Building a “New Latino” in the Post-Network Era: mun2 and the Reconfiguration of the U.S. Latino Audience

Abstract

Significant developments in communications technologies and industry practice have led to a proliferation of regional and global television networks targeting U.S. Latinos. Focusing on the bilingual network mun2, I examine the degree to which traditional iterations of the audience are challenged. I focus on mun2 because of its relationship with Comcast and NBC Universal, from which it draws a variety of material resources. Using a case study approach, I found that mun2 defines its audience along three dimensions: biculturality, youth, and proficiency in emerging technologies. I argue that the construction of the audience has been reconfigured to better align with NBC Universal’s expanding product portfolio and its strategic vision of distributing television programming across multiple platforms.