Azteca America

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Azteca América is an American Spanish language broadcasting network, which is jointly-owned by the Mexican television network TV Azteca and Pappas Telecasting. Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Luis J. Echarte.In 2006, the network changed their ownership moniker (due to Aztcea becoming 100% owner)to Azteca International Corporation.

Azteca América was founded in 2001 with a television network based in Los Angeles, California. The initial affiliates where located in Reno, Nevada as well as the Californian cities of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto. It now has a low-powered UHF affiliate on channel 39 in the New York metropolitan area [link]. In Texas the affiliate was located in Houston. The initial reach of the Hispanic market was 28%.

By the next year, Azteca América was reaching 53% of the US Hispanics and the network started its own news show called Hechos América with Rebecca Sáenz and José Martín Sámano. In 2003, the network covered 69% of the Hispanic audience and the number increased to 78% by 2004.

Most of the programming on Azteca América is provided by TV Azteca's Canal Trece (13), and is scheduled in relation to time zones (Example: Los Sanchez is aired on Azteca America at 6pm ET, though its original timeslot on Azteca Trece is at 7PM CT (8pm ET).

The network also airs its own news programs. in the past They included Calles al Desnudo, which is anchored by Mariana Montenegro and Mónica Mesones, Noticiero Azteca América, which is anchored by Hannia Novel and Gabriela Alcalá, and Noticiero Azteca América Última Edición, which is anchored by Mariano Rivapalacio and Anette Cuburu. All of its news programs outside of Calles al Desnudo were produced out of the studios of TV Azteca's Azteca Siete (7), as Calles al Desnudo is produced from the studios of Los Angeles' KAZA-TV. The network also produces live boxing matches, and since Feburary 6th, 2006, produces its own nightly national news broadcast, Noticiero Azteca America, at 6pm ET anchored by Jorge Gestado and 11:00pm ET anchored by José Martín Sámano both are produced out of their new state of the art digital studios in Los Angeles.

There are some differences between Azteca America and the original TV Azteca networks -- recently, Azteca America not only moved their studios and HQ from Mexico City and the TV AZTECA studios to Los Angeles,Californina, they have also begun to produce its own shows for airing on its network as it separates from its reliance on its parent network TV Azteca and Azteca Trece (Azteca 13). Recently, Azteca America has pulled Calles al Desnudo from its national schedule, airing it now only in Los Angeles, and replaced TV Azteca's Con sello de mujer with a combo of Mexican classic films, a "biography" type show and telenovelas. In addition, Azteca America does not air the politically sponsored live mid-morning show López Obrador, la otra versión; instead, American viewers get Te Cache, a Mexican TV version of Candid Camera or a rebroadcast of a program called A Quien Corresponda. They also air a morning news block consisting of "Las 7 y 9" and "Venga de la Algeria" , due to AA's Miami based rival Univision having broadcast rights to the World Cup, Azteca America had to replace both shows with either classic Mexican movies or repurposed programming, such as telenovelas, movies or programs from the TV AZTECA archives. Both shows have since returned to Azteca America

Azteca América's programming caters to the young latino audience of the United States, and recently began to produce its own version of the popular TV Azteca program La Academia called La Academia USA to air only on Azteca America, both are Mexican TV Versions of the popular international hit Star Academy, a series along the same line as Pop Idol (American Idol).

Azteca America

See also