TWENTIETH TO LAUNCH TELENOVELLA IN JUNE

Twentieth Television has fast-tracked the launch of its new English-language telenovela series Desire into first-run syndication to this summer.

Desire has been cleared in 65% of the U.S., including Fox owned-and-operated stations, as well as numerous Tribune, Cox, Sinclair, Roberts and Weigel-owned stations.New major market stations clearing the series include KICU San Francisco, WRBU St. Louis, WTTV Indianapolis, WPGH/WCWB Pittsburgh, WTTE Columbus, WLMW Milwaukee, KVWB Las Vegas, WTTO Birmingham, WUXP Nashville, KRRT San Antonio, KOCB Oklahoma City, WRDC Raleigh and WMMP Charleston, among others.

Desire will launch in June.Each telenovela to be formatted from Latin America by Twentieth Television will be structured in a 65-episode story arc stripped Monday through Friday for 13 weeks.An hour-long encore episode featuring highlights from the previous week’s storyline will air every weekend.

Twentieth Television will produce and distribute at least three telenovelas per year.The Desire series are being distributed on a cash-plus-barter basis, with a 10½ local/3½ national split for each hour-long episode.The company is preparing to begin production on Desire: Table for Three and Desire: Fashion House.