The fifth largest network in the U.S. and most popular Spanish-language television network, Univision, is gearing up for an October 28, 2013 launch of a new 24-hour English news channel known as Fusion. Univision went on the air in 1962 as the Spanish International Network and changed the name to the current Univision in 1986. Its market share has been increasing over the last four years where all four major networks, CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC have seen their share of the market declining. It claims that it captures 96 percent of the Spanish speaking population in the United States. The Fusion is intended to cater to 18 to 34-year olds and it is a joint venture with ABC. Fusion will be headquartered in Doral, a Miami suburb closer to the Univision headquarters. The new program is estimated to cost $275 million.
Why an English programming from the mainly Spanish network at this time? It thinks its audience has changed within the last two decades. It believes that there is a Latino generation that speaks mostly English than Spanish. On the other hand, the Hispanic population in the U.S. now accounts for more than 43 percent.