Univision Launches In North Carolina.

Univision Communications Inc. announced that it has purchased full-power television station WKFT in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville DMA from Bahakel Communications, Inc. The acquisition expands Univision’s geographic reach to the burgeoning Hispanic community in North Carolina through the State’s first full-power Spanish-language television station.

The acquisition expands Univision’s geographic reach to the burgeoning Hispanic community in North Carolina through the State’s first full-power Spanish-language television station. The addition of WKFT, which will become WUVC on June 1, 2003, expands the number of Univision’s owned-and-operated full-power stations to 32 in 23 markets nationwide. Univision currently reaches 97% of the nation’s 37 million Hispanics.

“We’re thrilled to enter this rapidly-growing market and become a much-needed Spanish-language media outlet for Hispanics in North Carolina,” said Maria Montaño, the station’s General Manager, formerly station manager of Univision owned-and-operated station WUVP in Philadelphia. “Since our decision to enter the market, we have experienced an overwhelmingly positive response from both Hispanic and non-Hispanic residents, which we see as an indication of how valuable our services will be to this community.”

Michael D. Wortsman, Co-President Univision Television Group, Inc. said, “This is an excellent opportunity for Univision to expand its already unparalleled distribution and bring North Carolina’s Hispanic community the award-winning and culturally-relevant programming and information to meet its needs.”

Univision Network programming is scheduled to begin broadcasting on WUVC on June 1, 2003, from a new, state-of-the-art tower in Sanford, North Carolina. Prior to becoming a Univision owned-and-operated station, WKFT was an independent station broadcasting English-language syndicated programming.

Univision also announced that Lizette Cruz-Watko will join WUVC as its Community Affairs Coordinator. Cruz-Watko has been an active member of the Hispanic community in North Carolina for over 12 years and currently sits on the board of numerous non-profit organizations. She is also responsible for having launched the first Spanish-language newspaper in North Carolina.