Azteca America WPTPH-14 Added to Dish Network Local Channel Package in Southwest Florida

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 -- NAPLES, FLORIDA – Effective September 22, 2008, popular Spanish-language station Azteca America SWFL was added to Dish Network’s local channel package lineup in Southwest Florida.

Azteca America of SW Florida (WTPH-14), and Dish Network, Inc., provider of the nation’s leading satellite television service, announced the detail of the agreement they have reached, that enables Dish Network subscribers to enjoy Azteca America as part of their basic subscription, today on channel 14 local.

Dish Network customers in Southwest Florida who subscribe to the local channel package are now enabled to watch all of Azteca America’s Spanish-language programming, which includes Mexican professional first division soccer, Ventaneando with Pati Chapoy, movies, newscasts from Mexico and the U.S., popular novelas, and a full schedule of entertainment programming.  TV Azteca is the second-largest producer of Spanish-language programming in the world.  In addition to national programming Dish Network subscribers will be able to view WTPH-14 local programming, which includes NOTICIAS SWFL and D’LATINOS AL DIA offering more than 15 hours of local content to the community.  Local programming will be expanding in the future, according to Orlando Rosales, a partner in Azteca America of Southwest Florida and Media Vista Multimedia Corporation chairman.

Azteca America currently airs on DirecTV channel 14, and Comcast’s digital lineup on channels 251 and 600.  “The addition of Azteca America to the Dish Network local channel lineup will significantly increase viewership by Hispanic households in Southwest Florida,” said Orlando Rosales, president & CEO of Azteca America SWFL.  “I’m very proud of this new accomplishment despite the economical crisis and the environment that the national economy is facing we continue consolidating our station and we are complete in our distribution platform.  Now we are covered by the cable company and also by the 2 main satellite services on the area”  This will allow a much greater percentage of the Hispanic population with the opportunity to see some of the most popular Spanish-language programming available,” he continued.

Mayela Rosales, executive vice president said, “We feel that our efforts at national level to be recognized as an important local tv station with more than 15 hours of local content is now yielding the results that we expect.  That is why EchoStar Company did not hesitate to give us our local signal on channel 14.  According to Carlos Zapata, Azteca America and D’Latinos news anchor, this new addition in coverage will enable advertisers and associates to increase their exposure and results in advertising and revenues will increase for our loyal customers.

Media Vista Multimedia Corporation is the parent company of D’Latinos al Dia the only daily live Spanish language TV show in SW Florida, reaching nearly 400,000 homes, 91,000 of which are Hispanic, on Comcast Cable Channel 8.  In November 2003, they launched D’Latinos Magazine, the color lifestyle publication that features stories about people places and things in Southwest Florida that are of interest to the Hispanic community.  At the beginning of 2004 the D’Latinos website was launched as well and has updated its image in May of 2006.  Azteca America joined the Comcast Cable digital lineup on Channels 251 and 600 in December 2006.  Media Vista Corporation became a partner with Azteca America (WTPH-14) TV affiliate in early 2006.

Of course, with its expansion and its coverage now is on Dish Network on Channel 14, Azteca America SWFL continues adding thousands of households in the area.