Even though cable operators are getting more Hispanic subscribers, Spanish-language TV networks shouldn't expect to get slots on basic -- or even digital basic -- according to some distributors.
For instance, Cablevision director of international strategy and product management James Moore says a new Spanish-language network would best get distribution if it agrees to either video-on-demand
or slot in a premium tier.
"When you're dealing with niche programming, it's hard to get that programming into the mainstream," Moore says, noting the Spanish nets are competing with
major program suppliers like Discovery Networks. Meanwhile, FCC rules forcing cable operators to carry every digital signals of local broadcasters is making it harder for Spanish nets to get wider
carriage.
"If [cable operators] are forced to carry all of the signals, what will happen to capacity in the cable world and the satellite world?" asks Jorge Fiterre, a partner at
Spanish-language TV programming distributor Condista. Horowitz Associates vice president of marketing and business development Adriana Waterston notes Spanish-speaking homes have a multichannel
penetration rate -- including both cable and satellite -- of 71%, compared to 82% for English-only households.
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