TeleFutura Day!

There have been several key milestones in the Hispanic Market, which have helped propel the Industry forward.

Last year, the US Census delivered the legitimacy of the Hispanic population in the United States.

This year begins with a new milestone, the launch of the third television network for the Hispanic Market. On January 14, 2002 Univision Communications Inc. makes history today by launching a new 24-hour general interest Spanish-language broadcast network nationwide.

TeleFutura will offer television audience new choices currently not available in Spanish-language entertainment. By counter-programming traditional Spanish-language broadcast networks, TeleFutura will broadly appeal to Hispanics of all ages, further expanding the much sought after Spanish television viewing audience.

TeleFutura will debut nationwide today at 4:00 p.m. EST/PST and 3:00 p.m. CST with an historic simulcast of a one-hour star-studded special on the TeleFutura, Univision and Galavision Networks. To commemorate the launch of the new network and celebrate the growing influence of the Hispanic community in the United States, January 14th has been proclaimed “TeleFutura Day” in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas.

To coincide with the launch, gala events are being hosted in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas with dignitaries from the business and government communities as well as the world’s hottest Latino stars. At the same time, the financial world will watch as Univision Communication’s top executives and leading journalists — Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas – ceremoniously ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell.

“The launch of TeleFutura marks a significant advancement in television today and represents our Company’s latest answer to the U.S. Hispanic community’s tremendous demand for diverse Spanish-language entertainment,” said A. Jerrold Perenchio, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Univision Communications Inc. “TeleFutura is highly complementary to our existing television properties – Univision and Galavision – which have enjoyed the #1 position in their respective markets for nearly a decade.”

“As the first network to expand the scope of viewing options for the nation’s 35 million Hispanics, TeleFutura represents the future of Spanish-language television,” said Ray Rodriguez, President and Chief Operating Officer, Univision Networks. “By counter programming existing Spanish-language television networks, TeleFutura reflects the diverse preferences of today’s multifaceted U.S. Hispanic community. This unique programming strategy, TeleFutura’s broad distribution and our unmatched ability to promote the new network on the Univision and Galavision Networks as well as on Univision.com, is an extremely powerful combination that will enable us to attract more Hispanics to Spanish-language television while drawing additional advertisers to the market.”

Rodriguez continued, “We believe that the potential market for TeleFutura is as large as that of the Univision Network, and that the best way to attract these coveted viewers is to offer more choices in Spanish – the language Hispanics overwhelming choose for entertainment.”

Upon launch, Miami-based TeleFutura will broadcast to 42 stations (23 owned and operated stations and 19 affiliates) across 27 markets nationwide, reaching approximately 70% of Hispanic homes. As of today, Univision Communications’ owned TeleFutura stations include: Los Angeles/KFTR; New York/WFUT and WFTY; Miami-Ft. Lauderdale/WAMI; Houston/KFTH; Chicago/WXFT; Dallas-Ft. Worth/KSTR; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose/KFSF; San Antonio/KFTO-LP; Phoenix-Flagstaff/KFPH and KFPH-CA; Philadelphia/WFPA-CA; Washington, D.C./WFDC; Tampa-St. Petersburg/WFTT; Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne/WFUO; Boston/WUTF; Tucson-Douglas/KFTU and KTAZ-LP; and Santa Barbara/KTSB-LP, K10OG, K21EX, K28FK, and K35ER-CA. TeleFutura affiliate stations include: Albuquerque-Santa Fe/KTFA-LP; Denver/KTFD-LP; Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto/KEZT-CA and KEXT-CA; El Paso/KTFN; Austin/KBVO-LP, KHPB-LP, KHPG-LP, KHPX-LP, KHPL-LP, KHPZ-LP and KHPM-LP; Las Vegas/KELV-LP; Corpus Christi/ KCRP-CA; Monterey-Salinas/KDJT-CA; Hartford/WUTH-CA; Bakersfield/KMMB-LP and KSUV-LP; Palm Springs/KEVC-CA.

TeleFutura’s innovative programming lineup includes 24-hours of exciting, culturally relevant programming and nightly blockbuster Hollywood movies featuring the biggest stars of the motion picture industry. Star-studded evenings on TeleFutura are based on nightly themes: Hollywood’s Best on Monday, Drama on Tuesday, Latin America’s Best on Wednesday, Action/Adventure on Thursday and Friday, Comedy on Saturday and the Best of Family Movies on Sunday night.

TeleFutura will aim to capture audiences’ attention with its comprehensive coverage of the 2002 World Cup, the most popular sporting event in the world. The Network will also entertain sports fans through continuous sportbriefs, informative, fast-paced sports news program “Contacto Deportivo” nightly at 11:00 p.m. EST/PST and 10:00 p.m. CST, exclusive, primetime live Friday night boxing and extensive coverage of Mexican league soccer. TeleFutura will also feature original variety/talk show “El Escandalo del Mediodia” weekdays at 12:00 p.m. EST/PST and 11:00 a.m. CST, special event programming and electrifying music program, “La Cartelera Pepsi”

Saturday/Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST/PST and 12:00 p.m. CST. Rounding out the day, TeleFutura will feature thought-provoking talk show “Monica” weekdays at 2:00 p.m. EST/PST and 1:00 p.m. CST, popular family, teen and children’s programming as well as first-run, contemporary novelas, the most popular genre on Spanish-language television today. TeleFutura will keep its audience well informed with up-to-the-minute local and national newsbriefs — a format never before seen on Spanish-language broadcast television in the United States.

TeleFutura’s primetime schedule is drawn from the largest library of Hollywood movies ever assembled for Spanish Television. TeleFutura will broadcast movies from major Hollywood studios, including Sony Pictures Entertainment, MGM, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. In addition, TeleFutura’s extensive in-house production capabilities, as well its long-term exclusive alliances with the world’s leading producers of Spanish-language television, will round out the rest of the day. These partners include: Televisa, the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world; Venevision, a leading international producer and distributor of Spanish-language television and Venezuela’s leading television network; RCTV, a leading Venezuelan network and producer; RCN Television, Colombia’s leading network and producer; Iguana Productions, a leading international novela producer; among others.

This week HispanicAd.com will offer glimpses into their programming.