On July 3, the night the news broke of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s romantic relationship with KVEA-TV anchor Mirthala Salinas, the audience for the Spanish-language station’s 11 p.m. newscast nearly tripled.
Around 211,000 viewers tuned in to KVEA (Channel 52), a figure nearly equal to the 237,000 watching the news on Univision’s KMEX-TV (Channel 34), the perennial powerhouse of local Spanish broadcasters.
The ratings spike continued for several days, according to data from the Nielsen Hispanic Station Index. But as questions about journalistic conflicts of interest increased, KVEA management took action.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations that have been made, we have decided to conduct an internal review of the decisions and events that led us to where we are today,” stated Manuel Abud, the station’s general manager, on July 6. “In the meantime, Mirthala Salinas has been placed on a leave of absence from her duties.”
With Salinas off the air, the ratings quickly fell back near their previous levels. By the end of the week, KVEA had an 11 p.m. audience of only 87,000 compared to KMEX’s 373,000, suggesting that viewers’ curiosity regarding Salinas was driving the spike. For the week, KVEA had a market share of 1.8 at 11 o’clock, an improvement from its 1.5 average during the May sweeps.
Financially, the controversy “would have zero effect” on advertising decisions, according to Pam McNeely, senior vice-president and media director at advertising agency Dailey & Associates. “It was an isolated incident, and the reporter has been removed from the beat and from the air. Our buys are so far in advance, it’s a non-issue.”
“I don’t think advertisers will really care unless ratings go up or down significantly,” concurred Laura Casta & #324;eda, assistant professor of journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communications, who specializes in Hispanic media.
Victor Franco, vice-president of community affairs at KVEA, confirmed that “sales have not been affected.” He gave no timetable for the investigation, but said the station has received feedback from its viewers and the “review is intended to address a variety of concerns.”
By announcing the review, KVEA bought some time but eventually must make a decision about Salinas’ career. The station, owned by NBC Universal and housed in the NBC studios in Burbank, must take into account its parent corporation, its competition and its audience.
“I don’t think the situation will have any effect on KVEA’s ratings,” said Casta & #324;eda. “She may initially be a draw simply because viewers old and new ones will be curious about her. But in the end, she will have to do excellent work to make sure she does not become the object of ridicule or curiosity.”
It remains unclear whether L.A.’s Latino population will assign blame to the TV station or the individuals.
“There is disappointment in the Hispanic community over the mayor’s indiscretions, but at this point they reflect more on him than on her,” said McNeely.
