In the mature broadcast TV industry, Qubo Ventures ranks as kid’s stuff. But there’s nothing small about the children network’s recent ratings numbers.
Los Angeles-based Qubo is a joint venture of ION Media (formerly Paxson Communications, the largest independent owner of broadcast TV stations in the country), book publishers Scholastic Corp. and Classic Media/Big Idea, Canada-based Corus Entertainment, and Los Angeles-based NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co. The company was formed in May 2006.
Qubo produces a programming block that includes “Veggie-Tales,” “Babar” and “Jacob Two-Two.” It airs in English on NBC and ION’s I network, and in Spanish on Telemundo, a subsidiary of NBC.
Since its debut in September, Qubo has averaged a 1.0 gross rating and 436,000 total children in the 2-11 age category. Between Sept. 9 and Oct. 14, NBC, which carries Qubo on Saturday mornings, has increased its average rating for the 2-11 demo by 16 percent. Its ratings totaled 74 percent higher than for the same period in 2005.
Meanwhile, competing broadcast networks CBS, ABC and Fox, have shown significant ratings declines from 19 to 67 percent in the same demo compared to last year.
The I network, a collection of stations that airs Qubo on Friday afternoons, has increased its viewership 163 percent in the 2-11 category since the start of the season. Among Hispanics, Telemundo’s Saturday morning performance is up 17 percent for children 2-11 versus the same point a year ago (62,000 viewers versus 53,000).
In a programming sector vilified by youth advocates for excessive toy-promotion and commercial exploitation, “Qubo’s early successes demonstrate the opportunity that exists in the kids category for a fresh, distinctive destination for children and families,” said Rick Rodriguez, the company’s new president.
Having won over the hard-to-reach kids audience, Qubo now must convince advertisers to provide the big numbers preceded by dollar signs. To that end, the company last week announced the hiring of Kerry Hughes as senior vice-president of advertising sales.
“Qubo is redefining the quality of programming choices for children and presenting new opportunities to advertisers who seek a fresh and trusted environment for kids and families,” said Hughes. She plans to develop a multi-platform strategy by launching a 24/7 digital television network on ION’s television station group, video-on-demand services and a branded Web site, in addition to Qubo’s broadcast exposure.
Spanish Radio Flourishing
Publicly traded Spanish-language radio broadcasters reported generally upbeat earnings for the third quarter, even as the largest player in the sector prepares to go private.
Univision Communications Inc., based in Los Angeles, reported net radio revenues of $103.2 million. That represents a growth rate of 6.5 percent, compared to an industry average of zero growth, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. Univision owns 69 stations in the U.S., including five in Los Angeles. The latest Arbitron book lists Univision’s KSCA-FM (101.9) and KLVE-FM (107.5) as the top two stations in the market.
“In Los Angeles, Univision increased its cluster share 28 percent among adults 25-54 and 24 percent among adults 18-34,” the company stated. Its two flagship stations were tops “among all adults 25-54 and, for the first time since 2001, among all persons 12-plus (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic) as well.”
The quarterly earnings report marks one of the last such disclosures as a public company. In June, the company announced it would be acquired by an investment group led by Los Angeles-based media entrepreneur Haim Saban. On Sept. 27, shareholders approved the deal.
The company known for avoiding public comment expects the acquisition to finalize in the spring of 2007. It has already stopped quarterly conference calls in conjunction with its earning reports.
Entravision Inc., the second-largest player in the industry, owns 47 stations, including KSSE-FM (107.1) and KLYY-FM (97.5) in Los Angeles. The company’s radio revenues rose 4 percent to $27.5 million in the third quarter. Walter Ulloa, chief executive of the Santa Monica-based company, cited the 2006 elections as one factor in driving advertising growth.
At Burbank-based LBI Media, radio revenues increased less than 1 percent to $13.8 million for the quarter. “Although revenue increased at our Texas radio stations, this growth was offset by the performance of our Los Angeles radio stations,” the company stated. Its L.A. holdings include six stations.
Spanish Broadcasting System reported 3 percent revenue increases for the quarter. The Miami-based company owns nine U.S. stations, including reggaeton hotspot KXOL-FM (96.3) and KLAX-FM (97.9) in Los Angeles.
Agencies & Accounts
Santa Monica-based RPA won the Yahoo Big Idea Chair award for its campaign on behalf of the Honda Element. The campaign used text ads and a MySpace profile to drive traffic to an “Element and Friends” Web site.
Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at
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, or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.
