Posted on 10/02/2005 11:06:48 AM PDT by seastay
ANAHEIM -- As the story goes, Angels owner Arte Moreno once walked into a business meeting several years ago and described himself to everyone with three words. He said he is about "service." He then repeated the word two more times.
From the time he bought the American League club in 2003, Moreno's commitment to the Angels and the team's marketing efforts have prompted a few other words from his critics, but he remains steadfast in his vow to keep Angels fans happy and maintain a profitable business.
Not surprisingly, the Angels' Spanish radio broadcast of all 162 games is an area of concentration -- for now and for the future.
"We are not doing this and viewing it as ice cream or whip cream on top of the cake," Moreno said. "What we are trying to do is offer a service. If we are losing money on it, we would not be doing it. We believe we are stretching the market out, and I think we can do a better job. I don't believe we are as good as we can be in anything we are doing."
The Angels are partnered with Univision Radio and are one of a few teams that claims to have turned a profit on Spanish radio broadcasts. In the Angels' case, 25 percent of the profit generated from the club's radio broadcasts come from the Spanish broadcast.
That could increase. At the moment, the club's partnership with Univision Radio calls for the club to receive approximately 60 percent of the money generated by the Spanish radio broadcasts. Univision's cut is based among many factors, including the distribution of the broadcasts within its radio network and use of its sales and marketing resources.
Eventually, the Angels would like a partnership that would allow them to manage 100 percent of the inventory -- a standard broadcast has 64 spots a game -- offered during each broadcast in order to package itself to English and Spanish sponsors with the club's message. Such a move would provide the flexibility to promote premium items and the current messages from sponsors. But it could also create problems because the club would have fewer sales people, at least initially, than a radio station partner.
Working in the Angels' favor is an owner who is committed to the Spanish broadcast and has a history of dealing with an abundance of media inventory. Moreno became a billionaire in the billboard business, and he and John Carpino, the Angels' senior vice president of sales and marketing who has worked for Moreno for 20 years, are hoping for similar success in baseball.
"You have to be committed to the market, and with the market being 47 percent Hispanic, there is no choice," Carpino said. "What we want to do in the long run is be fan-friendly, give to the fan. It's all about the fans."
The Hispanic population of Southern California and Moreno's desire to tap into markets from Los Angeles to Mexico are also factors. The changing of the team's name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is the most widely recognized example of Moreno's attempt to utilize all of the resources he believes are available to serve potential Angels fan, and make a profit.
"As long you allow people to put you in a box, you will be in a box," Moreno said. "We want to break that box down. Here is the marketplace, and we are committed to it. Spanish radio is a piece of the pie and will always be a piece of the media package. It's a very comfortable thing for us."
return to the main page »Additionally, Moreno has not ruled out purchasing a television station that would allow the club to broadcast games in Spanish. Spanish audio for television broadcasts of Angels games is currently available via SAP (secondary audio programming).
"We are making money, not a lot of money, but it is a profitable vehicle," Moreno said. "We would like it to be more profitable."
The Angels' commitment to the Spanish radio broadcast is evident by its treatment of broadcasters Ivan Lara and Jose Mota. The pair are one of two broadcast teams in the American League -- and five in Major League Baseball -- who travel with the club. An engineer assigned to the Spanish broadcast is also available for all home and away games. They fly on the team charter plane, and they stay in the team's hotel on a regular basis.
Only the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres can boast a similar claim. One Spanish broadcaster travels with the Texas Rangers to all away games.
"We are treated the same as the English broadcasters. It's the same setup," Lara said. "In order to offer the best possible product, the best possible way is to be there at the stadium talking to players, managers and media people at home and on the road. The best way to call a game is not sitting in a radio station watching a monitor and calling what the television is showing. It's not fair to the announcers or to the listeners."
Fair is the operative word. The Angels' ability to offer a fair service is a product of its commitment, market and leadership.
