Telemundo Media announced its plans for the presidential elections under its signature political banner DECISION 2012, a one-of-a-kind informational platform produced in collaboration with the #1 news organization in the country, NBC News. In addition to non-stop news coverage starting early on Election Day, Telemundo will present its prime time news special “Decision 2012, Election Night” on Tuesday, November 6 starting at 7pm ET, 6pm CT, 4pm PT live from “Democracy Plaza,” an innovative visual experience that will transform New York City’s Rockefeller Center into the epicenter of the electoral process and encourage active public participation. Led by anchor José Díaz-Balart, the electoral coverage will include Noticias Telemundo’s award-winning team of journalists and political analysts, who will report from key locations across the country and enjoy exclusive access to the only national exit polls on Spanish-language television in the United States.
“Noticias Telemundo will offer its viewers complete, professional and impartial news coverage by the journalists they trust,” said Sylvia Rosabal, Senior Vice President of Network News at Telemundo. “We will cover the news and offer our viewers in-depth analysis of the impact these elections could have on their finances, their families, their future and the issues that matter to them.”
“Noticiero Telemundo” has been the fastest growing Spanish-language network newscast among total viewers for two consecutive broadcast seasons, according to Nielsen. The national nightly newscast grew 9% compared to the previous season, delivering its highest viewership among total viewers since it was included in Nielsen’s National People Meter’s total sample.*
Telemundo will make history in Spanish-language television with its participation in “Democracy Plaza,” an innovative concept created by NBC News that will integrate cutting-edge visual technology which will turn New York City’s Rockefeller Center into a gigantic studio. Thousands of people will gather around an interactive electoral map superimposed on the landmark’s iconic ice-skating rink and will follow the candidates’ progress in the Electoral College on two projections on the facades of the surrounding buildings.
Telemundo’s electoral coverage will begin on the network’s morning show, “Un Nuevo Día” (7am ET/PT, 6am CT). Noticias Telemundo will offer hourly news updates throughout the day, continuing through “Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste” (5pm ET/PT, 4pm CT). “Noticiero Telemundo con José Díaz-Balart” (6:30pm ET, 5:30pm CT) will broadcast live from New York City’s Rockefeller Center and starting at 7pm ET, 6pm CT and 4pm PT, Telemundo will turn over completely to “Decision 2012, Election Night,” its live special prime time coverage from “Democracy Plaza.”
Anchor José Díaz-Balart will lead the Noticias Telemundo team alongside respected political analysts Jorge Castañeda, Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, María Echaveste and Adolfo Franco, who will provide updates on voting trends and their consequences for the Hispanic community.
Anchor Vanessa Hauc will review the results of the only national exit polls on Spanish-language television, capturing trends and motivations among Hispanic voters. Reporter Rogelio Mora-Tagle and political analyst Carlos Rajo will follow developments across the nation’s most hotly contested states, the balance of power between the two parties, and the progress of Hispanic candidates in Congressional races around the country. Presenter Carmen Dominicci also will be at “Democracy Plaza,” where she will interact with the public and use NBC’s advanced visual technology to complement her reports.
In addition, Telemundo's DC correspondent Lori Montenegro and reporter Angie Sandoval will be on site at
President Obama’s and Governor Romney’s campaign headquarters, respectively, covering the reactions from the candidates and their supporters. Cristina Londoño will report from Los Angeles and Francisco Cuevas will be in Houston, where he will report on the presidential race, as well as Hispanic candidates running for Congressional seats in the state of Texas. Sofía Lachapelle and Carlos Botifol will cover the voting in Florida and Nevada, both hotly contested states with large Hispanic populations, while Isolda Peguero will be on hand in Washington, D.C., to cover any potential irregularities in the voting process.
Telemundo will work with its affiliate network of reporters to cover the whole country, especially states with significant Hispanic populations, such as Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. At the international level, Raúl Torres will cover reactions abroad from Telemundo’s news bureau in Mexico City.
In addition to following the voting process, “Decision 2012, Election Night” will capture “The Pulse of the People” with “Al Rojo Vivo” anchor María Celeste Arrarás. She will incorporate content generated on social networks, including multiple live video conferences on Google Hangout, follow opinion trends and report on how the candidates will be trending on Twitter. Telemundo’s Twitter account, @TelemundoNews, will centralize Noticias Telemundo’s communications efforts, including Twitter polls and hash tags #yovote, displaying photos of Twitter users and celebrities who cast their votes, and #Decisión 2012, featuring information and conversations about the elections. The network’s Facebook activity will be centralized at Facebook.com/noticierotelemundotv. All “Decision 2012” programming will be streamed online and on mobile platforms starting at 7pm ET, 6pm CT, 4pm PT. Noticias Telemundo also will send text alerts with important election news to cell phone users who text the word “Alerta” to the number 68636.
Telemundo’s ongoing election coverage has included monthly Telemundo/NBC News/ Wall Street Journal national polls of Hispanics, as well as interviews with leading political figures and candidates during the campaign. Earlier in the year, NBC News and Telemundo announced their partnership to broadcast an unprecedented number of hours of political coverage in English and Spanish under the “Decision 2012” banner. To complement its election coverage, Telemundo is also running a public service campaign, “Vota por tu futuro” (“Vote for Your Future”), to raise awareness among Hispanics of the importance of exercising the right to vote.
