[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

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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

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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.

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