TV Net Media Group

Luis Eduardo Baron and his wife Martha Lucía founded TV Net in November 1999 as subsidiary of the Colombian television production company TV Net S.A. Barón comes from a background of more than 30 years of experience in Mass Media.

After a thorough analysis of the local markets, the company found a promising opportunity in the publishing business, and decided to launch LA GUIA DEL GOLFO (The Gulf Coast Guide) magazine in July 2000 to cover Sarasota and Manatee counties, on the Florida West Coast. On September of the same year, coverage was extended into Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Both quality and volume of circulation have been steadily increasing ever since as result of its commercial success.

In March 2001, the company publisher & CEO Luis Eduardo Baron was awarded by the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce as The Entrepreneur of the Year and the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce appointed him as a finalist in the Excellence Award in the minority category. In early 2002 the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) awarded LA GUIA DEL GOLFO as the second best Hispanic Publication at its annual meeting in Dallas, TX. On June 2002, a second publication is launched: Newspaper 7DIAS, with circulation in Sarasota and Manatee counties, becoming the first Spanish written newspaper in the area. That same year, the prestigious publication Sarasota Magazine appointed Mr. Baron as one of the 100 most powerful people in Sarasota, in its July, 2002 edition.

In March 2003, the NAHP chooses the magazine as the Best Hispanic Magazine in its annual convention in Las Vegas NV, and additional awards in the Best Design category for magazines. Weeks later, The Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce awards the 7DIAS newspaper as The Business of the Year, and the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce nominates TV Net as a finalist in the Excellence Award in the minority category, for the second year in a row.

In July 2003 begins the bi-weekly edition of the 7DIAS newspaper in Pinellas county, and it is the first Spanish written newspaper in that county.

In January 2004 7DIAS becomes a weekly newspaper for the four Tampa Bay area counties, with a circulation above 15,000 copies, and improving its size to a standard format. In March, during the NAHP in Los Angeles, CA, LA GUIA DEL GOLFO receives its second award as The Best Hispanic Magazine for second year in a row, along with other accomplishments. In August the company launched LA GUIA DE TAMPA, a targeted edition of LA GUIA DEL GOLFO for the Tampa Bay area.

In March 2005, for the third year in a row, the NAHP chooses LA GUIA as the best Hispanic Glossy Magazine, and 7DIAS obtains the award of The Fastest-Growing publication in America. Also in 2005, publisher Luis Eduardo Baron is one of the five finalists at the national contest El VISIONARIO (the visionary), organized and sponsored by Ford Motor Company and AOL Latino.

In 2006, for the fourth year in a row, the NAHP chooses LA GUIA as the best Hispanic Language Magazine. Since then La Guía and 7DIAS have been received more than 16 José Martí Award because of the quality of the publications. Nine of them, Golden awards.

In 2008 TV Net acquired La Voz Hispana, a 13 year-old magazine with circulation in Sarasota and Manatee. In 2009 TV Net re launched La Voz Hispana as a bilingual newspaper.

In 2010, TV Net will launch Buen Vivir, a niche publication focus in positive living issues. Also because  of the World Cup 2010, the company will be launching this coming May, La Guía del Mundial (The World Cup Guide), a glossy magazine with information about the World Cup.

Online divisions will be running the publication’s websites increasing the presence of the company on the Internet. http://www.revistalaguia.comand www.7dias.us are the number one and number two websites in Spanish in the Tampa Bay area according to Alexa.com