media industry insiders consulted believe the
VoxMox concept is a good one. But a good concept, even with the right connections,
can be trumped by the challenges of the market. Funding and creating awareness of a
new digital platform will be key considerations in the launch and promotion of VoxMox.
Interface
VoxMox will rely on ease of use of the platform by offering a simple and
convenient interface. The objective is to make it easier for the user to find
12
content, rate, comment, review, share and see what others are recommending
and saying about the programming.
Website logistics
To keep costs low, the website was created using a premium responsive
WordPress template called Volcano from Australian provider ThemeForest.
VoxMox is currently housed at no extra cost on my Media Temple server, which
hosts two other websites. Some features within the Volcano template were
reconfigured to allow further customization. Several plugins, including a video
widget, were added to enhance the features that will be available for the
consumer. Additional spam protection and advertising plugins were also
installed.
The beta site is privately housed at http://proyectox.com.s125890.gridserver.com
until it is ready to be made public. It is currently not being indexed and is only
available for view with the gridserver link listed above.
VoxMox will not officially go live until funding and full content and video support
from the networks is secured.
13
CHAPTER 3 - SCREENSHOTS OF WEBSITE
Homepage of VoxMox
The website’s homepage incorporates video and user-generated elements.
14
User review section
The “Viewer Reviewer” section, which is visibly displayed on the site’s
homepage, will contain user-generated reviews of shows on the different
Hispanic networks, in addition to any other Hispanic-themed shows that may air
on other networks.
15
Social Hub section
Social media content is a key component of the site, predominantly displayed on
the homepage. In addition to a Twitter stream, there’s an Instagram section that
allows users to share photos they’ve taken of celebrities, as well as photo
streams of Latino actors.
16
Comment section
Allowing viewers to speak up about what’s on television enhances the user-
generated discussion by encouraging opinions, forum discussions and
recommendations.
“Shout it out!” immediately follows the Viewer Reviewer section.
17
Video section
Video embeds on the home page increases the visibility of programming and the
capacity to charge networks to highlight their shows.
This section is open for show previews, trailers, promotional spots, user-
generated Vine videos and VoxMox original video interviews.
18
Hispanic TV-targeted programming guide
The top menu on the homepage has a TV guide, which leads to a listing of
shows on all Hispanic networks, including premium and pay TV channels. This
guide simplifies the search and navigation process for users trying to strictly
locate programming on these networks, eliminating the clutter of hundreds of
other channels listed on cable and satellite providers.
19
CHAPTER 4 - CONCLUSION
The Latino digital media space continues to evolve as online consumption habits
of Hispanic users rapidly grow. Research indicates that Hispanics are the fastest
adopters of digital technology, social media, online consumption and mobile
internet.
Aware of this niche market, hundreds of blogs and websites have sprouted in the
cybersphere, trying to capture the interest of the digitally savvy Latino consumer.
While there are small to larger scale independent publishers of content, several
groups are trying to capitalize on a budding business by organizing this niche
market.
Despite the abundance of websites and blogs targeting Hispanic consumers that
litter the internet, the market remains ripe for relevant and intelligent online
content options. The opportunity to gain critical mass in a new venture exists, if
it’s smart and engaging. But creating awareness will be key to a new site’s
existence and survival.
For VoxMox to overcome this challenge, I must leverage the wealth of my
personal contacts in the media business, networking groups and other social
media influencers, who can help promote the site’s launch.
20
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AHAA The Voice of Hispanic Marketing. “The power of the Hispanic Market.” Accessed
January 20, 2014. http:// www.ahaa.org/default.asp?contentID=161
AHAA The Voice of Hispanic Marketing. “Upscale Latinos 2.0.” http://www.ahaa.org
/downloads/Upscale_2%200%20short%20for%20Conference%204-
30%20Final%201030a.pdf
Captura Group. Hispanic Online Market. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://www.
capturagroup.com/our- thinking/hispanic-online-market/
comScore. Terra Hispanic Digital Consumer Study (2012). http://www.terra.com
/advertise/Terra_comScore_Study_Slides_2012-07
eMarketer.com. “Among Hispanics, Who's Leading Digital Adoption Trends?
More foreign-born, Spanish-dominant Hispanics come online.” March 25, 2013.
http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Among-Hispanics-Whos-Leading-Digital-
Adoption-Trends/1009755#sthash.L8zqSQgL.dpuf
HispanicAd. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://hispanicad.com
Hispanic Market Weekly. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://hispanicmarket
weekly.com
Humphreys, Jeff. The Multicultural Economy Report 2013. Selig Center for
Economic Growth. September 4, 2013. http://www.terry.uga.edu/news/releases/
minority-buying-power-grows-in-2013-according-to-selig-center-report
21
Kissell, Rick. “Univision Achieves Highest Ranking to Date in Sweeps.” Variety.
February 27, 2014. http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/univision-achieves- highest-
ranking-to-date-in-sweeps-1201122707/
Latin Gossip. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://www.latingossip.com
Latinos in Social Media. Accessed January 20, 2014. https://www.facebook.com/
latinosinsocialmedia/info
Latinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://
blog.latism.org
Latinos Post. Accessed January 20, 2014. http://www.latinospost.com
Lopez, Hugo, Gonzalez-Barrera, Ana, Patten, Eileen. “Closing the Digital Divide:
Latinos and Technology Adoption.” Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project.
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/03/07/ii-internet-use-3/
Lopez, Hugo, Gonzalez-Barrera, Ana. “A Growing Share of Latinos Get Their
News in English.” Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project. http://www.pew
hispanic.org/2013/07/23/a-growing-share-of-latinos-get-their-news-in-english/
Nielsen. “State of the Hispanic Consumer: The Hispanic Market Imperative.”
(2012) http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/reports/2012/state-of-the-hispanic-
consumer-the-hispanic-market-imperative.html
U.S. Census Bureau. People QuickFacts.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/
states/00000.html
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
There are currently no sites that offer a critical review of Spanish or English‐language television content geared to Hispanic audiences. Univision, Telemundo and MundoFox, for example, all have their own websites that only offer positive reviews and promotion of their shows. ❧ VoxMox is a beta website with information about all Hispanic and Spanish‐language television programming that will offer a valuable service to consumers interested in learning more about all the available viewing options, including those they were previously unaware existed. In addition to reviews and critiques, the site would also offer information about programming produced by Latino content producers that is not Hispanic‐themed and is airing on mainstream networks.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Villafañe, Veronica
(author)
Core Title
VoxMox: creation of a website that reviews and critiques programming on Hispanic television networks
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Specialized Journalism
Publication Date
09/09/2014
Defense Date
05/23/2014
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
Hispanic television,OAI-PMH Harvest,program reviews,website
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Tenderich, Burghardt (
committee chair
), Kahn, Gabriel (
committee member
), Smith, Christopher Holmes (
committee member
)
Creator Email
veronicanahj@gmail.com,vvillafa@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-473013
Unique identifier
UC11287699
Identifier
etd-VillafaneV-2899.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-473013 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-VillafaneV-2899.pdf
Dmrecord
473013
Document Type
Thesis
Format
application/pdf (imt)
Rights
Villafañe, Veronica; Villafane, Veronica
Type
texts
Source
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(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
Repository Name
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Repository Location
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Tags
Hispanic television
program reviews
website