English-language papers have a market in Spanish-speaking homes p. 17

By: M.L. Stein THIRTY PERCENT OF Hispanic households can be reached with both Spanish- and English-language publications, a Chicago survey revealed.
The study also found that about 28% of the households can be reached only with Spanish-language publications.
In Chicago's area of dominant influence, this means that about 50,000 households can be reached only with local Hispanic publications but almost 69,000 households have at least one adult who can read both Spanish- and English-language publications, it was reported. In the 30 days covered by the survey, Spanish-language publications reached almost 120,000 unduplicated households, according to the results.
Figures for the late 1993 survey were announced at the recent San Diego convention of the National Association of Hispanic Publications. The study was conducted by Luis Salces, research director of Unimar, a Chicago advertising, public relations and marketing research firm.
Salces' team interviewed 500 Spanish-speaking adults, 300 by telephone and 200 in their homes.
The objectives were twofold: To measure readership of local Spanish-language newspapers and magazines ? the segment of the Hispanic market that cannot be reached with general newspapers ? and to describe readers of Spanish-language publications in terms of selected demographic and consumer-behavior characteristics.
Sixty percent of the interviews were conducted in the city and 40% in suburbs. The respondents, who were most likely to be foreign-born and recent immigrants, were divided almost equally between males and females older than 18. Twenty-eight percent read only Spanish, 30% read Spanish and English, 20% read only English and 22% did not read. Most of the nonreaders ? those who did not read a local publication ? were in suburbs.
Researchers found no significant differences in the readership between males and females or in annual family income or nationality.
More readers, Salces said, differentiated among Spanish-language publications on the basis of their coverage of local, national and international (primarily Latin American) news than any other editorial element. Chicago news ranked first in preference followed by U.S. and Latin American reports.
The survey further found that of the readers, 52% finished high school, 15% finished college and 33% finished elementary school. Of the nonreaders, 40% completed high school and 17% completed college. Sixty-five percent of them were of Mexican origin, 17% of Puerto Rican origin, and the rest were from Central and South America.
Salces said results of the study indicate a "substantial" potential market for both Spanish- and English-language newspapers. The findings, he added, were not significantly different from a similar Chicago study in 1990.
The research was sponsored by the following Chicago publications: Chicago Deportivo, El Dia, El Observador, Extra, La Raza, La Voz de Chicago, Momento and Tele-guia de Chicago.