The proof was in the numbers: Results of the 2000 Census indicated the amount of Hispanics in the WLNE (Providence, R.I.) market had quadrupled, spotlighting the needs of a population that was more than ready for a news product they could call their own. Station management quickly responded with a translation of its 6 and 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts, presented so that only Spanish-language viewers would receive the Spanish version, the first of its kind in the New England market.
"It all came about from the census," said Promotions Director Judy Shoemaker. "There was a growing population we needed to pay attention to. It was a wonderful entrée into a whole market that had been untouched."
Kingsley Kelley, WLNE VP and general manager, agreed. "This was a disenfranchised part of the population—no mainstream media had attempted to reach them. It opened our eyes to the different needs within our own community and it could be the legacy of this station."
Getting it there, however, wasn't as easy as identifying the need. "At first I thought the idea of simultaneous translation was impossible," said translator Liza Gordon. "There was a lot of trying and failing."
But if anyone could do it, Gordon could, recalls Shoemaker. "Liza is a unique talent; it's amazing what she does. One reason the other stations don't do this is they can't find anyone like her."
Gordon knows she didn't do it alone. "It was team effort. The station gives us the tools to make it happen. It's an exciting process, and the people are following. They need to be informed, and now they have that opportunity."
Stories of Success Listing | Table of Contents | 2001 Annual Report | Freedom Communications, Inc.