V-me

Vme TV (Spanish pronunciation: , watch me) is the first and only Spanish broadcast television network in association with public television stations created for the United States Hispanic market. Reaching more than 70 million households in the United States, Vme TV is broadcast in 43 markets by PBS stations and is available on DIRECTV, DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, as well as major cable companies including Comcast. Vme TV delivers drama, music, current affairs, food, lifestyle, nature and educational pre-school content to its viewers. The 24-hour digital broadcast service was launched on March 5, 2007, and it is dedicated to entertain, educate and inspire families in Spanish with a contemporary mix of original productions, exclusive premieres, acquisitions, and popular public television programs specially adapted for Hispanics. ^{[1] [2]}

The first venture of the media production and distribution company Vme Television Media Inc., it is a public-private partnership between WNET, a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, and the investment firm Baeza Group, the venture capital firm Syncom Funds, and Grupo PRISA from Spain, one of the world's largest Spanish and Portuguese-language media companies.^[3][4] WNET is a minority partner in the for-profit venture.^[1]

Broadcast in 43 U.S. markets, Vme TV is available free over the air, and on basic cable, through its association with PBS member stations, making it the fourth largest Spanish network in the U.S. with 78% of broadcasting across the nation ^[5] Vme TV is also carried nationally via satellite in the basic packages of DISH Network and DirecTV. In some areas, Vme TV is available on Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse and the Atlantic Broadband. Vme TV is also available on Cox Cable with its TV Starter Digital Pack, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and XFINITY MultiLatino Package.

In April 2013, a Florida-based private investor group took control of Vme Media,Inc., the U.S. Hispanic content and distribution company that owns Spanish-language network Vme and Vme Kids. Financial terms of the deal and the percentage of the ownership of the new investors was not disclosed. The Vme Board includes former AOL executive and founder and CEO of DailyMe.com, Chairman of the board, Syncom managing partner Terry Jones and WNET’s VP and General Counsel Robert Feinberg. Vme TV founder, Mario Baeza, stepped down as Chairman, but will continue to have an ownership interest. LPM is the largest stakeholder in Vme.

Among the journalists who have worked for Vme TV are Juan Manuel Benitez, Luis Sarmiento, Alonso Castillo and Marián de la Fuente.

Programming

The network broadcasts a variety of programming in Spanish:

• Latino-focused lifestyle content: health, parenting, travel, food, home, design, self-improvement and sports programs
• Prime time drama series
• News and current affairs, with Oppenheimer Presenta and Jorge Gestoso Investiga
• Nature documentaries from BBC, National Geographic and PBS
• Latin films and TV miniseries
• Original music series, like Estudio Billboard
• Weekly arts and pop culture specials
• Educational preschool programs in Spanish (40 hours a week); children's television shows include:
  • Angelina Ballerina
  • Barney & Friends (Barney y sus amigos)
  • Bob the Builder (Bob el constructor)
  • Cyberchase
  • Franny's Feet (Los Pies Magicos de Franny)
  • Peep and the Big Wide World (El Mundo Divertido de Peep)
  • Sesame Street (Plaza Sésamo)
  • Space Racers (Exploradores Espaciales)
  • Rolie Polie Olie

Affiliates

List of V-me affiliates

References