• by Erik Sass , January 22, 2008

LATV Networks is bulking up with the acquisition of American Latino TV, a syndication and production company, in a multimillion-dollar deal. LATV gets access to American Latino TV's portfolio of broadcast syndicated properties, including weeklies like "LatiNation," its library of video content and its New York production, sales and marketing office.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Both TV properties target bilingual and "bicultural" Latinos ages 18-34 with a mix of English and Spanish programming, including music and entertainment. While 73% of Hispanic immigrants favor Spanish, only 25% of their children do. That number falls to 15% by the second generation. There are now well over 45 million people of Hispanic descent in the United States, with 16 million of these first-generation immigrants.

Howard Bolter, LATV's president and COO, remarked: "LATV and American Latino TV have both been at the forefront of shaping the bicultural programming marketplace by delivering unique, compelling programming to an ever-growing audience."

He says the deal will "enhance our distribution relationships, complement our programming strategy and increase our viewership domestically and internationally."

American Latino TV President and Executive Producer Robert Rose will stay on as a consultant for LATV, continuing to oversee the broadcast syndication operations and serving as executive producer of the weeklies. Another producer, Renzo Devia, is also joining LATV as a consultant.