"It's strictly business," Moreno said. "We offer another venue to get our message out and sell our product. It is about service."
The profit effort would be justifiable as an American pastime, baseball, in a capitalist society, but consider owner Arte Moreno wants to target only a specific group within the Hispanic audience; those who only speak Spanish, and of these most are illegal immigrants (It is estimated that those who Spanish residing in southern California as much as 85% are illegal immigrants). The question is, are making profits and being a winning team justifiable, when it is done as a result of aiding law breaking?
Why are Spanish language broadcasts aiding law breaking ; Consider this fact that;“Despite public opinion to the contrary, the data suggest that U.S. Hispanics--both native born and immigrants--do learn and speak English. After 10 to 15 years in the United States, some 75 percent of all Hispanic immigrants are speaking English regularly, and virtually all their children will speak English. “ http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9221/spanish.htm
Therefore these Spanish broadcasts are intended for the illegal immigrant population, which in turn owner Arte Moreno intends to profit on the back of the legal taxpayers who are footing the bills in terms of civic infrastructure.
Many broadcasters are increasingly turning towards Spanish, but when it comes to the American pastime like baseball as American as apple pie, can we really afford to have greedy people like this allowed to continue the pillaging of Americana?
Get over yourself, nobody is trying to win for illegals. You inability to separate Spanish from Illegals is your problem.
Consider this fact that;“Despite public opinion to the contrary, the data suggest that U.S. Hispanics--both native born and immigrants--do learn and speak English. After 10 to 15 years in the United States, some 75 percent of all Hispanic immigrants are speaking English regularly, and virtually all their children will speak English. “ http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9221/spanish.htm
They're just watching the team Americans don't want to watch.
Why not get yourself in a twist over ABC, they have decided to make all of their prime time shows available in Spanish?
The FCC should only allow a charter to serve US citizens, ABC is at fault as well. Baseball is an example here as symbol of Americana .
You do realize that Americans speak more than English. Who the heck are you to tell us what language we are permitted to watch TV?
I don't think this is a very big deal either, but the idea of becoming am official bilingual society, which seems to be becoming more of a reality as time passes, it worrisome. The english language is one of the few things that binds us together as a society these days, and it is becoming more and more evident that it is no longer a necessity to live and work in the US.
That being said, I would not be overly concerned with this story.
"The FCC should only allow a charter to serve US citizens, "
Interesting. And are there not lots of US citizens who are more comfortable with Spanish than with English? Why not broadcast to them? Indeed, why not sell them stuff and help build the economy.
I speak two other languages than English, and I speak them very well. Still, I'd rather listen to a game broadcast in English than in French or Russian.
I'm sure that the first generation citizens who have Spanish as their first language feel the same way.
Since my favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles, didn't make the playoffs, I'll be rooting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim instead.
"Who the heck are you to tell us what language we are permitted to watch TV?"
I am not telling anybody what language we are allowed to watch. I am just stating the fact that those who do watch Spanish broadcasts are primarily illegal immigrants, and those who intend profit off of these broadcasts are aiding lawbreaking.
Furthermore we all know this law breaking is taking place in more serious aspects of our society, but the principle of something as American as baseball is now an accepted practice for profits from illegal immigrants at the expense of tax payers points to the symbolism of decline of our society, one in which we cherish the freedom to watch and speak what ever we want.
The owner is in a pinch.
He owns a baseball team that resides in an area that has a growing spanish speaking population ( legal and illegal ). It is not the fault of the owner because the government refuses to address an issue it has created.
He is doing what all people in business do: Adapting to a changing customer base to remain profitable. He is doing it legally as well ( as far as I know ). Unlike many other business owners that hire illegals to make a profit.
(P.S. I just love it when hispanic or blacks name their kids after communists. Like Soledad O'Brien, its one of those living legacies of "F@$% You" to America that just keeps on giving.)
Not an Angels fan , huh.
They won their division this year and you crab because there are to many foreign players.
