Estrella TV logo
Estrella TV, the No. 3 Hispanic broadcaster in the U.S. behind Univision and Telemundo, is to be pulled from the Comcast lineup in Denver, Houston and Salt Lake City effective Feb. 19. Estrella plans a campaign — “No Pierdas Estrella TV” — to protest the move and Comcast’s “bullying tactics.”
Estrella is the No. 2 Spanish-language broadcaster in Denver behind Univision (beating Telemundo, which is owned by Comcast). The company noted the timing, suggesting Comcastap decision to force Estrella TV off the air comes as Comcastap own Spanish-language network, Telemundo, has seen a growing percentage of its viewership switch to Estrella TV.
The company’s statement cast the battle in Biblical terms:
“This has been a real-life David versus Goliath battle, with our minority-owned company fighting one of the largest companies in America, and armed with a simple message: let the people watch what they want to watch,” said Estrella TV Founder and Chairman José Liberman. “With Estrella TV now surpassing Telemundo in the Los Angeles market and elsewhere, it is troubling to see Comcast act irresponsibly by putting its own self-serving business interests ahead of a small minority-owned company, and ahead of Comcastap Hispanic customers.”
Comcast did not immediately return a request for comment.
