LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. (LBI Media), the largest privately-held, minority-owned Spanish-language broadcaster in the United States, today announced that its network, Estrella TV, which has consistently garnered top Nielsen ratings via its slate of original programming, has officially launched nationwide. The network roll-out serves as the culmination of evolution spanning more than a decade, including station buys, market expansion and a stream of affiliate agreements with top broadcasters across the country. With this announcement, Estrella TV expands its reach to approximately 68 percent of U.S. Hispanic households.
Spanning 24 markets nationwide, including seven LBI Media-owned and operated stations, plus 17 partner stations, Estrella TV’s footprint has widened extensively in recent months, boasting presence in 9 of the top 10 Hispanic U.S. markets. Partner stations have been signing on in quick succession, capitalizing on the demonstrated value Estrella TV offers to both Spanish-speaking audiences and advertisers alike. Among the latest affiliate agreements are Tribune Broadcasting’s WPIX-TV in New York; Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KVMY-TV in Las Vegas; Titan Broadcasting’s KTNC-TV in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, California; KFRE-TV in Fresno-Visalia, California; Belo Corp.’s KENS-TV in San Antonio, Texas; and Hearst’s KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Estrella TV’s quality and diversity differentiate our ever-expanding network from other Spanish-language broadcasters,” said Lenard Liberman, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, LBI Media. “The nationwide launch of Estrella TV gives the network a chance to spread its wings, to demonstrate the clear advantage it has over the other Spanish-language networks available in the United States.”
A privately held company, LBI Media was founded in 1987, when the Liberman family purchased its first Orange County, California-based radio station, the gateway property to its current cache of 22 radio stations. The Company entered television broadcasting with the acquisition of KRCA-TV in Los Angeles, and began expanding first in California, Texas and Arizona, and then grew even bigger. However, rather than broadening distribution channels first and then filling those channels with purchased or unproven programming, LBI established its Burbank, California production studios. From there, the Company produces 56 hours of original content each week and now owns a library of more than 5,000 hours of programming. LBI has spent the last 10 years honing and developing original content, establishing Estrella TV as one of the highest rated Spanish-language broadcasters in the country.
Nielsen numbers have been consistently strong, often beating out even the steepest competition. In the recent Nielsen Media Research’s July 2009 Sweeps period, Estrella TV’s flagship station (KRCA-Los Angeles), generated strong ratings with a substantial 33 percent increase in viewership versus the same period last year. The robust ratings generated by Estrella TV content continues to serve as a valuable platform for advertisers that seek creative advertising solutions, talent endorsements, truly organic product integration and cross promotional opportunities.
Having grown up in a Spanish-speaking household, LBI’s co-founder and son of Mexican-born founder Jose Liberman, Lenard Liberman has a distinct and qualified perspective as both a corporate manager and a television producer. Although creating original programming is a pricey venture, particularly when featuring top Latin American talent, Lenard adamantly insists that quality original content is key to Estrella TV’s strategy. The network’s diverse programming roster includes musical-variety, comedy, scripted drama, talk and
game shows, as well as a daily national newscast and a news magazine show.
The network continues to grow with the help of LBI Media’s wholly owned national sales force, Spanish Media Rep Team (SMRT). The dedicated team has offices throughout the U.S. and focuses on selling TV spot advertising exclusively for Estrella TV affiliates. SMRT has a strong track record of success in the more than 15 years since its launch, and continues to drive home the indispensable value of Estrella TV.
About LBI Media, Inc.
LBI Media, Inc. (LBI) is the leading privately held owner of Spanish-language TV and radio stations and the largest producer of Spanish television programming in the United States. The Company owns and operates seven television stations and 22 radio stations. Leveraging its TV broadcast platform and affiliate agreements with prominent broadcasters, LBI has launched the Estrella TV network, which now has a presence in 18 of the top 20 Hispanic markets and a reach of about 70 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population. From three of its company-owned Burbank, CA-based TV production facilities, LBI produces quality original television content for nationwide broadcast on Estrella TV. The Network’s highly rated slate includes musical-variety, comedy, scripted drama, talk and game shows, and features top talent from the United States, Mexico and Latin America.
SOURCE Liberman Broadcasting, Inc.
