Univision

At the top of a press release announcing an election year initiative with NBC News, the network nuvoTV (formerly SiTV) states this:

NOTE: A press release issued earlier this week by ABC & Univision was interpreted by some to mean that they will be launching the first-ever English-language cable network for bi-cultural Latinos. Not true! nuvoTV (formerly known as SiTV) is an English-language net that has been serving this rapidly-growing demographic since 2004.

nuvoTV includes such shows as “Model Latina South Beach” and “Operation Osmin” as well as re-runs of classic shows including “Hill Street Blues” and “NYPD Blue.”

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For ABC and Univision, the hard part is just beginning. Once all the backslapping and self-adulation is over, the two companies have to get to work not only building a new cable TV network, but getting other companies to carry it–and pay them for the privilege of doing so.

As we noted earlier, the deal is predicated on a “major” cable operator signing on to carry the channel, so finding the right partner is crucial. Univision announced in January that DISH network was on board to carry three new cable channels, one for sports, one for telenovelas and one for news. DISH may be a logical satellite launch partner for the new channel.

Comcast would be another logical partner. While it is not compelled to carry the new channel due to the NBCU deal (because the new channel is owned by Disney and Univision, it is not considered “independent”), Comcast has increasingly been seeking diverse networks to add to its lineup.

Launching a new channel is incredibly hard, and there is no clear measure of success. Typically reaching 40 million households is considered the “Nielsen barrier” at which point networks will seek to be rated by Nielsen, but that doesn’t apply across the board. Spanish-language networks like MTV Tres and Mun2 have far lower carriage than their English-language counterparts, but argue that they still reach a significant number of Hispanic households.

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As they launch the nation’s first English-language news and information channel for U.S. Hispanics, ABC News and Univision are looking far into the future for success, even to viewers not yet born.

Announced earlier today, the joint venture will now look toward gaining commitments from cable carriers, hiring staff and finding a home, all while launching online this Summer. Univision president Cesar Conde tells TVNewser his team is “considering two or three options to house the joint venture” in South Florida. “We’re going to have a stand-alone team for the new entity using the resources of Univision and ABC News.”

Don’t expect the network to look anything like existing cable news channels, CNN, Fox News or MSNBC.

“This is not an ideological venture,” ABC News president Ben Sherwood tells us. “The vision here is a full-service operation providing culturally relevant programming in English.”

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ABC News and Univision are moving forward with plans to launch an on-air and online newschannel aimed at the fast-growing U.S. Hispanic population. The 24-hour, English-language network will be based at Univision headquarters in Miami with plans to launch online this summer and on air early next year.

“Univision has a deep and important relationship with the U.S. Hispanic audience,” says ABC News president Ben Sherwood in a note to staff, obtained by TVNewser. “By sharing our resources, we will inform, entertain and empower the enormously influential Hispanic American community and many others interested in our programming.”

Sherwood says the venture “is subject to the completion of definitive agreements.” This includes getting the big cable systems, including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox and Charter to carry the network.

Sherwood, along with Cesar Conde, president of Univision and Isaac Lee the president of Univision News, will hold a town hall with staffers at 12:30pmET to answer any questions.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report talks of a partnership in February.

Former NBC COO Randy Falco is now CEO of Univision Communications. Under his watch, the company has launched three cable channels, Univision Deportes, Univision tlNovelas and Univision Noticias.

Falco was president of NBC Broadcasting when the network launched MSNBC in 1996. Falco was also instrumental in NBC’s acquisition of Univision competitor Telemundo in 2002.

ABC’s owner, Disney, operates three of the top 10 cable networks: Disney Channel, ESPN and ABC Family. ABC News announced plans for a 24-hour newschannel in 1996, but abandoned the idea in May of that year after NBC/Microsoft and News Corp. ramped up plans for MSNBC and Fox News Channel. In 1982, ABC and Westinghouse partnered for the Satellite News Channel. That venture lasted 16 months, failing after not getting significant cable carriage.

