Hispanic

TERENCE SMITH: Juleyka Lantigua, 25, is managing editor of Urban Latino Magazine in New York. The bi-monthly is targeted to young, English speaking Hispanics, who have not let go of their cultural roots.

JULEYKA LANTIGUA: We live in English, but we enjoy our lives in Spanish. I come to work every day and I speak in English to my fellow Latinos, but I think when we each go home, we speak to our parents and to our, you know, extended families in Spanish. There's that duality, you know, of my nine-to-five, and then my five and beyond.

TERENCE SMITH: Here in the sprawling melting pot that is Los Angeles County, something significant is happening. Hispanics are approaching a full 50 percent of the population. Nationwide, 13 percent; with a high birthrate, continued immigration and a median age of only 26, they are more than ever an important market for television networks and advertisers.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: (speaking Spanish) Buenos tardes amigos. Los catorce quarenta a la radio caliente.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: (speaking Spanish) Con mas musica aqui, en planeta KTXZ.

TERENCE SMITH: Advertisers have historically reached out to U.S. Hispanics on Spanish language radio and TV, spending more than $1 billion last year on Spanish- language television alone.

COMMERCIAL: (speaking Spanish) Para todo lo demas, esta MasterCard. TERENCE SMITH: Two contrary trends are at work here: While audiences for the big four networks have shrunk, Spanish- language television has seen double-digit growth in advertising. Revenue projections are so strong that powerhouse Univision and its smaller competitor, Telemundo, will be joined by a third Spanish language television network this year. Nonetheless, the mainstream English-language networks have been slow to reach out to the nation's youngest and fastest- growing minority, 75 percent of whom are comfortable in English. One exception is ABC's "World News Tonight," which now broadcasts an alternative Spanish language track.

SPOKESMAN: Esta noche en "A Closer Look."

TERENCE SMITH: CBS and NBC are considering doing the same. Another exception: Children's programming on cable.

TV SHOW: Wait a minute, where are we