Break Out the Pinatas - SOI TV Has Crossed Over the Broadcasting Border to Become the First and Only 100% Social TV for Hispanics

MIAMI, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Television has crossed the social media border with the launch of SOI TV, the first and only 100% Social TV for Hispanics. SOI TV is now broadcasting across the United States to 3.3 million Hispanic households through an innovative platform that enables users to interact in real-time with its on-air programming. Through virtual polls and social media feeds, Mexican-Americans (and other Hispanics from 17 different countries) in 15 cities across the United States will have a voice at SOI, regardless of immigration status. Audiences can experience SOI through its online live streaming capability or over the air through its .3 digital antenna frequency in fifteen markets. Staying true to the life experience of its audience, SOI will soon undertake its own migration -- onto the airwaves of cable and satellite feeds.

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SOI, which stands for Sistema de Opinion Interactiva (Interactive Opinion System), is a new and completely legal SOCIAL TV network that was created to provide the burgeoning, opinionated and "outspoken" Latino population with a pioneering and unique media platform that is driven by the power of their voice. Whether a landscaper, maid or Supreme Court Justice, Hispanic viewers can now be the judge of what IS news by interacting with SOI's on-air programming and talent via Facebook, Twitter and the SOI website – in real time. In this way, the audience drives the conversation and makes the U.S. Hispanic voice en masse the driving force of the SOI TV experience.

"The Latino voice in the United States has become more important than ever and it needs to be heard loud and clear," said Julian Isaac, CEO, SOI TV. "By combining the Latino population's propensity for technology and social media consumption with the medium of television, we have created the ideal media platform where Hispanic opinion becomes the reigning force behind the news," he added.

The latest research shows that Latinos in the U.S. are not only the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, but they also over index on the consumption of technology. Surprisingly, lack of credit is not an obstacle for digital interactions. SOI saw this tenacity as an opportunity to integrate traditional and new media and create an exclusive platform that would unite the multiplying Latino voice. While the public is used to the media influencing public opinion; at SOI, public opinion influences the media.

The concept behind SOI's innovative medium is the vision of its founder, Eligio Cedeno, a successful Venezuelan banker who became a political prisoner of the Chavez administration. SOI TV was born from this experience as it made him reflect on the importance of freedom of speech and the role that media should play in supporting democracy in a free society. This is why SOI TV not only expresses the views of U.S. Hispanics, but also becomes a source of information regarding Latinos. By giving its viewers the ability to reflect their opinions about the latest trending topics, news and events, SOI will become the most direct source of information regarding this demographic and their perceptions.

Programming
The cornerstone of SOI TV will be its Opitainment™, an original programming format that is focused on generating a dialogue with its audience around the latest trending topics and news. Leading the way will be a proprietary newscast, aptly named Opiniario, due to its subjective nature. Led by Spanish-language TV veterans Sergio Urquidi and Maite Luna, Opiniario is a groundbreaking newscast that discusses the trending topics of the day through the eyes of its anchors. During the program, the hosts prod the audience to offer their opinions on the topics being discussed. These are then displayed on screen through virtual polls and through Facebook and Twitter commentary. Both Urquidi and Luna are accomplished journalists in their own right and have brought to SOI a wealth of experience in journalism and knowledge of Hispanic issues. Other Opiniario anchors include Leana Astorga and Yoandy Castaneda.

As well as twice-a-day newscasts, SOI TV also broadcasts LIVE, one and a half minute social Opitainment™ news pieces, three times an hour. These segments highlight results from the latest online polls and trending topics from all SOI media channels. In addition to sharing news, these segments can be customized to gauge audience perception about brands or particular topics that are relevant to the Hispanic market, making it a great measurement tool for product and brand research.

Another Opitainment™ show, 99 con Joe Ferrero, will include audience interaction in the same way as Opiniario does, but will instead tackle a particular social issue in an irreverent and controversial manner. Very similar to a talk show, this format seeks to get viewers involved in serious issues affecting our society like human trafficking and the AIDS epidemic, to name a few.  Its host, Joe Ferrero, is a famed radio host from Miami, Florida who made his mark staging a live on-air crank call with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. Since then, Ferrero has had a string of successful appearances across an array of network television shows, in both Spanish and English and has become a mainstay of the broadcast circuit.  

In addition to its original programming, SOI TV will introduce audience members to a diverse selection of wildly entertaining shows that originate from all over Latin America. From interactive telenovelas that break the traditional mold to riveting reality shows that expose viewers to worlds they didn't know existed, SOI will represent the broad and diverse nature of Hispanic culture as it really is. Each show will include an interactive feature that allows viewers to connect through various social media channels or via the website to answer poll questions and give their opinions about the show in real time on the screen.

ABOUT SOI TELEVISION
SOI TV is the first and only 100% Social TV for Hispanics. Designed specifically to reflect the true voice of Latinos, SOI uses a unique and innovative platform that allows viewers to interact with on-air programming and talent on its website and through various social networks. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, SOI can be seen live online through www.soitv.com or over the air on .3 digital frequency in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Chicago and Puerto Rico. Users can also visit the SOI TV Facebook page www.facebook.com/SOITV or follow them on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/SOITV.

SOURCE SOI TV