Telemundo To Acquire Stations In Phoenix, Tucson and Fresno.

Telemundo announced that it has entered agreements to acquire television stations in three major Hispanic markets: Phoenix, the nation’s ninth largest Hispanic market; Fresno, the fourteenth largest market; and Tucson, the twenty-fourth largest market. This announcement comes only four weeks after NBC and Telemundo announced that they had entered into an agreement to acquire Boston-area station WPXB from Paxson Communications.

“These acquisitions in key Hispanic markets are representative of Telemundo’s commitment to enhance our distribution system and to grow our local programming, sales efforts and broadcast operations in the United States,” said Alan Sokol, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo.

In Phoenix, which is among the fastest-growing Hispanic markets in the country, Telemundo will purchase its existing affiliate, KDRX-Channel 48, from the Apogee Companies. Telemundo will also purchase Tucson station, KHRR-Channel 40, from Apogee. Both stations are fully distributed in their respective markets via their over the air signals and cable distribution.

In Fresno, Telemundo will purchase KNSO-Channel 51, from Sainte 51, L.P., currently an affiliate of the Telemundo Network. KNSO’s broadcast signal is one of the strongest signals in the Fresno Demographic Market Area (DMA) and KNSO has full cable carriage throughout the market.