V-me
Encyclopedia
V-me (ˈbeme, look at me) is a public television service in the United States
, broadcasting only in Spanish
. The 24-hour digital broadcast service was launched on March 5, 2007, and is currently available in over 75% of all U.S. Hispanic
homes.
The first venture of the media production and distribution company V-me Media Inc., it is a public-private partnership
between WNET
and the investment firm Baeza Group
, the venture capital firm Syncom Funds, and Grupo PRISA from Spain
, the world's largest Spanish and Portuguese-language media company. WNET is a minority partner in the for-profit venture.
In nearly 40 U.S. markets, V-me is available free over the air, and on basic cable, through its association with PBS
member stations, making it the fourth largest Spanish network in the U.S. (Despite being described as "non-commercial" in some of its promotional materials, the channel does air regular commercial
s and not just the kind of underwriting spot
s common on U.S. PBS stations.) V-me is also carried nationally via satellite
in the basic packages of Dish Network
and DirecTV
. In some areas, V-me is available on Verizon FiOS
, and AT&T U-verse. V-me is also available on Cox Cable
with its TV Starter Digital Pack.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, broadcasting only in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The 24-hour digital broadcast service was launched on March 5, 2007, and is currently available in over 75% of all U.S. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
homes.
The first venture of the media production and distribution company V-me Media Inc., it is a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
between WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
and the investment firm Baeza Group
Mario Baeza
Mario L. Baeza is an American corporate lawyer, merchant banker, entrepreneur, musician/composer and philanthropist.- Biography :...
, the venture capital firm Syncom Funds, and Grupo PRISA from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the world's largest Spanish and Portuguese-language media company. WNET is a minority partner in the for-profit venture.
In nearly 40 U.S. markets, V-me is available free over the air, and on basic cable, through its association with PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
member stations, making it the fourth largest Spanish network in the U.S. (Despite being described as "non-commercial" in some of its promotional materials, the channel does air regular commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s and not just the kind of underwriting spot
Underwriting spot
An underwriting spot is an announcement made on public broadcasting outlets, especially in the United States, in exchange for funding. These spots usually mention the name of the sponsor, and can resemble traditional television advertisements in commercial broadcasting...
s common on U.S. PBS stations.) V-me is also carried nationally via satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
in the basic packages of Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
and DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
. In some areas, V-me is available on Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
, and AT&T U-verse. V-me is also available on Cox Cable
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
with its TV Starter Digital Pack.
Programming
The network broadcasts a variety of programming in Spanish:- LatinoLatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
-focused lifestyle content: health, parenting, travel, food, home, design, self-improvement and sports programs. - Prime time drama series.
- News and current affairs, with Oppenheimer PresentaAndrés OppenheimerAndrés Oppenheimer is an Argentine born-American journalist who resides in the United States. He is the Latin American editor and syndicated foreign affairs columnist with The Miami Herald. His column, "The Oppenheimer Report," appears twice a week in The Miami Herald and more than 60 U.S. and...
and Jorge Gestoso Investiga - Nature documentaries from BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, National Geographic and PBS. - Latin films and TV miniseries.
- Original music series, like Estudio Billboard
- Weekly arts and pop culture specials.
- Educational preschool programs in Spanish (40 hours a week), including series like Plaza SésamoPlaza SésamoPlaza Sésamo is an educational children's television series for preschoolers, which is the Spanish-language adaptation for Latin America of Sesame Street. Both programs are pioneers of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment.The program was first...
, LazyTownLazyTownLazyTown is a children's television program that was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show...
and Las Tres MellizasThe TripletsThe Triplets are three fictional characters created by Catalan illustrator Roser Capdevila.The Triplets were created in 1983, based on Capdevila's own daughters, three actual triplets born in 1969. The stories were immediately successful and began publishing in many countries...
.