Univision: Who do you think you are?

The L.A.-based Spanish-language network being slapped with a $24 million fine for trying to pass off telenovelas as children's programming is definitely a step in the right direction, but the Washington Post's Frank Ahrens suggests that it's just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to being regulated, Univision has gotten away with murder - especially since its reach in the Spanish-speaking media is so vast. Consider that the broadcaster is likely to get 90 percent of the Spanish-language media consumers in any market where it owns a station.

Here's how it would compare in the Anglo media world, which is closely policed by the FCC and media advocacy groups that worry about Big Media consolidation: Fox's "American Idol" gets 30 million viewers per episode. The No. 2 show after, often ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," will get about 25 million. If Fox were Univision and the pool of viewers was 100 million, "Idol" would get 90 million viewers and "Grey's" would get 10 million. To continue the analogy, Fox would also own Clear Channel's radio stations and Universal Music's many record labels. That feds would never allow that.

So why does Univision get away with it? Perhaps because - and I know this sounds ridiculous - the FCC doesn't have enough people who speak Spanish. More fundamentally, the Univision audience doesn't seem to be bothered that much by media monopolies.