Univision Communications Inc. said its Spanish-language networks signed
'formal' affiliation agreements with Charter Communications Inc. and Cable One
Inc.
The two MSOs already have, combined, 3 million Univision
subscribers and 1 million Galavision subscribers on their systems. Those carriage arrangements
were based on regional agreements, which the new corporate deals supersede.
Financial terms and markets involved were not identified in the news release,
although they were said to include Atlanta.
Univision has been known to be seeking license fees in markets where it
previously offered its signal free-of-charge. In February, the network pulled
its signal from Buckeye CableSystem in Toledo, Ohio, after that operator
declined to pay the demanded fee. Buckeye then signed a five-year deal to
replace Univision with rival network Telemundo.
In a news release Tuesday, a Charter official said the networks 'deliver
significant entertainment value for a growing segment of our customer base,' and
a Cable One executive called Univision 'the most requested Hispanic network by
our customers.'
Charter, the No. 4 domestic MSO, has about 6.4 million
cable subscribers, and Cable One (No. 10) has some 787,000.
