PREVIEW-Mexico's Televisa 1st-qtr net seen soaring

* What: Grupo Televisa Q1 earnings poll

* When: Scheduled to report April 24 after market close

* Net profit seen up nearly 62 pct at 1.187 billion pesos

MEXICO CITY, April 22 (Reuters) - Mexican broadcaster
Televisa is expected to post a 62 percent surge in
first-quarter net profit, helped by a favorable comparison from
the year-ago results.

According to a Reuters poll of six analysts, Televisa
(TV.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (TLVACPO.MX: Quote, Profile, Research) earned 1.187 billion pesos ($112 million)
in the January-March quarter compared with 734 million pesos in
the same period last year.

The company's earnings in the first quarter of 2007 plunged
46 percent from a one-time charge from the sale of its stake in
U.S. partner Univision Communications Inc., and also losses in
affiliates and higher taxes.

Analysts said after deducting that extraordinary impact,
Televisa results would come in flat as new income from
publishing ventures and pay television services made up for
lower revenue at its core broadcast television business.

Quarterly revenue is seen up nearly 12 percent to 9.190
billion pesos while operating profit is expected to rise a
modest 2 percent to 2.423 billion pesos.

But profit and operating margins are expected to decline,
hurt by Televisa's launch of phone services using broadband
from its cable television unit Cablevision, analysts added.

The integration of telephone company Bestel, which the
broadcaster bought for $325 million last year to boost its
network coverage, is also expected to hurt profitability.

Televisa is due to report results on Thursday after the
market close.

Following is a table with the expected results, all figures
in nominal pesos.
-------------------------------------------------------------

JAN-MARCH JAN-MARCH PERCENTAGE

2008 2007 CHANGE
-------------------------------------------------------------
Revenue 9.190 bln 8.232 bln 11.64 pct
EBITDA (NB) 3.269 bln 3.068 bln 6.55 pct
EBITDA margin 35.57 pct 37.27 pct - 170 bps*
Operating profit 2.423 bln 2.368 bln 2.32 pct
Operating margin 26.37 pct 28.77 pct - 240 bps
Net profit 1.187 bln 734 mln 61.72 pct
-------------------------------------------------------------

(NB) Televisa does not disclose earnings before interest,
tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The figure for
2007 was calculated by analysts.

* = basis points
($1 = 10.642 pesos at end March)
(Reporting by Tomas Sarmiento; Editing by Brian Moss)