Criteria for selecting the two networks include: the content of the network; whether the network is fully financed; whether the network’s ownership and/or management group(s) are well established, have relevant experience, and are substantially owned by Hispanic Americans; whether the network is already launched and has existing MVPD distribution; price; and whether the network and its potential carriage provide value to Comcast and its customers.
Comcast will accept proposals for every major genre, including general entertainment, movies, music, kids, news, and sports.
Proposals are due by October 9, 2015, and the two networks will be selected in the coming months.
Applicants can view the terms and conditions and submit a proposal at http://corporate.comcast.com/diverseprogramming.
The announcement is part of a series of public interest commitments, including the launch of 10 independently owned and operated networks, made by Comcast when it completed the acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011.
Of the 10 networks, all of which are to launch by 2019, four will be majority African American owned, two will be operated by Hispanic American programmers, two will be substantially Hispanic American owned, and two will be independent.
Comcast established these criteria based on agreements it signed with several diversity organizations in 2010. Since then, the company launched five independent networks, including ASPiRE, BabyFirst Americas, El Rey, BBC World News, and REVOLT.