Lifetime truly is "Television for Women" - both on and off the screen. Executives and management initially hesitated in making the change, fearing men would feel alienated and tune out. But when the Lifetime network added the slogan "Television for Women" to its brand name in January 1995, viewership instantly increased. "I think women appreciate the fact that we care about them," says Meredith Wagner, executive vice president for public affairs and corporate communications at Lifetime. "It makes them feel special that we have a network that is specifically for them." That's part of the reason that Lifetime was created. Tackling issues that matter to women - such as domestic violence, mother/daughter relations and life as a working mom has been a hallmark of the network.

Lifetime seeks to inform, entertain and advocate on behalf of women, says Wagner. The network, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, also places a high priority on showing the diversity of women in its programming. Wagner estimates that in its four originally produced dramas, nearly half of the cast members are women of color. 

And more and more, Lifetime is reaching out to Latinas through its partnerships with non-profit organizations and political leaders that advocate on behalf of the growing demographic. 
California congresswoman Hilda Solis is among the most visible of these leaders. Solis, well-known for championing women's issues, has been working with the network for three years. Lifetime has been "very helpful in getting the word out about who we are as Latinas, what kinds of traits we have, what kinds of values we have and how different we are," Solis says. 
Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, Solis says she is "often concerned about how Latinos are portrayed [in television]." Lifetime features "story lines that affect Latinas, too - domestic violence, divorce, health-related and good programs that reflect women in non-stereotypical professions."

Two of Lifetime's top priorities are domestic violence and breast cancer. Lifetime, which works with 200 non-profit organizations, partners with the National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (Alianza) on the issue of domestic violence. 

On the topic of breast cancer, one of its allies is the Washington, D.C.-based Nueva Vida. Carolina Hinestrosa, who until February was the executive director of Nueva Vida, worked on several projects with Lifetime. Lifetime has been invaluable in "keeping public awareness of the disease and reminding people it's an issue that's still there," says Hinestrosa. "The effect of media is undeniable. It's critical that we inform women what breast cancer is and the progress we're making." 

The two groups help each other, says Hinestrosa. Lifetime donated computers and other materials; in exchange, Nueva Vida provides insight into how to most effectively target the cultural considerations in reaching Latinas. 

"We have reached out aggressively to the Latina community. We recognize the special messages needed to break down Latina cultural and linguistic barriers. Concerns about regular testing and self exams to detect lumps is a difficult sell," says Wagner. "We promote very aggressively in both languages. This has become a great priority to the network - reflecting the voices and the interests of Latina women." 

All of Lifetime's public service announcements are produced in Spanish and English, and brochures are translated as well. "We take particular care with our advocacy work and public affairs [so] that we can cast as wide a net as possible," says Wagner. 

The network also hosts an annual week in Washington, D.C., of events and lobbying. 
"They've been one of the more successful cable groups," says Solis. "By their bold movement … they're setting a standard. They haven't forgotten us."

The network has no plans to forget, Wagner promises. "You'll see over time more and more diversity in our products. Not only is it the right thing to do, it makes you more successful. If you mirror people's lives you're going to matter to them." 


Strong Medicine

At the fictional Rittenhouse Hospital, the decisions that Dr. Luisa "Lu" Delgado makes are of the life and death variety. Whether it's fighting for prisoners to get proper health care or for pregnant mothers to get treatment for breast cancer, the lead character of the Lifetime show "Strong Medicine" pursues every challenge passionately.

After talking with actress Rosa Blasi, it's not hard to tell why the character's compassion and thoughtfulness seem so real. 

Whether she's discussing the tragic stories of the kids in the orphanages she frequents in Tijuana or the role of Latinas in Hollywood, Blasi's passion and energy are contagious.
Blasi recently visited Japan, where she had just finished making a remake of "The Grudge," a horror film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. 

That was three days after returning from a honeymoon in Maui - she wed New York Giants fullback Jim Finn in February. 

"Once again I'm playing a role that has nothing to do with being Latina," says the 31-year-old Chicago native. "It definitely shows how far" Hispanics in TV and film have come.
After making her debut on "The Bold and the Beautiful," Blasi went on to make guest appearances on shows like "Beverly Hills 90210," "The Best Damn Sports Show Ever" and "Politically Incorrect." 

It was following a starring role in "Noriega: God's Favorite" that Blasi stepped into drama. Then in 2000 she accepted the role as the head of a struggling inner-city clinic and joined the Lifetime network. 

"Lord knows I used to do a pilot every single year," she says. "I'm grateful for the longevity and the quality. …That hasn't suffered."

It is when she discusses the orphanage she regularly visits that Blasi becomes her most animated. 

The visits "completely changed my life," said Blasi, adding that most kids there were sold by parents seeking drugs or sold into the sex industry. "We restore their faith that not every adult is out to abuse them or mistreat them."
"Strong Medicine" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.


Breaking Out of the Latina Division

Latino journalists call it the "taco beat." Pigeonholed, they cover only Spanish-speaking communities and "Latino issues." It's a role many Hispanic reporters seek to avoid and one actress Lisa Vidal, a Puerto Rican, understands; she's spent her more than 20-year acting career fighting against similar molding in the entertainment industry. 

"As a Latina, the roles as an actor are so incredibly limited. They're not mainstream - they're generally stereotypical," says Vidal, one of the stars of Lifetime's "The Division," a police drama that features a mostly female leading cast.

Vidal plays self-assured, intelligent Inspector Magdalena Ramirez. Playing such a strong role is "really important. I didn't get to see a lot of that growing up," says Vidal. "I saw faces that didn't look like mine." 

The beautiful, articulate Vidal starred in her first role at age 15 in the PBS Series "Oye Willie," a series about a Puerto Rican family growing up in Spanish Harlem. But it was after she was cast as Officer Jessica Helgado in the Steven Spielberg-produced drama "High Incident" - for which she won an Alma Award nomination - that she received national attention. 

Vidal has done stage work, appeared in movies including "Blue Diner" and Sundance Film Festival winner "I Like it Like That," and has had recurring roles on "ER" and "Third Watch." 
What's different about Lifetime, she says, is the network management's support of using female directors, hiring actors and crews of color and telling of stories of women - all women.

"It's almost as if Latinas are last in line before we're allowed to tell our story," says Vidal. "[But] I think Lifetime gets it." 

Vidal, who is married and has three children, graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts. 

"The Division," which also features her sister Tanya Vidal, airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.