Sherwood’s note after the jump…

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Univision has tapped Enrique Acevedo to serve as the new co-anchor on its late evening news program “Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna.” He will co-anchor alongside Ilia Calderón, who joined the program last year.

Acevedo joins Univision from Telemundo, where he has served as a correspondent and anchor since January, 2011. Before joining Telemundo he was as a correspondent and anchor for Mexico’s Televisa.

More information, after the jump.

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The news that Disney and Univision are in talks to possibly launch a cable news channel targeting English-speaking Hispanics shouldn’t come as a surprise. Univision has already announced its intention to launch a 24-hour news channel, and ABC News has long been looking for some sort of partner to help amortize its costs.

But here are two other reasons why the companies may be planning the channel: Hispanic news programming skews much younger than the traditional TV news outlets, and a Hispanic-targeted network will have an easier time gaining cable distribution, the bane of every network executive’s existence.

It is no secret that TV news viewers skew old… often very old. Your average Fox News viewer is 65, CNN viewer is 63 and MSNBC viewer is 59. Only in TV news would a 50-year-old qualify as someone in the “younger viewer” 25-54 demographic.

Among young Hispanics, however, news seems to be much more popular. As we have noted, Univision’s nightly newscast has more viewers age 18-34 than every network newscast, save for “NBC Nightly News.” During many weeks, Univision even tops NBC in that demo.

In other words, young Hispanics may be more inclined to watch TV news than other young viewers.

With regard to distribution:

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Fifteen years after exploring the idea of a 24-hour news channel, ABC News may soon find itself back in the cable game. The Wall Street Journal is reporting ABC’s parent The Walt Disney Co. and Univision Communications Inc. are in talks to create an English language news channel… and it could be launched before the November elections.

The new channel would plunge Disney’s ABC News more directly into the fractious cable-news wars, competing alongside Time Warner Inc’s CNN, News Corp.’s Fox News and Comcast Corp.’s MSNBC. And it would mark a big strategic shift for Univision, which since its beginnings five decades ago has been defined by its Spanish broadcasts, but which will now compete for English speakers.

WSJ reports the talks have been lead by ABC News President Ben Sherwood and Univision Networks President Cesar Conde. ABC News is not commenting on the report.

The deal looks good on paper. It will begin to amortize the costs of ABC News, (while creating many long days for ABC Newsers.) Disney has proven cable clout. And Univision, which boasts its own news division and studios in Miami, provides an attractive and growing young audience: 1-in-5 American schoolchildren is Hispanic, 1-in-4 newborns is Hispanic.

Univision Communications CEO Randy Falco has been here before. He was president of NBC Broadcasting when his network, along with Microsoft, launched MSNBC in 1996. ABC News abandoned plans in May of that year to launch its own news channel after NBC and News Corp. ramped up plans for MSNBC and Fox News Channel. Falco was also instrumental in NBC’s acquisition of Univision competitor Telemundo in 2002.

ABC News’ Diane Sawyer was slated to have the first post-State of the Union interview with President Obama, but it appears as though Spanish-language broadcaster Univision beat them to the punch.

“Noticiero Univision” anchor Maria Elena Salinas sat down with President Obama yesterday in Chandler, Arizona, with the first excerpts running this morning on “Despierta America.” Excerpts will also run on “Noticiero Univision” this evening, “Primer Impacto” and on “Al Punto” Sunday.

Univision’s evening news program, “Noticiero Univision” is getting a new set and a new look in advance of the 2012 election. The set features enormous video walls, as well as a large touch screen to display graphics and data.

A video explaining the new set (in English) after the jump.

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Univision, along with U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has scheduled a “Meet the Candidates” event in Miami for January 25, with Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum committed to attend. The network said it has extended invitations to all of the candidates.

Rather than use a debate format, each of the candidates will be interviewed individually, with the conversations streamed online. Excerpts will run on Univision’s news properties, as well as on a special edition of “Al Punto” on January 29. The forum is not expected to replace Univision’s scheduled debate for January 29.

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas will conduct the interviews.