Venezuelan media giant Grupo Cisneros has launched a pan-Latin American entertainment and news channel - Venevision Continental - which will also be available to viewers in Spain and Portugal.

According to Venevision Continental president Carlos Bardasano, the Spanish-language network currently reaches eight million viewers in Latin America. Its launch in Spain and Portugal will follow in a few weeks. Programming includes soap operas (telenovelas), magazine shows, comedy, news and general entertainment.

Cisneros plans to tap programming from other networks that it either partially or wholly owns including leading Venezuelan channel Venevision, US Hispanic network Univision, Chile's Chilevision and Colombia's Caracol TV.