• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, March 3, 2011

Even with a stronger economy, Entravision, which operates a slew of Univision affiliates, saw ad dollars come in flat for its TV stations in the fourth quarter. Still, the TV unit was able to post a 4% revenue jump to $33.8 million on the backs of retrans-consent dollars.

The Spanish-language media company is hopeful that U.S. Census results showing a larger Hispanic population will fuel ad spend this year. "The continued growth of our target markets and its expanding purchasing power represents an attractive opportunity for advertisers and a powerful catalyst for our future growth," said CEO Walter Ulloa on an earnings call.

Entravision operates Univision/TeleFutura duopolies in markets such as Boston, Denver, Orlando and San Diego. As part of its affiliation agreement, Univision acts as Entravision's sales rep for national and regional advertising for Univision/TeleFutura stations. Entravision pays it a fee for the services.

Ulloa said stations have expanded coverage of politics, which helped bring in significant political ad dollars in 2010. That might also help revenue next year.

Entravision benefited from increased auto spending in the fourth quarter, with four of the top five leading brands upping spending, and Ford as an exception.

Entravision's radio assets posted a higher percentage growth than TV, with an 8% revenue jump in the fourth quarter to $16.9 million. The company owns 48 stations, with more than one in 13 markets, including Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Overall, the company posted a $29.3 million loss in the quarter, which was about $5 million less than the year before.

Entravision's affiliation deal with Univision goes through 2021, with the potential for two-year renewals. Univision, which has a stake in Entravision, negotiates retrans consent deals on behalf of the company.