Cablevision Systems Corp. Tuesday will add Telemundo Puerto Rico, a new cable network, to digital-cable offerings throughout the MSO’s New York-area systems.
The service -- including news programming from Telemundo’s station in Puerto Rico, WKAQ-TV -- is being marketed by Telemundo parent company NBC Universal Cable.
Multichannel News first reported NBC’s plans to market the service last August. This is its first U.S. affiliation deal.
Cablevision’s iO: Interactive Optimum digital service is available to 1.3 million customers, the companies said. Cablevision will also add Telemundo Puerto Rico to the iO en Español digital package.
NBC said the new Telemundo offshoot will carry more than 35 hours per week of live news broadcasts from WKAQ-TV and will feature scheduled programming including popular Puerto Rican shows, series, sports and an extensive library of music videos, films and specials.
Puerto Ricans make up more than 10% of the U.S. Hispanic population and are among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States, with 34% residing in New York, NBC said.
As of Feb. 1, Telemundo Puerto Rico will become available to iO digital-cable customers on channel 198 and available to Cablevision’s iO en Español customers in New York and Hudson County and Newark, N.J., on channel 213.