Either you like the game of baseball or you just like a team. I am guessing your a team person, and the game is secondary.
I guess we should just say nobody but Americans can play baseball. That would resolve all the problems, wouldn`t it?
I agree " the government refuses to address an issue it has created", and the owner is acting within his legal bounds. But just as it is legal for the hate America crowd to trash Washington with protests, that doesn’t make it right.
For some reason when it comes to making money "legally", any argument or legal protest with a moral high ground looses, since the right to earn money and the right to exercise freedom of speech prevails. Take pornography for example, it can be within legal bounds, but it is but desirable for a healthy country.
Also, just as before the civil war, it could have been said slave owners were acting within their legal rights to plagiarize the underclass, so it could be said that continuing to aid Spanish speaking, although legal, it is very detrimental to this country, in terms of creating a new “slave” underclass, and a mass of population that is uncontrollable by the government, but one of which desires socialism ideally while operating on anarchy realistically, and that of which people have the right to protest, legally themselves all the players involved.
Well, I think it's nice that they broadcast in Spanish. I quite like the BBC website because they have a Spanish section and I try to read two or three articles every day to keep up with my Spanish. If I lived in California, I would definitely listen to these broadcasts.
You have to be kidding. Comparing a baseball team owner to a pornographer and a slave owner?
This guy is not doing anything morally reprehensible.
Now, if he required everyone to speak spanish inside the baseball stadium then I would have to take a different opinion.
But this owner is simply trying to keep his business afloat in a environment he has no control over. An environment government placed upon him.
So in your view, any business in the U.S. that makes an effort to sell products to someone who doesn`t speak English is somehow acting unethical?
I think it is a matter of dealing with reality. It is obvious our government will not correct this problem, so what is a business owner suppose to do? Just shut the doors and go on welfare?
You cannot force people to shop at your place of business, so you must adapt your business to the customer base.
I think the fingers need to point at the government, not this baseball team owner.
Baseball is not porn or slavery. I think to make your point you need to find another comparison.
"So in your view, any business in the U.S. that makes an effort to sell products to someone who doesn`t speak English is somehow acting unethical? "
Yes, if one looks at the facts that 85% of those who speak Spanish are illegal immigrants, and then 85% of these business are catering to illegal activity although the owner is within his legal rights to do so, which I agree with you … Porn or slavery are and or were two legal activities, that were given as examples of legal activities that have been detrimental to our country. . These are not opinions; these are facts.
The opinion I do have is that any business owners has a right to make money, but also if they are to be valued in high regard, they also have an obligation to the legal law abiding people of this country. Sure it’s the governments obligations to enforce the laws, and to crack down on those importing the working salve class for profits But in this case this owner is not trying to help the situation, he is plagiarizing the legal citizens by enticing more illegal workers to live in this country with the amenities of home, e.g. Spanish media, and also hurting legal immigrants as well for not allowing them to immerse into Americana with English broadcasting, selah
"...he is plagiarizing the legal citizens by enticing more illegal workers to live in this country with the amenities of home, e.g. Spanish media, and also hurting legal immigrants as well for not allowing them to immerse into Americana with English broadcasting, selah".
That is a huge stretch. I don`t think illegals are coming to LA to listen to baseball. And Baseball is played worldwide, it is not something unique to the United States.
I am sure there are radio stations in LA that have Latin and Mexican League baseball games on the radio.
The demographics of the area are changing. It is no different than here in St. Louis where just back in the 1970`s , there were advertisement signs in German because there was still a large population of German speaking "citizens" in the city. I guess all those businesses where unethical for doing such a thing????
The same thing is going on in LA, where a large amount of Spanish speaking people reside.
Since you don`t like the business decision of this owner, you have the option of not patronizing his establishment. Don`t buy Angels products or listen to the game. It is that simple.
I am assuming you do not own a business that has ever had to adapt to a situation like this. Because if you did, you would either have no business left, or have a different opinion about it.
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