ABC News, Univision to launch news network

ABC News and Univision this morning announced a news venture that'll ultimately revolve around a cable news network, though both parties were a bit less forthcoming onthat aspect of the joint venture. It will be, however, an English-language network tailored for a bilingual audience, and initially will begin with a mobile platform alongside the usual social media components.

  Here are the twin statements: 

“This exciting joint venture represents the latest example of our long-term strategy to broaden the reach of ABC. Our powerful premier news brand, combined with the world’s leading Hispanic media company, will create the nation’s first news and lifestyle channel targeted to this quickly expanding and important community,” said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.

“For more than five decades Univision has been the leader in serving Hispanics in the U.S., and this joint venture is an extension of our vision to deliver the most relevant news and information, regardless of language, to all Hispanics,” Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks. “This alliance combines the expertise and brand strength of Univision News with ABC News’ leadership and is another example of Univision’s commitment to serving and empowering Hispanic America while connecting all audiences to Latino issues.”

 It is indeed an exciting joint venture, and calls to mind ABC's effort to launch a cable news network well over a decade ago - an effort that hit that impereable brick wall of cable carriage. ABC and Univision were understandably vague on carriage matters - I have a call in to the network and will report back - but the difficulty to launch is no less difficult in 2012 than it was in the 1990s. (In fact, maybe tougher.) ABC does have the power of Disney behind it, but it's unclear whether recently hard-fought carriage deals allowed for the contingency of such a venture as this. 

  Of course ABC's thought all this out, so we'll see the network - probably - launching on a few systems and build from there.