National Council of La Raza and Hispanic Communications Network Issue Nationwide Voter Mobilization Campaign Targeting Latino Community
November 1, 2006 – Representatives of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) announced today "Empieza Contigo" (It Starts with You), a joint public service announcement radio campaign distributed to Spanish-speaking media promoting voter registration and mobilization among the Latino community.
The Campaign, which began hitting airwaves and print outlets on September 29th and targets voter mobilization for the upcoming November 7th mid-term elections, is a project of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a nonpartisan coalition of major Hispanic national organizations and distinguished Hispanic leaders from across the nation.
"This campaign is also an important element of ‘LEAP to Action,’ NCLR’s ongoing voter mobilization project which works with community-based organizations outside the traditional electoral process to increase Latino civic participation in their local communities,” noted Janet Murguia, President of NCLR. “We believe that the more Latinos are empowered to take part in the political process, the better understanding they will have of the issues that shape their lives,” she continued.
“We have seen a number of issues shape this upcoming election, from President Bush’s proposal to construct a 700-mile fence along our Mexican border to the state/federal response to immigration reform,” noted Carlos Alcazar, President of HCN. “We believe this election will show a record turnout for Latinos at the polls, and this voter mobilization campaign is designed to further encourage their participation in a non-partisan way,” he added.
The campaign uses dramatizations to illustrate the importance of registering, voting and getting involved in the election process, and the voices of well-known Latino celebrities, such as Marc Anthony, Antonio Banderas, Cristina Saralegui and Paulina Rubio delivering the message: “It starts with you; do your part and vote, for your family, your community, and your country. And if you are unable to vote, ask your friends and family who are eligible to vote to do their part.” Listeners are directed to the campaign’s website, (http://www.nclr.org/section//november7/) and a tollfree hotline (1-888-Ve-Y-Vota or 1-888-839-8682) sponsored by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) to assist them in voter registration.
The PSA's have aired on the Hispanic Communications Network’s 200 affiliate radio stations and have been distributed on more than 500 radio stations in total. In a poll recently released by the New Democrat Network (NDN), a sharp increase in civic participation among Latinos has been cited. According to the survey: “Twenty-five percent of those surveyed say they participated in a recent rally or demonstration for a better immigration policy. Fifty-four percent of all those surveyed say they are more likely to vote this fall because of the debate.”
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Media Notes: Spots in :15, :30 and :60 second lengths can be downloaded from the website http://www.nclr.org/section/multimedia/ or can be ordered by contacting Duly Fernandez, HCN's Media Relations Director at (202) 360-4052.
About the National Council of La Raza
Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, NCLR works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs), NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas – assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.
About the Hispanic Communications Network (www.hcnmedia.com)
The Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) is the largest educational and informational media company targeting U.S. Hispanics. Utilizing an existing radio network, in 2005, HCN expanded into television, publishing and the web. The company has over 200 radio affiliates across the U.S., reaching an audience of 781,700 active listeners per average quarter hour (AQH), and a weekly cume of 5.9 million. HCN's newspaper columns are distributed to 97 Spanish-language newspapers with a weekly circulation of more than 3.5 million. HCN also produces customized, fully-integrated media campaigns for major government agencies, private foundations, corporate clients, public relations and advertising agencies. HCN’s educational campaigns strategically combine media and community outreach to inform and spur audiences to action in collaboration with its non-profit partner, the Self-Reliance Foundation.
