TeleFutura Expands Coverage In Sacramento.

Univision Communications Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Family Stations, Inc. under which Univision will purchase full-power television station KFTL in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto DMA. The acquisition expands the number of full-power TeleFutura stations to 17 nationwide.

The Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto DMA is the fifteenth largest Hispanic market in the country and fifth largest in California with 181,700 Hispanic homes. Hispanics represent 20% of the total Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto population. More than three-quarters of the Hispanics in the market speak some Spanish at home. According to U.S. Census data, the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto Hispanic community grew 60 percent since 1990 and it is estimated that in the next four years, 45 percent of the total population growth of the market will be Hispanic.

According to Nielsen Universe Estimates, Hispanic Households in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto DMA are 41 percent larger than non-Hispanic Households. Hispanics in this DMA are also younger, with a median age of 24 compared to a non-Hispanic median age of 37. The buying power of the local Hispanic community increased 83 percent from 1995-2000.

“We’re extremely pleased to be expanding and enhancing TeleFutura’s presence in this rapidly growing market,” said Diego Ruiz, KFTL General Manager and General Manager of Sacramento Univision station KUVS. “We look forward to establishing a greater local presence by increasing our community involvement and providing TeleFutura’s culturally-relevant programming to the local Hispanic community.”

TeleFutura programming is scheduled to begin broadcasting upon the close of the station, which is expected in the 2003 third quarter, under the existing call letters, KFTL.