CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIF.: Liberman Broadcasting today announced an affiliate agreement for a Class A TV station serving the Palm Springs, Calif., market. KRET-CA, licensed to Charles Meeker of Santa Maria, Calif., becomes the 21st affiliate of Liberman’s Spanish-language Estrella TV network. Liberman, based in Burbank, Calif., also has seven owned-and-operated Estrella stations and covers a total of 29 TV markets.

KRET-CA is a 15 kW ERP station transmitting from Cathedral City in the Coachella Valley on virtual Ch. 45.2. Liberman says Estrella now reaches an estimated 75 percent of U.S. Hispanic TV households. Palm Springs, the company says, is the 38th largest Hispanic TV market with 63,000 Latino households.

Liberman recently reported 2009 results, posting a loss of $87.3 million on revenues of $102.9 million. The loss was attributed primarily to $126.5 million written down on broadcast licenses. Liberman chief Lenard Liberman said revenues started rising in the fourth quarter.

April 13, 2010: “Liberman Loss Widens on Impairment”
TV revenues were down 13 percent for the year but up 10 percent in the fourth quarter to $11.7 million.