Mira TV, which bowed March 7 as a Florida-centric Hispanic television network on flagship WDFL in Miami and affiliates WATV in Orlando and WTAM in Tampa, has been added to the DirecTV lineup in the Miami and West Palm Beach markets.
The satellite-TV provider’s addition of Mira TV in those markets, which occurred July 9, increases the mini-network’s penetration in the Miami DMA to more than 90%.
"With Mira TV launching just over four months ago, our growth has been extraordinary," Judy Prado Lombard, Mira TV’s vice president and station manager, said. “This marks a significant step in becoming a key player in our competitive Hispanic market."
As reported in the May edition of Hispanic Television Update, the Mira TV lineup consists of 12 hours of daily programming produced in-house. Shows include Buenos Dias Miami, a morning chat show featuring Tomas Garcia Fuste, local newscast Noticias 18 with Paula Lamas, a news and information chat show helmed by renowned journalist Maria Elvira Salazar and a primetime lineup headlined by Cuban entertainer and host Alexis Valdés at 9 p.m. and veteran news anchor and commentator Rick Sanchez at 10 p.m.
"DirecTV is seen in 17% of Hispanic households in South Florida,” Mira TV president Tomás Johansen noted. “This additional coverage continues to fulfill our goal to become the most important local Hispanic independent station in South Florida by 2015."
Mira TV faces stiff competition in achieving this goal, competing not only against Univision, Telemundo, UniMás, and MundoFox affiliates, but also Mega TV flagship WSBS, América CV’s locally focused WFUN and co-owned, public-affairs-focused Teveo affiliate WJAN.
Meanwhile, AT&T U-verse subscribers throughout Florida can now view Mira TV’s programming on channel 20, providing the programmer with entry into the growing Jacksonville Hispanic market.
