LATV goes NATIONAL.

LATV, an entertainment, lifestyle and information network for young Latinos, announced it is making its programming available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to cable and satellite providers across the United States. LATV makes its national debut with a full primetime lineup of first-run programs after regularly outperforming competing cable channels in Los Angeles, the nation’s number one Hispanic market.

“Young, urban Latinos are the fastest growing demographic and economic power in the U.S., but there has been a lack of national programming truly addressing the varied interests of this increasingly influential group,” said Daniel Crowe, president of LATV. “The faces you see and the topics we cover on LATV truly reflect the realities of being a young Latino in the United States. We have demonstrated the demand for Latino youth-oriented programming after years of continued growth and success in Los Angeles. We look forward to working with cable and satellite providers to bring LATV’s unique programming to the national audience.”

The Hispanic population in the U.S. expanded 61 percent between 1990 and 2003, making it the fastest-growing ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Accompanying this population growth is substantial economic power, with Hispanic teens spending an average of four percent more per month than non-Hispanic teens, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Featuring 20 hours of originally produced shows a week, LATV programming spans culture, music, politics and issues important to both U.S. born and immigrant Latinos. LATV programming features in-studio audiences, live performances, real-time call-ins, and the incorporation of Internet and chat-room content from LATV.com. The network fosters new talent eager to reach Latino youth, including Roselyn Sanchez, Gael Garcia, Kinky and Natalia La Fourcade and regularly features established entertainers such as George Lopez, Paulina Rubio and Los Lobos.

“LATV is a pioneer in television programming that’s relevant to today’s multicultural youth,” said Ed Arce, Director of Multicultural Business at Nike. “The shows on LATV are a great example of how to communicate with youth and the diverse worlds in which they live.”