Univision this September will launch a digital component to its new Hispanic-themed, English language news and lifestyles network, according to Univision president Cesar Conde.
The as yet defined digital offering - part of the Univision/ABC News joint venture set to launch in 2013 a 24/7 English-language TV news, information and lifestyle network for English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics - will coincide with the upcoming Presidential elections, according to Conde.
"This is an incredibly busy season for the Hispanic population, not because of the U.S. election but other elections in the region that are important to our audience," Conde said during a Cable Show 2012 session "Dispatches From Screenland: Changing Technologies and Audiences."
The joint venture is part of a major Univision expansion that will see the company launch as many as nine new channels by the end of the year. Three of those channels -- the novela channel tlnovelas, sports service Univision Deportes and news network FOROtv - will launch on AT&T U-verse this year. Conde alluded to a potential cable distribution deal with a major MSO within the next few weeks.
He added that the industry has become more receptive to the value of Hispanic-targeted networks and programming as the U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow.
"Cable has done an incredible job over the past few years realizing that this is a opportunity with this demographic that really could become [the industry's] primary growth vehicle going forward," Conde said. "I think they've stepped up to realize that this is a growing and diverse audience and they need as many products and services as possible."
