11-06-2002

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Osvaldo Payá, who resides in Cuba, received the W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in absentia, for his Varela Project initiative calling for a referendum on open elections, freedom of speech, freedom for political prisoners and free enterprise in the island of Cuba. Payá, who was denied permission from the Cuban government to travel to Washington, D.C. to receive his award, established the Varela Project based on a provision in the Cuban constitution that enables citizens to introduce legislative initiatives when accompanied by a petition with 10,000 signatures. Filmed recently in Cuba, the documentary features rare footage of Payá describing the challenges of collecting signatures for the Varela Project. The organizers of this petition submitted over 11,000 signatures to the Cuban National Assembly in May. Since then the total number of signatures has grown an estimated 30,000. The documentary also features commentary on the Project by Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar AriAs, Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar and NDI Chairperson and former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright.

Univision Communications Inc. (NYSE: UVN) is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include: Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 97% of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a new 24-hour general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 72% of U.S. Hispanic households and counter-programming traditional Spanish-language lineups to draw additional viewers to Spanish-language television; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 22 television stations; TeleFutura Television Group which owns and operates 27 television stations; Galavision, the country's leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Music Group, which includes the Univision Music label, Fonovisa Records label and a 50% interest in Mexican-based Disa Records label as well as Fonomusic and America Musical Publishing companies; and Univision Online, the premier Internet company in the U.S. Hispanic market reaching 80% of the nation's Spanish-speaking online audience at www.univision.com. Univision also owns a 31% interest in Entravision Communication Corporation, a diversified Spanish-language media company that owns and operates the majority of Univision’s full-power broadcast affiliates.  Univision Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles, with network operations in Miami and television stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.