DirecTV this month added Nuestra Tele Noticias, a 24/7 news channel produced in Colombia, to its DirecTV Más Hispanic package.
The deal, whose financials were not disclosed, gives DirecTV exclusive satellite carriage of NTN24 for an undisclosed amount of time and marks the all-news network's entry into the U.S. market. Nuestra Tele Noticias is owned by Bogotá-based media conglomerate RCN TV.
Launched in late October on DirecTV channel 418, Nuestra Tele Noticias (NTN24) features 30-minute news segments and original programming related to the economy, entertainment, sports and breaking news around the world. This month, the network also added a daily nightly news and commentary show hosted by controversial Peruvian journalist Jaime Bayly, whose high-rated nightly show on Miami's Mega TV was abruptly cancelled earlier this year.
"NTN24 caught our attention because of the depth and relevance of the news it presents," said John de Armas, vice president for World Direct (international-language channels) for DirecTV. "This is not your typical news channel that treats current events on the surface. NTN's journalists do know how to hit the nail on the head."
Positioned as an international news channel targeting Hispanic audiences worldwide, NTN24 launched in November 2008.
