Press Releases

ABC News’ and Univision News’ Multiplatform News and Lifestyle Network for U.S. Hispanics Will Be Based in Miami, Florida

Leading Media Company Serving Hispanic America and Global Network News Leader Will Serve and Empower Youngest and Fastest-Growing Demographic in the U.S.

On-air and Digital Programming in English Will Deliver Culturally Relevant Content Featuring ABC News and Univision News Anchors and Correspondents

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ABC News and Univision News today announced their joint venture news and lifestyle network for U.S. Hispanics will be based in Miami, Florida.

The new company will be dedicated to informing, empowering and inspiring Hispanic Americans in English while providing all audiences uncompromising coverage of current events with a unique perspective.

"This is a continuation of Univision's investment in Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida," said Cesar Conde, president of Univision Networks. "The Miami-based operation will be the largest of its kind with state-of-the-art production capabilities that will generate new jobs and attract television's brightest talent to South Florida."

"We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Miami-Dade community and its robust and rich media culture,” said Ben Sherwood, president, ABC News. “From our new headquarters in South Florida, we’ll build the network of the future to serve the many millions of Hispanics all across America.”

ABC News and Univision News also announced today that seasoned digital media executive Miguel Ferrer will be the first executive producer, Digital for the new company. He will oversee all digital properties and work closely with the ad sales, distribution and editorial teams. Ferrer was most recently the managing editor of the Huffington Post's Black Voices, Latino Voices (English-language) and Voces (Spanish-language) sites. Ferrer starts October 30 and will divide his time between New York and Miami. The President and CEO and other executives on the management team are expected to be announced later this year.

The currently unnamed television network is expected to launch in 2013. Editorial coverage will focus on the issues most relevant for U.S. Hispanics, including the economy, entertainment, music, food, immigration, education, politics, health and wellness and more.

The landmark joint venture capitalizes on Univision’s news leadership and expertise in reaching U.S. Hispanics and ABC’s global news leadership to serve more than 52 million Hispanics, the youngest and fastest-growing demographic in the country. Currently, Hispanics represent 16 percent of the total population in the United States, a number that is projected to double to 30 percent by 2050. Hispanics wield considerable spending power of more than $1 trillion, and have an increasing impact on social, economic and political trends.

The joint venture will have the support of Enterprise Florida, the State of Florida's economic development agency, as well as The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's economic development partnership.

About ABC News

ABC News delivers a big picture understanding of the world to empower and inspire viewers to make confident decisions for themselves and their families. More people get their news from ABC News than from any other source. ABC News is responsible for all of the ABC Television Network’s news programming on a variety of platforms: television, radio, and the Internet. With an average television and radio audience of 180 million people in a given month, ABC News surpasses the competition. More than 2,400 affiliate stations broadcast ABC News Radio’s global news coverage. In addition, ABC News NOW is a 24-hour news and information network currently available to 44 million users across cable, broadband, and mobile platforms. NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, provides live and packaged news, sports, and weather reports, as well as footage of news events, to 200 ABC affiliates and more than 30 domestic and international clients.

About Univision News

Univision’s award-winning News division is committed to informing the country’s fastest growing segment across all media platforms, including TV, Radio, and Interactive. Hispanics count on the latest and most relevant content that impacts the community through: “Noticiero Univision,” the Network’s evening, late evening and weekend national newscast; Sunday public affairs program “Al Punto” (To The Point); newsmagazine shows “Aquí y Ahora” (Here and Now) and “Primer Impacto” (First Impact); as well as morning news segments on “Despierta América” (Wake Up America). In the last year, Univision has strengthened its news team and expanded its news operations by adding Investigative and Documentary Units.

About Univision Communications Inc.

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Its assets include Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 88% of U.S. Hispanic households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network, as well as Univision tlnovelas, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to novelas, Univision Deportes Network, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to sports, ForoTV, a new 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to news, and an additional suite of six cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Clásico TV; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for the Company’s platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Interactive Media, a network of national and local online and mobile sites including Univision.com, which continues to be the #1 most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. online Hispanics, Univision Móvil, a longstanding industry-leader with unique, relevant mobile products and services, and Univision Partner Group, a specialized advertising and publisher network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit Univision.net.

ABC News
Jeffrey Schneider, 212-456-3587
jeffrey.w.schneider@abc.com
or
Julie Townsend, 212-456-4934
julie.townsend@abc.com
or
Univision News
Jose Zamora, 305-471-4038
josezamora@univision.net

Source: Univision Communications Inc.