Mayor's Office Of Media And Entertainment Announces New Latin Media And Entertainment Commission

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Julie Menin today announced the revitalization of the Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC) for New York City. Comprised of 18 leaders from the vibrant Latinx creative community here in New York, the commission will leverage partnerships with the city's entertainment, government, and business entities. The mission of the LMEC is to cultivate the next generation of New York City-based Latinx media and entertainment professionals; to promote enhanced Spanish language content on mainstream and emerging media platforms; to attract and retain major Latinx media events in New York City; and to expand the audience for premier Latinx cultural content in New York City.

"New York City wouldn't be the artistic and cultural force that it is without the contributions of our Latino community," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "I welcome all the new Latin Media and Entertainment Commission members. Their hard work will ensure our city remains an ever-expanding international hub for Latino media and culture."

"The contributions of the Latino community are present everywhere in New York City - from our music, to our restaurants and our art," said Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin. "New York has the most diverse Latino population in the world, and through the LMEC we will leverage the talent and experience of this vibrant population to position the city as an economic hub for Latino media and entertainment - while also encouraging these industries to more appropriately represent the major and growing influence that the Latino community has not just here in New York, but throughout the United States."

Over the past 15 years, New York City has strived to position itself as a leading Latinx media and entertainment capital. The city is home to a Latinx population of 2.3 million with heritage from throughout the Caribbean and the Americas, making it a microcosm of the global Latinx market. The city's economy and workforce would benefit from continued expansion of the existing Latinx media and entertainment industry, as spending on Latinx media is higher than ever. This growth parallels the surge in Latinx influence in the United States as a whole: according to Nielsen, 50% of U.S. population growth from 2010 to 2015 has come from people of Latinx descent.

The NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission includes:

MARCO CARRION, Commissioner, Mayor's Community Affairs Unit

LORRAINE CORTES-VAZQUEZ, Senior Advisor, Office of the Mayor

Sonia Manzano, Author and Emmy Award-Winning Actor

LUNA Lauren Velez, Producer and Actor

J.W. CORTÉS, Actor, Singer, Marine Combat Veteran, and Philanthropist

MANNY PÉREZ, Actor and Producer

LAURA MARQUEZ, Head of Latino Community Engagement, Google

HERB SCANNELL, Chief Executive Officer, Mitú

ROCÍO GUERRERO COLOMO, Head of Global Cultures, Spotify

RITA FERRO, President, Disney ABC Sales at Disney ABC Television Group

MICHELLE HERRERA MULLIGAN, Motivational Speaker, Author, Editor, and Contributor at Latina Magazine

LOUIS E. PEREGO MORENO, President of Skyline Features and Founder/Executive Producer of PRIME LATINO MEDIA

CARMEN RITA WONG, Host, Writer, Producer and CEO of Malecon Productions, LLC

ANDREW HERRERA, CEO and Founder, Remezcla

LUZ GANDULLA-HUTSON, Principal, VPH Marketing

RAQUEL CEPEDA, Filmmaker and Author

TONIO BURGOS, Chief Executive Officer, Tonio Burgos and Associates

PETER FUSTER, Assistant Executive Director, Labor Counsel, SAG-AFTRA

"New York City has a strong connection to Latin culture and cultural institutions, and this new commission will only help strengthen those bonds. I look forward to working with this commission and its members to expose Latin culture to new communities while also highlighting and preserving the cultural traditions we hold so dear," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

"The relaunch of the LMEC is a smart recognition of the major and ever-growing market in the industry, and the opportunity in a global city like New York. Queens, where over half a million residents speak Spanish at home, lauds the revitalization of the Commission and looks forward to the resulting enhanced opportunities for Latinx content and talent development," said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.

"New York's growing Latinx communities have been a crucial, indispensable piece of what New York City is and who we are culturally. The city of El Barrio and the Heights should always be striving for greater engagement in the worlds of Latinx art, culture, media, and entertainment," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer.

State Senator Marisol Alcantara stated, "I am ecstatic to hear that the Latin Media and Entertainment Commission will be relaunched! I am the champion of the State TV Diversity Tax Credit bill, which passed the Senate and Assembly. A huge congratulations to City Hall for relaunching this important initiative. We need to continue to work toward making our television screens better reflect their audiences. Latinos make up 30% of the NYC population, yet we feel completely left out on television."

Council Member Peter Koo, Chair of the Technology Committee, stated, "We are a multicultural and multilingual city, and we pride ourselves on the ability to connect with all New Yorkers, regardless of language. Congratulations to the members of the NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission for working with the City of New York on the worthy goal of creating more access and opportunities for Spanish-speaking New Yorkers."

"The newly revitalized Latin Media and Entertainment Commission is great news for our city," said Council Member Daniel Dromm (Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). "The commission will help ensure that NYC's Latinx media and entertainment industry remains robust. As a Council Member representing one of the largest Latinx communities in the city, I applaud Commissioner Menin for her leadership. This important effort will help secure NYC's position as a global capital for this industry."

"It's impossible to ignore the impact the Latinx community has had on the very fabric and identity of our city. New York City is the epicenter of diversity and a place all Latinx communities call home - with immigrants from the islands to Mexico to Ecuador," said Council Member Francisco Moya. "I am happy to see New York create a commission focused on acknowledging our contributions to the arts, but to also make our city the hub for Latinx entertainment."

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment encompasses the key economic and creative sectors of film, TV, theater, music, advertising, publishing, and digital content. In total, these portfolios account for over 305,000 jobs in New York City, and an economic output of $104 billion. The agency also oversees NYC Media, the largest municipal broadcasting entity in the country, including five cable channels and an FM radio channel with a reach of 18 million viewers and 16 million listeners in the greater metropolitan area. The newly created Office of Nightlife is also housed at MOME.

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