News Corp. eyeing US Hispanic TV market

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. announced Monday that it was joining forces with a Colombian broadcaster to launch a television network aimed at the US Hispanic market. "MundoFox" will be a joint venture between News Corp.'s Fox International Channels and Colombia's RCN Television Group and will launch in the fall of this year. "Our partnership with RCN is a key step in the launch of MundoFox," Hernan Lopez, president and chief executive of Fox International Channels, said in a statement. "There is an increasing demand for quality Spanish-language content in the US from both viewers and advertisers," Lopez said. "It would be a missed opportunity not to provide an alternative for the 50+ million Latino viewers who currently have limited options in Spanish-language broadcast television," he said. The Los Angeles-based Univision is the top Spanish-language network in the United States, followed by Telemundo, which is owned by Comcast. MundoFox is finalizing deals with affiliates in top Hispanic markets and plans to be carried on stations covering 75 percent of US households. Fox International Channels operates 350 channels in 35 countries.