US presidential debates to stream online in Spanish (AFP)
32 minutes ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - MySpace announced Friday that the US presidential debates will be streamed online in Spanish as well as English to reach a key Hispanic voting bloc via the Internet.
Hispanic news company ImpreMedia has teamed with MySpace to broadcast the presidential and vice presidential debates, along with simultaneous translation into Spanish, live online at www.impre.com and www.MyDebates.org.
"Hispanics will play a decisive role in this year's election, and there is a great desire on the part of the Hispanic community to be informed," said ImpreMedia Digital chief executive Arturo Duran.
"Our live translation of the presidential debates allows Spanish-preferred voters the opportunity to follow the debates in the candidates' own words."
MySpace will stream Friday's debate between US presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain live online in an Internet first and provide software tools letting people see which candidate is in tune with their views.
The exchange between the candidates will be broadcast at a MyDebates.org website the social networking powerhouse created to add what it hopes will be an increasingly interactive online component to the White House race.
MyDebates.org was launched last month in an unprecedented partnership with the non-profit, non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).
ImpreMedia's Spanish-language live coverage of the Obama-McCain verbal duel will also be accessible at the MyDebates website.
"MySpace is thrilled to once again team up with ImpreMedia to serve this influential, growing audience," said Lee Brenner, director of MySpace IMPACT.
"We want to do everything possible to encourage Hispanic voters to participate in the elections in an informed manner."
Registration of Hispanic voters in the United States has grown 50 percent during the past decade, according to a 2008 Pew Hispanic Survey.
A reported 18.2 million Hispanic voters comprise nine percent of the overall US electorate, the survey indicates.