BURBANK, CALIF.: EstrellaTV has inked an affiliate deal with Pappas Telecasting Co. for carriage on KSWT-TV in the Yuma, Ariz. and El Centro, Calif. markets. Effective immediately, EstrellaTV will broadcast on one of KSWT’s digital assignment, Ch. 13.3. The station’s primary affiliation is with CBS.
Liberman Broadcasting, Inc., parent company of Estrella, said Yuma/El Centro is the 36th largest U.S. Hispanic TV market, representing 64,350 Hispanic TV households. The Spanish-language network now has 27 affiliates broadcasting in 36 markets reaching 77 percent of U.S. Hispanic households. EstrellaTV already has a presence in Arizona through an affiliate agreement with Belo Corp.’s KTTU-TV in Tucson, and in California through two owned-and-operated stations and six California-market affiliate deals.
LBI also secured a deal with AT&T in September to be carried on the operator’s U-verse video service on Ch. 3024. The network was launched a little more than a year ago, and now carries around 60 hours of original programming each week.
The privately held parent company reported a second-quarter loss of $1.3 million on revenues of $30.7 million. Revenues were up 9 percent from a year earlier. The net loss compared to a profit of $481,000 the year before. The decline was attributed to increased programming and technical expenses, among other items. -- Deborah D. McAdams
