[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 134 (Wednesday, October 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2046-E2047]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PROFILES OF SUCCESS HONORS MR. SILVESTRE HERRERA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 6, 1999

  Mr. PASTOR. I rise before you today to pay tribute to a man who has 
been a lifelong example of the courage and patriotism of the Latino 
soldier, Mr. Silvestre Herrera. Mr. Herrera is one of the few Mexican-
Americans to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. In Arizona, Mr. 
Herrera recently received the Hall of Fame Award at the Valle del Sol's 
Annual Profiles of Success Leadership Awards. Valle's award ceremony is 
the premiere Latino recognition event in Arizona each year that 
acknowledges Arizona's leaders and their contributions.
  Silvestre's courageous actions in World War II display acts of great 
personal and physical sacrifice to support his fellow soldiers during 
combat in France. Then PFC Silvestre S. Herrera, Company E, 142nd 
Infantry Regiment, 36th Division, attacked two enemy strong points and 
captured eight enemy soldiers. He paid a high price for his bravery. He 
stepped on a land mine and had both feet severed. But despite intense 
pain and unchecked loss of blood, he pinned down the enemy with 
accurate rifle fire while a friendly squadron captured the enemy gun by 
skirting the minefield and rushing in from the flank.
  In addition to being a two-time winner of a Profiles of Success 
award--he first won in the Special Recognition category--Silvestre has 
used his position as a recipient of one of the nation's highest honors 
for heroism to promote the Latino community in everything he does. From 
speaking to schoolchildren to representing veterans in military 
parades, he continues to give selflessly to the community of his time 
and wisdom.
  Although he has been honored numerous times for his magnificent 
courage, extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice, I ask you to again 
join me in paying tribute to a man who is a symbol of the courage shown 
by Mexican-Americans during our nation's wars. Please join me in 
thanking him and wishing him continued success.

          TRIBUTE TO UNIVISION COMMUNICATION'S WXTV/CHANNEL 41

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 6, 1999

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Univision 
Communication's WXTV/Channel 41 for its continuing service to the 
Latino community in New York. In addition to its popular news program, 
``Noticias 41'', today the station will launch New York's first early 
morning Spanish-language newscast, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute and 
wishing continued success to Univision Communication's WXTV/Channel 41.
  The following article, which appeared in the October 4 New York Daily 
News, discusses Univision and Channel 41 in more detail.

New York Univision Affiliate Launches Morning Spanish-Language Newscast

       At the Spanish-speaking Otero home in midtown Manhattan, 
     David Otero doesn't have to think twice when asked about the 
     family's favorite TV station.
       ``Channel 41--it's out of sight,'' said the bilingual 27-
     year-old. ``My mother likes the novelas and I like the 
     comedies.''
       So do tens of thousands of Hispanic New Yorkers who have 
     made Univision Communication's WXTV/Channel 41 the metro 
     area's

[[Page E2047]]

     No. 1 Spanish-language station, drawing in about 122,625 
     households--more than four times that of its main rival, 
     Telemundo's WNJU/Channel 47.
       Today, the Univision station will try to grab even more of 
     the TV viewing audience when it launches New York's first 
     early morning Spanish-language newscast, a 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. 
     version of its popular news program, ``Noticias 41.''
       Hosted by Spanish broadcasting veterans Adhemar Montagne 
     and Arly Alfaro, the show is aimed at drawing away Spanish 
     speakers who now get their wake-up calls from English-
     language stations WCBS/Channel 2, WNBC/Channel 4, WNYW/
     Channel 5 and WABC/Channel 7.
       The expansion of Univision's local news--which recently won 
     two Emmy awards, a first for Spanish-language TV--comes in 
     the middle of a hot streak at Channel 41, founded 31 years 
     ago.
       In an additional sign of its growing prominence, the 
     station has several times in the past week surpassed WWOR/
     Channel 9, with programs like ``Noticias 41'' hosted by 
     veteran Rafael Pineda outdrawing sitcom ``Sister, Sister,'' 
     and novelas ``Soadoras'' overtaking ``In the House.''
       Even Channel 2 took a recent beating from Univision when 
     network newscast ``Noticiero Univision''--from 6:30 p.m. to 7 
     p.m.--overtook ``The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.''
       Channel 41's strides mirror the rise of New York's Latino 
     community. The fastest-growing minority group in the region, 
     which includes the city and its surrounding suburbs, 
     Hispanics account for about 18 percent of the population, 
     numbering 3.4 million.
       ``New York continues to be the historic point of entry,'' 
     said Carey Davis, general manager of Hispanic radio stations 
     WSKQ/97.9 FM and WPAT/93.1 FM.
       As Channel 41 has stolen market share, its Los Angeles-
     based parent has prospered as well. Under Chairman Jerry 
     Perenchio--a former Hollywood talent agent who represented 
     Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor before joining the network 
     in 1992--the company's ratings growth has made it the 
     nation's fastest-growing TV network.
       A tough-minded manager, Perenchio refuses to allow any 
     Univision executives to speak to the press, once even fining 
     an employee who defied him. Perenchio and other Channel 41 
     executives refused Daily News requests for interviews.
       While it has been widely reported that Perenchio doesn't 
     even speak Spanish, he secured the long-term rights to some 
     of the most popular programming in Latin America, generated 
     by entertainment powerhouses Televisa of Mexico and 
     Venezuela's Venevision, both of which own a stake in 
     Univision.
       As a result, the network gets a steady dose of novelas, the 
     extremely popular soap-operalike miniseries that Channel 41 
     airs in prime time, starting with novelas for teens and 
     racier ones as the night goes on.
       One current hit is ``Camila,'' the story of a young woman 
     in a small town whose husband leaves her behind for a job in 
     the big city, where he's seduced by his boss' daughter.
       ``/[Novelas are] a way of life in Puerto Rico,'' said 
     Millie Almodovar-Colon, a media buyer at Siboney USA, a 
     Spanish advertising agency that represents Colgate-Palmolive 
     and Denny's. ``My grandma watched them and my mom watched 
     them,'' she added.
       Univision's program monopoly puts Telemundo's Channel 47 at 
     a big disdvantage, acknowledged that station's general 
     manager, Luis Roldan.
       ``The novelas guarantee the minds, hearts and souls of the 
     viewers,'' he said. ``We can't buy that programming.''
       Last year, Telemundo, owned by Sony and AT&T's Liberty 
     Media, tried to strike back, taking old shows like 
     ``Charlie's Angels'' and reshooting them with a Hispanic 
     cast. ``It bombed,'' Almodovar-Colon said.
       While Channel 41 is the leader, Roldan is determined to 
     narrow the gap. Telemundo has been pouring money into new 
     programming recently, and Roldan said he is banking on new 
     shows like ``Father Albert,'' a talk show hosted by a priest.
       Even more important, Channel 47 secured the rights to 
     broadcast Yankees, Mets and Knicks games in Spanish.
       While Univision is making ratings strides, it remains a 
     laggard when it comes to total advertising dollars. Last 
     year, the station took in $50 million, abut one-sixth the 
     sales of Channel 4.
       That's because advertisers have historically poured fewer 
     dollars into reaching Spanish-speakers even though their 
     numbers are rising.
       ``It's racism and ignorance,'' Almodovar-Colon contended.
       But she added that the tide has been changing for Spanish-
     language media as the explosive rise of entertainers like 
     Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony draws attention 
     to the city's Hispanic population.
       Latino culture is becoming ``the hottest thing around,'' 
     Almodovar-Colon said.

     

                          ____________________