Differences in U.S. Hispanic TV Viewing and Preferences By Generation

  • Brian Hughes and Jake Beniflah
  • MAGNA GLOBAL; Center of Multicultural Science
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Summary

In order to better understand differences in TV viewing within the Hispanic community by generation, Magna Global conducted a survey on Spanish-language and English-language viewing with GfK’s KnowledgePanel Latino.  This is an invite-only panel, recruited through address-based sampling, and is therefore statistically projectable to the U.S. adult Hispanic population.  Recruited panelists without access to the Internet are provided a computer and Internet service so that they can participate in surveys conducted via the Internet.  The survey was programmed in both English and Spanish, with a sample size of 1,200. The results of the survey revealed sharp differences between first-generation Hispanics, second-generation Hispanics, and third-generation Hispanics in their mix of Spanish-language and English-language TV viewing and in their attitudes towards Spanish-language and English-language networks.  Magna Global also found differences within first-generation Hispanics by the number of years they have lived in the U.S., specifically:
  • Among first-generation Hispanics, Univision and Telemundo were by far the most-viewed networks. At the other end of the generational spectrum, more third generation Hispanics report not watching broadcast TV at all than report watching any of the Spanish-language networks.
  • The same pattern held for Spanish-language cable.
  • Second-generation Hispanics, who are the most bi-lingual, tend to resemble third-generation Hispanics more than first-generation Hispanics in their viewing preferences and attitudes.
  • First-generation Hispanics are also far more likely than second-generation or third-generation Hispanics to trust the news more on Spanish-language networks and to say they are more likely to buy products advertised on Spanish-language networks.
  • Among first-generation Hispanics, identifying with and watching Spanish-language networks declines markedly the longer that they have been living in the US.