Ernesto Lombardi, manager of International Business and International Channel of TV Chile
TV Chile has been present in the U.S. Hispanic market since 1998, when DISH and DIRECTV launched their packages in Spanish.We have good distribution in the Hispanic market through DIRECTV, and also through the negotiations we have with Olympusat and cable operators. We have close to 1.2 million cable subscribers, about 25% of the current market, said Ernesto Lombardi, manager of International Business and International Channel of TV Chile.The channel is still in negotiations with DISH Network to re-establish the distribution it had in the past.15% of the channels production is exclusive to its international signal and cannot be seen on the free-TV channel in Chile. These productions include Conectados, a two-hour long magazine show that features extensive telephone and Skype calls with people in the U.S., and Buscando América, where the host travels across Latin America showing rarely visited tourist jewels. The international signal of TV Chile also features the Chilean Soccer Tournament.We keep the channel fresh by airing an about 15 to 16 hours of new programming content everyday, compared to other pay-TV channels that show more re-runs. We also acquire the best programming from other Chilean channels, like the Channel 13 series Los Ochenta, said Lombardi.
