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Success Story: Low-Power Target on Hispanics

Apr 28, 2003  •  Post A Comment

There are more than 6.1 million Hispanics in the Los Angeles designated market area, making it the No. 1 Hispanic market in the United States. About 25 percent of those Hispanics are Central American, and this subset is the target audience for four World Television low-power stations in the market.

“We can’t go and compete against Telemundo and Univision,” said Brian Holton, VP and general manager of World Television, a subsidiary of Venture Technologies Group, which owns a handful of UPN stations throughout the country. “So we created a Spanish religious channel that targets 1.5 million Central Americans, which include Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans. Telemundo goes after Mexicans.”

Other than on religious network KNET-LP, advertisers such as Wells Fargo, Krispy Kreme, Home Depot, Sprint and Western Union have advertised on either 24-hour shopping networks KHTV-LP and KNLA-LP, or popular KSFV-LP, which features a Central American newscast as well as popular Central American programs and movies.

This month KSFV began a Watch and Win bingo show. For some advertisers, the company logo will appear on 120,000 bingo cards distributed by, and posted at, the entrance of retail outlets throughout Southern California. In November, advertisers can receive product placement among the $10,000 in prizes KSFV will give away on air.

There will also be sponsor opportunity Sept. 14 to 15 for the taping of the Central American Parade and Festival. With about 450,000 people attending, the parade will be the largest two-day celebration of Central American heritage in the United States. Sponsor tags will be on promotional and radio announcements, billboard promos and spots during the broadcast and expanded prime time.

“The idea of creating my own universe generates revenue,” said Mr. Holton, who has been a sales director and creator of foreign-language programs in North America for the past 20 years, including time at Asian TV station KTSF-TV in San Francisco. In its first 8 months of operation, KSFV brought in $700,000 in revenue. By the end of 2002 it saw $3 million and is expected to be up to $3.4 million by year-end.