Office of the Mayor

New York, NY 10007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, NYC MEDIA GROUP AND V-ME LAUNCH

“NYC TV KIDS PRESENTS V-ME NIÑOS”

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Acting President of the NYC Media Group Katherine Oliver and President and CEO of V-me Carmen DiRienzo, today launched NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños, the City’s first-ever block of educational, Spanish-language programming for children. The content is provided through the City’s exclusive partnership with V-me, a national Spanish-language network developed with WNET.ORG, parent of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21. NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños can be viewed on NYC TV Channel 25, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The announcement took place at the Out of School summer camp located in the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center at P.S. 112 in East Harlem.  

New York City’s diversity and unique cultural perspective is one of our greatest strengths, and providing programming that reflects our communities is what makes our municipal television station so successful,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “The launch of the NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños programming block speaks volumes about NYC Media Group’s continued efforts to be innovative and relevant to all New Yorkers, including our littlest New Yorkers.”

“NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños is great news for New Yorkers of all ages who are interested in the Spanish language,” said Acting President of the NYC Media Group Katherine Oliver.  “NYC TV’s airing of this new content brings into focus our continuing efforts to deliver educational and entertaining programming that everyone can enjoy.”

“We’re thrilled to add another way for families throughout the New York area to enjoy V-me Niños through our partnership with NYC TV,” said V-me President and CEO Carmen DiRienzo.  “V-me’s mission includes filling the need for educational children’s programming in Spanish, as well as showcasing the language and culture to all audiences. Now Spanish-speakers can engage with V-me Niños every morning on V-me and on NYCTV.”

The City-owned television station NYC TV and V-me are joining together in their shared commitment to quality children’s programming to launch ‘NYC TV Kids Presents V-me Niños’.  V-me Niños is part of the new NYC TV Kids block that includes both animated and live action programming for children ages 2 to 7 years old.

The “NYC TV Kids presents V-me Niños” programming block includes the following programs:

• “Plaza Sésamo” – The Latin American version of “
  Sesame Street
  ” teaches and delights pre-schoolers, with beloved characters, animation, music and more.

• “LazyTown” – The award-wining international program devoted to kids’ health inspires viewers to move, play and eat healthy though movement, music, comedy and great storytelling in a colorful, high-energy world.       

• “ Five Minutes More”/”Cinco Minutos Más” – Innovative shorts promote literacy, story telling and reading aloud to children, featuring characters from Jim Henson™.

• “Pororo” – A curious penguin and his adorable animal friends don’t always agree, but learn to solve problems, make choices, and help each other when it matters.

• “The Baby Triplets”/ “Las Tres Mellizas Bebés” – Spain’s famous mischievous Baby Triplets combine play with language skills and social development.

• “Bruno & the Banana Bunch”/”Bruno y los Banana Amigos” – A fun-loving monkey’s games and stories teach numbers, colors, shapes, and life lessons.

• Boowa & Kwala – A lively dog and a feisty koala bear mix musical antics with gentle humor and a fondness for learning.

V-me launched in March 2007 as a 24-hour digital broadcast service featuring the largest and highest-quality offer of educational kids programming on Spanish TV, as well as lifestyle, history/current affairs, food, music, cinema and more.  The network reaches 70 percent of all U.S. Latino television households and is available locally on WNET’s digital channel 13.3; on cable - Time Warner 168 & 818, Cablevision 199, Comcast 260 (NJ), 246 (New Haven); on Satellite: DirecTV 440, DISH 9414, and DISH Latino 846; and on Verizon FiOS 474 and AT&T U-verse 3015.  V-me was the first Spanish-language network developed with public television and its content and production partners include BBC Worldwide and Sesame Workshop. It is America’s largest Spanish digital channel. V-me is the first venture of the media production and distribution company, V-me Media Inc.

NYC TV is one of the region’s fastest growing television networks with innovative programming that showcases the vitality of New York City, from entertainment, fashion and music to food, history and landmarks. With its focus on “Everything New York,” NYC TV has become a worldwide model for municipal television. Since its launch in 2003, NYC TV has garnered a total of 42 New York Emmy Awards and 116 nominations. NYC TV is broadcast on Channel 25 on Time Warner Cable, Comcast New Jersey, RCN and Dish TV, Channel 22 on Cablevision, and Channel 888 on DirectTV. 

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Contact:          Stu Loeser/Evelyn Erskine                  (212) 788-2958

                        Julianne Cho (NYC TV)                     (212) 489-6710

Natalie Judd (V-me)                           (203) 389-5223