KDYW: Lamb planning to graze in Waco

[Bob E. Nelson]

http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/lamb-planning-to-graze-in-waco.html

CTEW/Daystar is getting the facility for $250K. It’s plunked $25K into an escrow account and will pay the remainder at closing.

Wow. $250,000?

The buyer promises multi-cultural programming that will take account of growth in the Hispanic, African-American and Asian communities, and promises educational fare above and beyond its focus on religious programming.

The cynic in me doubts that programming commitment.

 

[dhett]

The buyer promises multi-cultural programming that will take account of growth in the Hispanic, African-American and Asian communities, and promises educational fare above and beyond its focus on religious programming.

The cynic in me doubts that programming commitment.

Daystar does have African-American and Asian preachers in their lineup, and Saturday morning programming is in Spanish, so I believe they're already living up to their first promise. As for the second, I tend to share your cynicism.

 

[fredcantu]

TBN does the same thing on the stations it operates on non-commercial channels. They run a few extra hours of educational programs in early morning hours. TBN also has a Spanish language subchannel with American televangelists-- including Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn-- dubbed into Spanish plus other evangelists from their Latin American cable operations.

 

[JHBrandt]

I doubt the African-American and Latino communities would consider it multicultural programming simply because the faces are Black or Latino, or because the programming has been dubbed into Spanish. Sounds more like tokenism to me. But I suppose it's better than making no effort at all.

 

[dhett]

Daystar doesn't just dub English-language services into Spanish. Their Saturday programs are Spanish-language church services. TBN's offering on Enlace is actually more like an LMA - most of the programming originates from Latin America, not North America. Enlace is an independent organization that has been broadcasting for nearly 25 years; they are not part of TBN.

Yes, those programs are multicultural. Hispanic culture is a lot more than mariachi bands, scantily clad women and Catholic Mass.

 

[w9wi]

Daystar doesn't just dub English-language services into Spanish. Their Saturday programs are Spanish-language church services. TBN's offering on Enlace is actually more like an LMA - most of the programming originates from Latin America, not North America. Enlace is an independent organization that has been broadcasting for nearly 25 years; they are not part of TBN.

While more or less off the topic.. CTN here (WHTN ch. 39) operates a Hispanic program stream on 39.2. It seems to be almost entirely the 39.1 output dubbed in Spanish -- when the translator pauses, you can hear the original English audio.. Same program as 39.1 but usually not the same episode.

 

[fredcantu]

Hispanic culture is a lot more than mariachi bands, scantily clad women and Catholic Mass.

The scantily clad women thing is more a Univision and Telemundo thing. The American Spanish language networks pick and choose from what is produced in Latin America and there is so much more available down there. But I guess sex sells up here.

 

[JHBrandt]

Hispanic culture is a lot more than mariachi bands, scantily clad women and Catholic Mass.

The scantily clad women thing is more a Univision and Telemundo thing. The American Spanish language networks pick and choose from what is produced in Latin America and there is so much more available down there. But I guess sex sells up here.

True. Plus dhett was attacking a straw man. Neither I nor anyone else ever said anything about mariachi bands, scantily clad women (which few would expect on a religious network anyhow) or Catholic Mass.

BTW, Estrella also offers a good dose of scantily-clad women (yes, they attracted my attention; sex does sell up here)

 

[JHBrandt]

Daystar doesn't just dub English-language services into Spanish. Their Saturday programs are Spanish-language church services. TBN's offering on Enlace is actually more like an LMA - most of the programming originates from Latin America, not North America. Enlace is an independent organization that has been broadcasting for nearly 25 years; they are not part of TBN.

That is good to hear; however, I was addressing your original comment:

Daystar does have African-American and Asian preachers in their lineup, and Saturday morning programming is in Spanish, so I believe they're already living up to their first promise.

Perhaps I should have quoted you for clarity, but my point was that multicultural programming takes more than a nonwhite face and/or a language other than English, as you originally seemed to suggest.

 

[dhett]

True. Plus dhett was attacking a straw man. Neither I nor anyone else ever said anything about mariachi bands, scantily clad women (which few would expect on a religious network anyhow) or Catholic Mass.

Accusing me of a straw man argument is the easy way out. I could respond in kind and say that I never accused you or anyone else of saying anything about mariachi bands, yada yada yada, but anyone reading knows that that argument is pointless.

Instead, let's dig a little deeper.

So "multicultural programming takes more than a nonwhite face and/or a language other than English"? Do you really think that these "nonwhite" preachers are just doing the "white" thing? What is your definition of "multicultural" and how did you arrive at it?

I admit that I was being intentionally provocative by bringing up the above cultural stereotypes, but it's because I'm trying to provoke each reader, myself included, to think. Fred correctly pointed out that Univision and Telemundo seem to focus selling sex, and you correctly added that Estrella does their part - I actually think they do more to promote stereotypical thinking than the other networks. Azteca America and LATV are equally guilty, and Multimedios TV's Acabatelo program also goes that route. My comments were more directed at the stereotype overwhelmingly presented to American audiences by the major Spanish-language networks. Then there's a friend of mine who was the only member of her immediate family not born in Mexico, and who, while teaching ESL classes in Guanajuato, was told that because she wasn't Catholic, she wasn't really Mexican.

And don't even get me started on the use of the word, "Hispanic", as if it represents some monolithic culture. In my church, which is about 60-70% "Hispanic", that can mean Mexican, Salvadoran, Nicaraguan or Puerto Rican, separate cultures all, as are Cuban and Uruguayan.

Perhaps I should have been more clear that the Black, Asian, and Hispanic preachers I cited bring their own cultural distinctiveness to their programs, so it's not just some non-white face showing up and doing the white thing. As if there is such a thing as a white thing, anyway.

 

[fredcantu]

Speaking of breaking the stereotypes, Mexico has a world class public TV station. "Once TV"-- pronounced ON-seh--- gets its name from the Spanish word for eleven, the station's channel number in Mexico City. The station produces stellar news and public affairs, thoughtful children's programs and beautiful cutural programs highlighting the arts and traditions of Mexico. Once TV is available in the US on Directv and Time Warner Cable's Spanish language service.

 

[dhett]

I was looking on your mexicoradiotv.com site to see which US border communities get Once TV OTA from neighboring Mexican cities and was surprised to learn that only San Diego/Tijuana does. Mexicali, Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, the RGV - none carry it. I imagine you'd see V-Mas as an OTA subchannel before seeing Once TV.

Because they get programming from many sources, I think Mexicanal also does a good job breaking the Univision stereotype. And here in Phoenix, one of the LP DTV stations carries XEWH from Hermosillo, flagship of a statewide network owned by the Sonoran government - Telemax. Another stereotype breaker.

Anyway, back to the original topic - I hope KDYW follows through on its promises. There are some in this forum (but none who have contributed to this thread, just to be perfectly clear) who have been pushing hard to get rid of "religious" TV, saying it doesn't serve the public. I disagree, but I do think that Daystar could do a better job serving a broader range of community than they're doing now.