By Staff
Athletic Management, 18.6, October/November 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1806/wuespanol.htm
In the last 15 years, the state of Oregon has experienced a 400-percent increase in its Hispanic population. Oregon’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce lists Hispanics as the largest ethnic group in the state, representing over 11 percent of the population and $5 billion worth of buying power.
In light of this population boom, every Oregon State University football game broadcast via radio is also being heard in Spanish this season. The university began Spanish-language broadcasting with two games in 2003, and now becomes the first school in the Northwest to broadcast every game in a language other than English.
“The University really values diversity, and one of the most diverse places on any college campus is athletics,” says Javier Cervantes, color analyst for Oregon State’s Spanish broadcasts and a Coordinator in the Minority Education Office. “This is a unique way to expose new communities to Oregon State athletics, and it fits into the university’s mission of honoring diversity.
“Oregon State as a whole is making a concerted effort to bring more Latinos into the university,” he continues. “The athletic department is just one step ahead and has set a precedent for the university to follow.”
The broadcasts reach listeners in the Eugene and Portland areas as well as Washington’s Yakima Valley, which has also experienced a large growth in its Hispanic population. Churchill Media, owner of the stations that broadcast the games, had no trouble selling all of the 30-second spots to local advertisers.
Next, Cervantes is heading up the creation of “Beavers en Español,” Oregon State’s athletic Web site in Spanish, slated to go online this fall. For now, football is the focus, but the athletic department has Spanish broadcasts and promotions for soccer, baseball, and basketball in mind for the future.