Azteca America Television 21 Orlando Joins Forces with National Leading Post-Production Facility Century III.

Business & Entertainment Editors

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2003

Century III at Universal Studios, one of the East Coast's leading film and television post-production facilities, has reached an agreement with Television 21 Orlando, an affiliate station of the Azteca America Network, to produce and broadcast network and original programming.

"Century III's relationship with TV 21 and Azteca America is a tremendous opportunity for growth in the Hispanic marketplace in Central Florida," said Ross Cibella, President and founder of Century III. "We look for our relationship with TV 21 to be a long one and we will work shoulder-to-shoulder."

The landmark agreement marks the first time Century III is serving as the Master Control Operations, 24 hours a day, for all of a television station's programs, which are expected to run a full gamut from news to entertainment. "We are not just editing pieces, we are operating a TV station," Cibella said. The 23,000-square-foot, nationally renowned facility will generate sophisticated graphics, as well as promotional material and commercials to all TV 21 programs.

Azteca America is a subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V., the Mexico City-based programming giant which is the world's second largest producer of Spanish-language broadcasts. The network currently has affiliates in 21 markets nationwide, and has slated 20 more affiliates to debut in 2003. Orlando was launched as the first East Coast affiliate, due largely to its 17% Hispanic population, which is expected to grow to 23% by the year 2011.

TV 21 President and Chief Operating Officer Jorge Rossi said, "Azteca America is the fastest growing Hispanic network in the world reaching 58% of the Hispanic population in the U.S." Of the Orlando station, he said, "We are the first local Spanish-language station and we are committed to working with the community and meeting its needs. We plan musical specials and many productions within Universal Studios (backlot)." The company's initial plans are to get its mobile unit truck on the road and launch a half-hour local newscast, whose set will be housed at Century III. In addition, plans call for a physician's medical tip series, which has been cast and whose production is schedule to begin in mid-May.

TV 21 is owned by Central Broadcast Co. of Coral Gables, FL, which became an affiliate of Azteca America in July 2002. The company has based its executive offices at Universal Orlando and began broadcasting as W21AU in January 2003. Currently, TV Azteca sends its network feed via satellite to Century III in Orlando, where local programming and commercials are added before the signal is sent to TV 21's transmitter tower in Pine Hills, FL. Its executives plan to soon join forces with a major cable network to reach a broader segment of the Central Florida community.

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