In 1983, HITN was established as a private and non-profit organization. Its purpose was to found a TV channel dedicated to the social, economic, cultural and educational advancement of Spanish-speaking people of the Americas. HITN-TV was thus founded in 1987 as the organization's communications branch. Its slogan is "Educa y Entretiene," which means "Educates and Entertains."
HITN offers almost 30 television programs -- most of them in Spanish, with a few in English -- all designed to address or showcase issues or matters regarding Spanish-speaking people and countries in the Americas. Key programs include "Inmigracion 411" (Immigration 411), which provides practical legal advice regarding U.S. immigration issues; and "Dialogo de Costa a Costa" (Dialogue from Coast to Coast), which is an opinion program featuring anchor Malin Falu. The programs occupy 30-minute to one-hour slots for a 24-hour, seven-day schedule. A news program, "HNN News," is broadcast 2:30 to 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday to Saturday and 10 to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
At the time of publication, HITN-TV is primarily available via three satellite and cable TV service providers. Satellite customers can order it to watch on channel 449 with DirecTV and channels 843 or 9401 on the Dish Network. Verizon FiOS fiber-optic cable customers can order HITN-TV on channels 249 or 1648. HITN-TV is also available in some markets through Time Warner Cable, Comcast Cable and Charter Communications. Some shows are also available online.
HITN-TV was the first Spanish-language public television network station established in the U.S. According to Nielsen Media Research, it is among the 10 most popular Spanish-language satellite/cable networks. However, HITN-TV is not as popular as Univision, which Nielsen crowns as the biggest of them all. Other channels with a broader reach than HITN-TV include Telemundo, which is second to Univision; and Galavision, which Univision owns.