AZTECA SAYS TELEMUNDO IS TRYING TO IMPEDE ITs LAUNCH
Spanish-language Telemundo TV Network is using FCC procedures in effort delay debut of Azteca America as 3rd U.S. Hispanic network, official of Azteca said. Comment was in response to Telemundo petition -- charging potential interference to existing stations -- to Commission to reconsider staff grant of Pappas Telecasting’s purchase of CP for Ch. 54 KIDN-TV Avalon, Cal., in L.A. market, to be affiliate for Azteca America. Planned network is co-owned by Pappas and Azteca Mexico and plans late-spring start. L.A. affiliate is “critical” to its success, Azteca said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
KIDN-TV is 5th station Azteca America has tried to acquire in L.A. market. It said it was outbid for KWHY-TV (Ch. 22) by Telemundo and for KHSC-TV (Ch. 45) Ontario by Spanish-language Univision. Purchases gave Telemundo and Univision 2 stations each in L.A. market. “It’s not a coincidence that our competitor is seeking to delay or impede our entry into the critical L.A. market,” with 18% Hispanic population, Azteca official told us.
In FCC filing, Azteca said Telemundo’s pleading was based on “the flawed proposition… that hundreds of thousands of viewers may lose existing television service” because of interference from KIDN-TV [which isn’t on air]. Telemundo’s engineering statement is “unworthy of credence,” Azteca said, and its charge of interference to 5 on-air TV stations was based on “theory” rather than actual measurements. Azteca told Commission that, based on actual measurements by engineering consultant Neil Smith, “only a relatively minuscule number of viewers” would be affected and that “Pappas Telecasting can resolve such problems… by installing filters.”