LOS ANGELES/MIAMI: On Monday evening, US cable network Fusion will launch with an interview with Republican Senator Ted Cruz about his presidential ambitions. Later that night, four puppets will provide commentary on current events during a news chat show.

A joint venture between Walt Disney Co’s ABC and Spanish language media company Univision Communications Inc. , Fusion will blend hard news, satire and pop culture to do something other cable news networks have largely failed to do: lure “millennial” viewers ages 18 to 34.

The target demographic for the new English-language channel is several decades younger than the audiences for CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, which pull in viewers with a median age of 60 or higher, according to media research company Nielsen. The new channel will also test the market for TV news developed for Hispanics, the fastest growing segment of the US population, but delivered in English rather than Spanish. Fusion is aiming for young Latinos, though executives say they hope the network will appeal more broadly and promise a diverse perspective. Some of its programming will feature a heavy dose of humor, a bid for viewers who keep up with current events through shows like “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Alongside newscasts with more traditional formats will be programs like “Sports Talkers,” a satirical show hosted by members of the Harvard Sailing Team, a comedy troupe.

“News doesn’t necessarily have to be boring,” Fusion Chief Executive Officer Isaac Lee said in an interview from the network’s Miami headquarters, explaining part of his strategy for Fusion.

Drawing viewers to a new cable network is not easy. Even media mogul Oprah Winfrey, with millions of loyal fans, struggled to establish an audience in the early days for her channel, OWN. Al Jazeera America has seen low ratings since the English-language news channel launched in August.