Television

The February Sweeps are a do-or-die period for TV Networks. They compete aggressively to get viewers to sample or switch their TV programming habits.

In a typical week of the sweeps in February 2007 (2/19/07 – 2/25/07), Telemundo earned top honors with the most commercials on Radio for two weeks in a row, followed closely by Univision that move up to the number three slot from the fifth slot a week prior. Burger King had to be spending some BIG BUCKS to maintain the second place spot for two weeks in a row amongst the battle of the Spanish language TV giants.

Surprise, surprise: Some DVR owners like watching ads.

The numbers are in, and it looks like digital video recorder (DVR) owners are watching some ads after all.

According to a front page story in The New York Times (Feb. 24), the FCC ruling is expected to cost Univision about $24 million and will be the largest fine ever imposed by the FCC against any company. The decision was made public during a NYT interview with FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.

The legend of Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata (the silver masked man) will reach new heights in the animated action series currently being produced for Cartoon Network.

According to a report in today’s NY Post, another potential candidate for the CEO post at Univision Communications beside Jim McNamara ex-CEO of Telemundo is the former Mexican President Vicente Fox.

Their sources indicate that the intent is to have a new CEO of Univision that is a “high-status bilingual exec with close ties to Mexico”.

The announcement of V-me, the first national Spanish-language network to partner with American public television, has created the kind of news splash usually associated with the likes of an NBC or a Univision.