Annotations for People: Mancini-melissa

Miami ranked 16th in US media markets, but it's the number one location for the Latin entertainment industry, headquartering, Latin television, music and print trades. The reasons are simple. Nearly 60% of Miami's population is Hispanic and the city's location is convenient to Central and South America. In addition, Miami has more reliable air transportation and telephone service than its southern neighbors. With the whole of the Hispanic media located here, entertainment attorney David Bercuson says, "Miami is the premier stop for Latin recording artists and other entertainment figures promoting their current projects."

As the US city with the Latin American flair, Miami offers another big payoff. The amount of money pumped into the national economy via Telemundo and Univision, the two major Hispanic television networks. A recent industry study shows that TV advertisements spurred Hispanics to spend $200 billion annually on consumer goods and services, and it's estimated that number will increase 40% by the year 2000. In addition to the television and print media, Miami is inundated with Hispanic radio stations, and it's here that other Latin stations throughout the US look to when they're charting music trends. David Bercuson says, "Miami's Betty Pino is one of the most important radio programmers for Spanish pop music."

Sony Discos Is the Latin music heavyweight of record labels. Established about 10 years ago in Miami, Sony Discos was the first Latin label to sign artists such as Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan, allowing it to corner the market. Sony Discos vice President Angel Carrasco.

And because Miami is still a fledgling in the entertainment industry, the city has not yet developed the hard edges associated with New York or Los Angeles. Nicaraguan born Salsa star Luis Enrique has been with Sony Discos for five years. Enrique literally walked in off the street and was handed a recording contract. He says before that he spent years trying unsuccessfully to meet with other music executives.

Latin music is a $120 million a year business in the US in Puerto Rico. Although it's estimated Hispanics makeup only 10% of the total market Sony Discos' vice president Angel Carrasco says the Latin market is strong and growing.

Sony Discos is one of about a dozen Latin music labels located in Miami. At least three additional record labels are said to be considering relocating here. In addition, VH1 and Nickelodeon, both owned by MTV networks, are said to be following MTV Latinos tracks into Latin America and South Florida. For Latino USA, I'm Melissa Mancini in Miami.

Former Metro Mayor Steve Clark dominated in white non-Hispanic areas and also won a sizeable share of young Hispanic votes. Challenger Miriam Alonso took two votes for every ballot captured by Clark in Miami's Hispanic areas. However, Alonso trailed Clark by big margins in non-Hispanic neighborhoods winning less than 15% of the vote. For the past two decades, Miami's mayor's job has been held by a Hispanic, a fact that Cuba born Alonso has repeated in Spanish language radio broadcasts. During election day radio appearances, Alonso exhorted Cuban voters to keep the mayor's office in their hands. Those appeals apparently succeeded in Miami's Little Havana community where voters turned out in greater numbers than in other neighborhoods. However, it remains to be seen if Alonso can broaden her base for the November 9th runoff. For Latino USA, I'm Melissa Mancini in Miami.

Rejecting ethnic appeals, Miami voters elected Steve Clark as their first non-Hispanic mayor in more than 20 years. By a landslide 59%, voters turned aside the Cuban vote Cuban requests at the heart of opponent Miriam Alonzo's campaign. Younger Cuban American voters rejected Alonzo as did black, white, and non Cuban Hispanic voters who voted two to one in favor of Clark. Younger Hispanic voters ignored Alonzo's appeals to stick with their parents and grandparents in backing her. An exit poll showed Clark winning solid majorities among Hispanic voters below age 49 while Alonzo won among those over 50 years of age. Alonzo ran an all-out ethnic campaign, calling the mayor's job, quote, "a Hispanic seat" and saying Latinos should retain the mayor's seat in Cuban hands. She continued that strategy through election day and many political analysts are blaming Alonzo's defeat in great measure on her racially-based campaigning. For Latino USA, I'm Melissa Mancini in Miami.