Univision Faces $24 Million Fine

NEW YORK, February 26: U.S. Hispanic broadcaster Univision
Communications is being fined $24 million by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), the New York Times reported this weekend, over a kids’ show
that was mischaracterized as being educational.

The children’s novela, Complices al Rescate (Friends to the Rescue), is about 11-year-old twins who swap identities
after discovering they were separated at birth. Reports indicate that Univision
used the series as proof that it was fulfilling its educational obligations.
The FCC mandates that over-the-air broadcast networks devote at least three
hours per day to educational and/or informative kids’ content.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin disclosed the fine, said to be the
largest imposed on any single company, to the Times in an interview. The fine covers 24 Univision
stations over a two-year period.

Univision has agreed to pay the fine, the report said, to
pave the way for gaining approval for the $12-billion sale of the company to a
consortium of investors that includes Providence Equity Partners and Haim
Saban. The broadcaster has also agreed to show more programming to fulfill its
educational kids’ requirements.

The FCC’s Univision ruling
stems from a complaint filed by the United Church of Christ. The organization’s
Office of Communication, in August 2005, petitioned the FCC to deny the license
renewal of Univision Cleveland (WQHS-TV) in Ohio for failure to comply with
children's educational programming standards.