Gray’s Colorful Commitment to Spanish-language TV

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It’s one of the fastest-growing media companies in the U.S., thanks to its mergers with Raycom Media, Quincy Media Inc. and the Meredith Local Media Group. While that growth alone is certainly noteworthy, Gray Television‘s commitment to reaching all U.S. consumers, regardless of language, is also a headline-grabber.


In recent months, Gray has become a big investor in Spanish-language media, thanks to its build-out of Telemundo affiliates. Now, that Telemundo growth is about to expand even further.

Gray Television on Tuesday (5/3) confirmed that it has reached an agreement with NBCUniversal’s Telemundo Network Group that extends the term of Gray’s
affiliation agreements with the Telemundo broadcast TV network serving U.S. Hispanics for its existing 12 markets.

There’s more: The new agreement also gives Gray the right to launch the first-ever local
Telemundo affiliations on Gray television stations in 22 additional markets.

These new Telemundo-affiliated stations are expected to launch in 2022. Once those stations are up and running, Gray will own and operate Telemundo affiliates in 34 DMAs, reaching upward of 3.75 million Hispanics; Gray did not close how many of those Hispanics are bilingual or Spanish-dominant. However, based on Gray’s expansion plans, it’s a safe bet that a vast majority of the Hispanics in the markets where it is adding Telemundo affiliates are those with first-generation Latinos, and plenty of Spanish-language media consumers.

That’s because the newest Telemundo TV markets are located primarily in the South. Gray cites Pew Research data that show the South experiencing the fastest growth among Hispanics, increasing by 26% from 2010 to 2019.

The new markets are shown below, in orange. They are comprised of Greenville-New Bern and Wilmington, N.C.; Myrtle Beach and Charleston, S.C.; Augusta, Albany, Macon, Columbus and Savannah, Ga.; Shreveport, La.; Nashville; Memphis; Knoxville; Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile, Ala.; Biloxi, Miss.; Bowling Green, Ky.; and the Florida cities of Panama City, Gainesville and Tallahassee.

DURAZNO DEBUT; MELOCOTON MOVEMENT

In Spanish, depending on one’s country of origin, “durazno” or “melocoton” means Peach. In the Peach State, Telemundo Georgia is taking shape. This initiative will link the local Telemundo television stations together. At first, Telemundo’s Georgia affiliates will simulcast its recently acquired WKTB-CD, which Gray acquired for $30 million in a deal that closed in April 2022.

“Over time, the individual markets will create and launch local content supported by the flagship Atlanta affiliate station,” Gray said.

Susan Sim Oh, Gray’s Vice President of Strategy and Operations for the Telemundo Station Group, commented, “Gray’s expansion of Telemundo into new markets exemplifies its commitment to serve all the audiences and businesses within the local communities it serves. Importantly, this investment … also includes concrete plans to increase essential local news and digital offerings to currently underserved Hispanic households powered by Gray’s strong local television stations in these markets.”

Gray Television’s investment in Telemundo affiliates has increased substantially since 2019. As noted in Hispanic Market Overview 2022the company’s Telemundo ties include investments in Laredo, Lubbock and Midland-Odessa, Tex. It brought Telemundo to Western Colorado. Then, there is Telemundo’s $1.66 million purchase in summer 2021 of a low-power TV station in Cleveland, where “Telemundo Cleveland” is getting a big rollout.

The Northern Ohio purchase preceded the Atlanta investment, a significant and symbolic one as Gray is headquartered in the market.

By 2023, Gray’s Telemundo presence will make it a major player in the Hispanic market, giving it a unique value to both consumers and marketers.


Gray and Telemundo extended existing affiliation agreements between the companies for the following markets (Hispanic DMA in parenthesis):

 

Atlanta, GA (23)
Odessa-Midland, TX (37)
Waco-Temple-Bryan, TX (38)
Laredo, TX (40)
Lubbock, TX (51)
Amarillo, TX (53)
Cleveland, OH (55)
Reno, NV (60)
Honolulu, HI (67)
Tyler-Longview, TX (70)
Wichita Falls, TX & Lawton, OK (96)
Grand Junction, CO (135)