Contact:
Mike Angelos
Vice President/Corporate Communications
Pappas Telecasting Companies
500 S. Chinowth Rd.
Visalia, CA  93277
(559) 733-7800
(559) 733-7878 fax     
mangelos@pappastv.com
www.pappastv.com

Visalia, California - - Pappas Telecasting Companies, the largest privately-held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States, announced today that effective midnight, July 1, its television stations that were formerly affiliated with the Azteca America Network will commence broadcasting a new brand of Spanish-language programming to serve America’s Spanish-speaking population.  KAZH-TV/Houston, Texas, KTNC-TV, serving the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto television markets, KAZR/Reno, Nevada, KAZO/Omaha, Nebraska, and KAZJ/Sioux City, Iowa, will be the first five stations serving six markets to be launched on July 1, 2007. 

Fernando Acosta, Vice President of Pappas Telecasting’s Hispanic TV Stations Group, said, “Our programming model follows that of other Hispanic independent stations which have demonstrated the ability to compete successfully for Hispanic audiences and ratings.  In fact, such stations have regularly achieved higher ratings than the Azteca America Network and performed on par with TeleFutura and Telemundo.”

Dennis J. Davis, Pappas Telecasting’s President and Chief Operating Officer, stated, “In late-March, Pappas Telecasting announced that it was exploring the sale, joint venture, or co-investment with others of its Hispanic television assets.  This initiative is complementary to those efforts. The higher ratings and increased revenues that our stations will earn will enhance their value to our audiences and our advertisers.  The company is in the advanced stages of negotiations with interested parties who not only have successful business track records, but also, in a number of cases, have demonstrated the ability to produce content popular with U.S. Hispanics.”

Pappas expects to add Spanish-language programming serving up to 16 more markets by December 2007.  The potential reach of the Pappas stations is nearly forty percent of the U.S. Hispanic population.  The company plans to seek affiliates in the remaining top-50 Hispanic markets in the U.S. and is in discussions with other U.S. Hispanic broadcasters about joining with Pappas in its Spanish-language programming initiative.

Mr. Acosta added, “It is important for us to deliver programming that is relevant and appealing to the Hispanic audiences we serve in each market.  Most important is that the story lines and content, no matter where produced, need to have a connection with U.S. Hispanics.  Programming includes the hit talk show ‘Marta Susana,’ entertainment gossip show ‘Paparazzi,’ and the premiere of top-performing novelas new to the United States like ‘Dueña y Señora.’  Direct from Mexico comes sports programming that provides the most up-to-the-minute coverage of Mexican League Soccer.  Pappas Telecasting has also licensed hundreds of the best motion pictures from Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema.  Featured will be names dear to the hearts of Hispanics.  Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Maria Felix, Sarah Garcia, and Antonio Aguilar are just a few of the stars who will be showcased on our stations.”

Harry J. Pappas, Chairman & CEO of Pappas Telecasting stated, “We’ve partnered with program providers who are proven masters of their craft.  We’ve brought them all together on our distribution platform to assure that our viewers are given a fresh choice of high-value, popular content. An additional, very important element of our strategy is the development of programming produced in the U.S. featuring the best and the brightest Hispanic-American producers, writers, directors, and actors who heretofore have been unable to gain significant distribution and exposure to U.S. Hispanics.”

About the Company
 
Pappas Telecasting Companies is the largest privately-held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States in terms of U.S. Household coverage as defined by Nielsen Media Research.  The company owns 27 stations, including market-leading FOX, The CW, ABC, CBS, Azteca America, and MyNetworkTV affiliates, and operates four other stations pursuant to local marketing agreements, in most regions of the United States.  Additionally, Pappas owns 16 on-air digital channels, operates three others under LMAs, and holds construction permits to build 10 additional television stations.  Pappas owns KTRB-AM 860 in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose radio market, and KMPH-AM 840 in Modesto.  According to statistics from Nielsen, Pappas Telecasting television stations serve more than 16% of all U.S. television households.  In addition, the company owns or operates television stations in markets reaching nearly 36% of U.S. Hispanic households and 38% of all U.S. Hispanic persons age 2+.  In total, Pappas owns or operates stations in 24 Designated Market Areas.