Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Position: Graduate Student-Communication RTF
Research: I have always planned to pursue a graduate program and it was not until late last year that I identified the Communications program at UT as the ideal setting to begin my studies. My interest in the Spanish Cabletelevision industry has allowed me to find that the Spanish speaking audience is in need for better programming. At the same time this particular area of study will satisfy my desire to help those from my Latin American culture by providing them with the appropriate kind of motivation, education, entertainment and news.My academic goals are to be able to learn to use all the resources of mass communication in order to properly inform the hispanic audience so that they may be better prepared to make the decisions that will affect their lives and culture. I plan to learn how to develop television programming that has content of a more intellectual value. At the same time I would continue to learn all facets (media, entertainment, government, education) that involve the influence of television on this particular audience. A final academic goal would be to pursue the academic profession of an educator so that my ideas could continue influencing others that would share my vision of a better informed hispanic population. All my professional interests lead to reaching out to individuals to better educate and inform them so they may do the same for others. I believe I can accomplish this by: establishing a more competitive atmosphere in Spanish Cabletelevision so that a variety of programs can develop, and by becoming a role model to other fellow latinos in the industry. These goals would be more easily achieved if I were to become a Spanish Television Network president. The current trends in demographics, the depleting values of television programming, violence, and government politics all indicate that there is a strong need for leadership. I believe that leadership can be in any form and directed towards any ethnic group. My personal interests are to provide that leadership to the Spanish speaking community.
Publications: Tejas article on Migrant Farworkers and MSRTS.
Contact: robertg@mail.utexas.edu