It has quietly become one of the biggest media companies serving Spanish-speaking audiences across the Southeast. Now, Norsan Media is growing by bringing one of the region’s fastest-growing markets an Estrella TV affiliate.
To do so, it is buying a low-power digital TV facility in this locale, the nation’s biggest city by square miles.
That city is Jacksonville, Fla., and it is where Norsan is agreeing to acquire WUJX-LD 18 from Harvey Budd’s Gainesville-based Budd Broadcasting.
Norsan, founded by Norberto Sanchez (pictured, top left), is paying $750,000 for the property. A $37,500 deposit has been made by Norsan, with $162,500 payable in cash at closing. The remaining $550,000 will be covered by a Promissory Note, carrying an interest rate of 5%. It is to be amortized over 15 years, with equal monthly payments of $4,349.36 and a balloon payment at the end of the fifth year of $410,064.35. At the end of the eighth year, a balloon payment of $307,726.13 is to be made. The note may be extended for an additional three years, the terms note.
A Time Brokerage Agreement has taken effect that gives Norsan immediate control of WUJX, which was the Jacksonville market’s Univision affiliate from 2015-2018. Most recently, it has been an unaffiliated Spanish-language TV station branded as “Tú 18.”
Under Norsan, the plan is to build on that audience with Estrella TV’s programming.
“The launch comes at a time when the Hispanic community shows steep growth in Jacksonville, making it an attractive market for Spanish-speaking media outlets like ours to fully immerse in it,” said Norsan Media President Natalia Sanchez, who handles the broadcast operations under Norsan for her father Norberto.
She notes that the purchase of WUJX-LD reflects a strategic move to continue to expand Norsan Media’s presence in Jacksonville. The company currently owns and operates a trio of Spanish-language radio brands in the market and publishes the weekly newspaper
Hola News in Jacksonville. It competes against iHeartMedia for Hispanic listeners.
Jacksonville’s Hispanic growth has largely come thanks to its large U.S. Navy presence, and cost of living compared to Orlando, Miami and West Palm Beach. Colombians, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Central Americans and Hispanics of Mexican heritage can be found across the market.
Norsan Media began operations in 2004 and today is comprised of three TV stations, 31 radio stations and publications in the Carolinas and Texas in addition to Hola News.
