V-me network begins airing

With a ceremonial pressing of a button Monday, the new Spanish-language network V-me hit the air.

“V-me is fundamentally about encouraging and facilitating the emergence of the new American Latino culture,” said Mario Baeza, the network’s founder, shortly after the network signed on. “But most of all, it should be entertaining.”

A for-profit venture partnered with public television, V-me (pronounced “veh-meh,” from the Spanish veme, for “see me”) is a 24-hour digital broadcast network carried on basic digital cable and satellite systems. The network will partner with public TV stations, which will receive V-me at no cost.

V-me initially is available in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Miami, Houston, Chicago and San Antonio, among other cities, representing more than 60% of all Latino households. It reaches 28 million homes, the network said.

Programming features a mix of original productions and acquisitions as well as public television fare adapted for American Latinos, with content organized into four categories: lifestyle, factual, movie/special events and kids.