entirely of Latinos. In January 2003, it was announced that Sí TV would be launched nationally on satellite provider Dish Network at the beginning of that summer. Valdez stated that: "For years, people have ignored the young demographic that doesn't speak Spanish but needs a voice and wants a place to call home". Launch as a cable television network (2004–10) Sí TV was launched as a cable network on February 25, 2004, becoming the first exclusively English-language cable channel catering to the Latino community. It became a bicultural alternative to Spanish-language networks such as Univision and Telemundo. According to Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club, the channel is marketed toward audiences who "enjoy a Spanish flavor without all the actual Spanish". Sí TV's target audience of young adults aged 18–34 are "presumably those who have long since assimilated into American convention", and who "don't necessarily have any particular fealty to the sort of programming that goes to great lengths to remind them of their heritage – unlike their first-generation parents or grandparents". Within three months of its launch, Sí TV had seven million subscribers nationwide. In April 2004, Sí TV announced that it had secured more than $60 million in financing from a large group that includes "major pay" television distributors and several private equity investors, including Time Warner, EchoStar Communications and DND Equity Partners. That August, Sí TV hired Rori Peters (who began her career in commercial banking, was previously a vice president at Comedy Central, worked for Court TV and served as a 2002 national chairperson for Women in Cable) as its vice president of affiliate relations. In this role, she was responsible for developing the department and increasing the network's subscriber base. In August 2005, the network appointed Michael Schwimmer (a former top lieutenant at EchoStar Communications) as its CEO. In April 2006, Valdez stepped down as head of programming of Sí TV. Edward R. Leon, the network's senior vice president of production, assumed the additional role of acting head of programming. During the 2008 presidential election, Sí TV teamed up with voter registration organization, Voto Latino, to mount a "Crash the Parties" contest to pick two Latino "political junkies" to serve as reporters for the channel at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Video entries were judged by the public and a panel, including CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, actress Rosario Dawson, Craigslist's Craig Newmark, former Texas