LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox International Channels and the RCN Television Group (RCN), jointly announced initial affiliation agreements for MundoFox, the new Spanish-language broadcast network scheduled to launch in 2012. To date, MundoFox has secured affiliates in 20 DMAs covering nearly 40% of US Hispanic households.
“Only six weeks have passed since we announced MundoFox, and we have exceeded our expectations by securing affiliate partnerships in many of the key U.S. Hispanic markets,” said Hernan Lopez, President and CEO of Fox International Channels. “In the last 20 years, no U.S. broadcast network has secured such a large footprint so quickly without assistance from O&O stations. Interest in MundoFox has been tremendous, and we now expect to exceed our original goal of securing distribution in 75% of U.S. Hispanic households by launch.”
The initial affiliate list includes flagship station KWHY (Channel 22) in Los Angeles (#1), owned by the Meruelo Group and WJAN (Channel 41) in Miami (#3) owned by America CV Group. The roster of current affiliates also includes stations in San Antonio (#7), San Francisco (#8), Phoenix (#9), Sacramento (#11), Fresno (#14), Tampa (#20), Las Vegas (#23), West Palm Beach (#28), Bakersfield (#31), Monterey (#34), Fort Myers (#37), Palm Springs (#39), Odessa (#43), Santa Barbara (#45), Lubbock (#51), Boise (#71), Abilene (#78) and San Angelo (#92). All affiliates in the top 10 markets are Full Power stations or are fully distributed in cable and satellite.
Hero Broadcasting, Cocola Broadcasting and Prime Time Partners are also among the affiliates.
“The positive response and increasing interest by affiliates is a true testament to the goal of MundoFox, which is to fill the gap in Latino entertainment in the U.S. and bring quality content and differentiation from the options currently available to Spanish-speaking viewers,” said Gabriel Reyes, CEO of RCN. “We plan on keeping the momentum going in the upcoming months and are confident we’ll be widely distributed prior to our Fall launch.”
Distribution agreements in the remaining top 50 Hispanic markets across the country are still being finalized.
About Fox International Channels
Fox International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. FIC develops, produces and distributes over 350 wholly-and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and lifestyle channels across Latin America, U.S. Hispanic, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa, in 35 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.1 billion cumulative households worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced “dot-fox”) which specializes in online video and display, and four TV production houses. [In operation since: August 14, 1993.]
About RCN
RCN is a leading television network and production company with a long track record of highly acclaimed series and telenovelas. The company belongs to the Organización Ardila Lülle (OAL), one of the most prominent industrial conglomerates in Latin America. RCN currently licenses its content in over 120 countries worldwide, including some of the biggest Spanish-language hits of recent years in the U.S., such as productions of “El Capo”, “Café Con Aroma de Mujer”, “Yo soy Betty la Fea” and “Pura Sangre”, and format rights for “Destilando Amor”, “Mañana Es Para Siempre”, “Hasta Que El Dinero Nos Separe” and “La Fea Mas Bella”. RCN also operates and programs three cable networks: TVColombia, RCN’s international signal; NTN 24, a twenty-four-hour global news channel; and RCN Telenovelas, a channel programming the best of RCN’s novelas. RCN was advised by Sidley Austin LLC and PanAmerican Capital Partners LLC. [In operation: since July 10, 1998.]