SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Three major American television networks have been facing stiff competition for viewers from cable television and the Internet. One network that seems to be thriving without any serious competition, though, is Spanish language Univision.
Although it ranks fifth in the United States regardless of language, it came in fourth among all American adults in the February ratings sweep. Among adults 18 to 24 years old, Univision ranked first on four nights in February.
The growth of Univision, of course, reflects the increasing importance of the Spanish language. About 30 million people in the U.S. speak Spanish, which would make it the fifth-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.