NBC's purchase of Telemundo for $2.7 billion was one of 2002's biggest stories in the media industry. It highlighted the expansion of the U.S. Latino community and growing influence of Spanish-language media.

When NBC bought Telemundo, it promised to make the Spanish-language network more competitive with Univision, the nation's dominant Spanish-language network. But as NBC tried to increase Telemundo's viewership, Univision announced plans to merge with Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., the nation's largest owner of Spanish-language radio stations.

The moves by NBC and Univision underscored the changing media landscape as a result of consolidation. In September, the Federal Communications Commission posted a notice of proposed rulemaking to rewrite the country's current broadcast ownership rules that will lead to further consolidation. But its proposal has met opposition.
Also in 2002, Juan Gonz lez, one the country's most influential Latino journalists, was elected president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He promised to pressure the industry more aggressively to increase Latino newsroom employment and to monitor how consolidation has affected the quality of journalism.

NBC/TELEMUNDO

NBC's purchase of Telemundo was challenged by a coalition of Hispanic organizations, including the National Council of La Raza. The groups believed it did not serve the best interests of the nation's Hispanic community. The FCC dismissed their challenge and approved the deal in April.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists requested that NBC extend union representation to its on-air Telemundo employees in Chicago and Los Angeles. Telemundo employees in Chicago all signed a public petition requesting representation. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote NBC asking the network to honor the petition. But NBC refused, saying the process should go through the National Labor Relations Board.

UNIVISION - HBC

Univision Communications announced its proposed purchase of Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., which owns 55 stations nationwide, for more than $3 billion.

This merges the nation's largest Spanish-language television network and the country's largest Hispanic radio company.

The proposed marriage would give Univisi¢n ownership of radio, television and cable networks as well as music and online companies and leverage over its competitors in offering advertising packages.

The announcement led the Spanish Broadcasting System to file a lawsuit against HBC and the nation's largest owner of radio stations, Clear Channel Communications, claiming the companies broke anti-trust laws. Clear Channel owns 26% of HBC.

SBS, the country's largest Hispanic-controlled radio company, was also seeking to merge with HBC.

FCC REGULATIONS REVIEW

The Federal Communications Commission announced in September its most comprehensive review of the nation's broadcast ownership regulations in history. It will explore several questions, including whether revisions of the rules will promote competition and advance diversity.

The commission is reviewing the following regulations:

newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership, local radio ownership, national TV ownership, local TV multiple ownership, radio/TV cross ownership, dual television network.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, has expressed concern over the speed at which the commission is seeking to rewrite the rules. Copps plans to hold his own hearings throughout the country in 2003, inviting the public to express its concerns about consolidation.
Public interest groups such as the Media Access Project and the Center for Digital Democracy have criticized the FCC for not thoroughly examining broadcast ownership rules and not devoting more time to seek public input before issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking.

NAHJ PARITY PROJECT

After Gonzalez's election in June, the NAHJ's board developed and passed a five-year strategic plan calling for the creation of a "Parity Project" to bolster Latino employment in mainstream print and broadcast media in several targeted cities.

In November, Gonzalez debated William McGowan, author of "Coloring the News: How Crusading for Diversity Has Corrupted American Journalism," at the National Press Club, which had awarded McGowan the club's top 2002 prize for media criticism.

MEDIA REPORT: 2002 Roundup:

The Radio-Television News Directors Association found in its annual survey released in July that Latinos made up 6.1% of all newsroom employees working at local English-language TV stations in 2001, down from 7.3% the year before. Additionally, it reported that newsroom employment for Latinos at English-language radio stations plunged from 5.5% to 2.4%.

Latinos as a percentage of newsroom personnel at daily papers barely increased - from 3.7% to 3.8%, according to the American Society of Newspaper Editors' annual survey published in April.

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting released a study in the June edition of its magazine Extra! that found 92% of all news sources interviewed on camera on the ABC, CBS and NBC nightly newscasts in 2001 were white. It also found that out of 14,632 such sources, only 7.0% were black, 0.6% were Latino, and 0.2% Asian.

National Public Radio's Latino USA was bestowed the Edward R. Murrow Award in the category of investigative reporting by RTNDA.