MIAMI — As 2018 began, the Burbank, Calif.-headquartered Hispanic-targeted media company formerly known as LBI Media re-entered the South Florida marketplace after a brief six month period. Until July 2017, its Estrella TV Spanish-language television network appeared on WSVN-7.2.
Thanks to an $11 million deal brokered by Greg Guy of Patrick Communications, the network was poised to make a big return to El Gran Miami with the purchase of WGEN-8. Today, LBI Media is Estrella Media, and all links to Leonard and José Liberman, the founders of LBI, are gone.
That said, the fundamental programming philosophy behind Estrella TV remained in place. Now, in a move that perhaps is fueled by coming marketplace changes for Spanish-language TV viewers alongside evolving tastes, Estrella Media is preparing for a unique daytime programming schedule for WGEN.
According to a company representative, Azteca América-licensed content is being dropped from WGEN-8, along with produced segments that may appeal to its Mexican and Central America viewers in the majority of the markets where Estrella TV operates.
The pending change is an acknowledgment of Miami-Fort Lauderdale’s unique Hispanic composition, one that is ever-changing. Today, while Cuban immigrants remain a dominant segment of the Spanish-language viewing audience, the region’s Hispanics who consider their heritage to be Dominican, Colombian, Venezuelan, Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Argentine continues to rise.
And, while there are Mexicans in the two counties, the demographics are far different than in most other markets, with affluent bilingual and English-preferred immigrants from Mexico City and Monterrey more common than a first-generation Spanish-preferred immigrant from regions such as Zacatecas or Michoacán.
The programming changes arrive September 4, with the 11am-4pm weekday time slot now devoted entirely to news and information.
It means the noontime airing of “Venga la Alegría,” the Azteca Uno lifestyle show with segments on entertainment, health and beauty and cooking based at Azteca’s studios in the southern portion of Mexico City, will no longer be seen on WGEN-8.
Instead, Noticias Cierre de Edición will take the Noon hour on WGEN, with José Armando Ronstadt at the anchor desk. If that name is familiar, yes — he is a cousin to singer Linda Ronstadt. More relevantly, Mr. Ronstadt spent many years at Univision, starting in 1989 as General Manager of KTVW-TV in Phoenix. In 1991, Ronstadt took the helm of “Hola America” — a network program airing from 3:30pm-4:30pm Pacific.
From 11am-11:30am — Tuesday through Friday — is a new local newscast. Noticias 8 Miami will feature longtime political analyst Ricardo Brown. On Mondays in that time slot, Abel Alvarez will host Buenas Noticias, a weekly newsmagazine.
“Signature news series” 24 Horas will air from 11:30am-Noon, while the noon hour each Monday will be home to Estrella TV Deportes with Francisco X. Rivera until 12:30pm and a reairing of Buenas Noticias in the following half hour.
Monday through Friday, Estrella TV’s 1pm hour will feature Alarma TV with Lianna Grethel and Nour Milla; the 2pm and 3pm hour will feature fresh editions of 24 Horas.
While Estrella TV did not note it, the news-oriented programming grid’s arrival comes as Mega TV, which has been sold by Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), prepares its broadcast wind-down. VOZ Media, the buyer, intends to convert the station to a Hispanic-targeted conservative-leaning news and political commentary network.
Meanwhile, the América Tevé operation in Miami has been clouded by various stories involving solvency issues and lawsuits tied to WSUA-AM 1260 in Miami, which América Tevé unsuccessfully sought to acquire.
For Estrella Media Regional General Manager Nick Valls, this presents perhaps an opportunity for WGEN to make a strong run at becoming the No. 3 in the market behind TelevisaUnivision’s WLTV-23 and Telemundo’s WSCV-51, the longtime leaders in Miami-Fort Lauderdale.
“We believe these programming changes will more effectively serve our Miami audience, especially those seeking Spanish-language news-focused content,” said Valls. “Embracing the diversity of cultures and heritage from Latin America and the Caribbean is central to who we are; our South Florida viewers deserve the best news and information, and Estrella Media is up to the challenge. With 2024 shaping up to be a politically turbulent year, and with key Florida-based candidates and political developments in Latin America impacting our South Florida community, WGEN Estrella 8 Miami will be serving this information need.”
