NBC's FAST Payday Could Prove Beneficial to Latin Mediamakers
WHEN NBC PURCHASED TELEMUNDO BACK IN 1992, most of us in the industry who are in-the-know, surmised that their intentions were not peppered with long-term plans but rather with the near-term profit potential of the network, after all, in the end, it is still a business commodity. And NBC has been doing a good job of enticing the entertainment moguls on the English side of the bandwidth for some time now by airing live the annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade, as well as the Latin Grammys, on their regular English-language NBC affiliate stations in the northeast and across the nation, particularly in the southwest with its large Mexican community. One could argue that the hen was being fattened for its broth.
Now, New York Times' business columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin has reported ("Univision Considers Going on the Block" - February 8, 2006) that UNIVISION's directors will meet to “consider” selling off that mega station. And now that the idea has been floated in the media, the company’s stakeholders will sit back to see who will commit the biggest bite in the feeding frenzy that is expected to follow. But at the moment we should only take the gesture as a conservative feeler of sorts put out to test the waters. If the offers are deemed respectable, the consideration will materialize into a reality and full blown offering overnight. If the obstacles to such a sale outweigh the asking price, then the prospect of such a transaction will vaporize faster than steam on a hot summer’s day. It is expected that Univision could sell for as much as $10 billion as the giant media brands compete for an extremely solid entry point into the lucrative Spanish-language market — that's a whole lotta chicken consommé!
On the optimistic end (from my personal wish list), if Time Warner purchased the Univision network it could expand its reach into the Hispanic sector it has already dipped its big toe into via its HBO Latino subsidiary and easily build on the relationships it’s built in the sector via the HBO strand(s), since it has taken some gutsy risks in backing smaller Latin projects like “Real Women Have Curves” and “Maria Full of Grace” and managed to make them winners; moves that have helped solidify their image as genuinely looking to work with the sector’s creative talent and build upon long-term mutually beneficial roots, not just the immediate kickback. Time Warner/HBO could additionally spice up the new venture through cross-pollination: bring the first-run entertainment initiatives it has been developing via HBO Latino to Univision, and inversely leverage Univision’s enormous built-in Hispanic speaking audience to its subscription-based cable holdings. This "ecomedia" business model could, feasibly, also provide a window for new programming that translates into new opportunities for Latino filmmakers, producers and show-runners for decades to follow.
HMM. This might just prove to be a win-win situation if all the cards are played correctly.
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Read the New Times article at: www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/business/media/08network.html
Now, New York Times' business columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin has reported ("Univision Considers Going on the Block" - February 8, 2006) that UNIVISION's directors will meet to “consider” selling off that mega station. And now that the idea has been floated in the media, the company’s stakeholders will sit back to see who will commit the biggest bite in the feeding frenzy that is expected to follow. But at the moment we should only take the gesture as a conservative feeler of sorts put out to test the waters. If the offers are deemed respectable, the consideration will materialize into a reality and full blown offering overnight. If the obstacles to such a sale outweigh the asking price, then the prospect of such a transaction will vaporize faster than steam on a hot summer’s day. It is expected that Univision could sell for as much as $10 billion as the giant media brands compete for an extremely solid entry point into the lucrative Spanish-language market — that's a whole lotta chicken consommé!
On the optimistic end (from my personal wish list), if Time Warner purchased the Univision network it could expand its reach into the Hispanic sector it has already dipped its big toe into via its HBO Latino subsidiary and easily build on the relationships it’s built in the sector via the HBO strand(s), since it has taken some gutsy risks in backing smaller Latin projects like “Real Women Have Curves” and “Maria Full of Grace” and managed to make them winners; moves that have helped solidify their image as genuinely looking to work with the sector’s creative talent and build upon long-term mutually beneficial roots, not just the immediate kickback. Time Warner/HBO could additionally spice up the new venture through cross-pollination: bring the first-run entertainment initiatives it has been developing via HBO Latino to Univision, and inversely leverage Univision’s enormous built-in Hispanic speaking audience to its subscription-based cable holdings. This "ecomedia" business model could, feasibly, also provide a window for new programming that translates into new opportunities for Latino filmmakers, producers and show-runners for decades to follow.
HMM. This might just prove to be a win-win situation if all the cards are played correctly.
------------------------
Read the New Times article at: www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/business/media/08network.html
posted by Pagan-Image at
12:00 PM
1 Comments:
First of all I must issue my disclaimer. I am not a writer so grammar is not of my best skills, although I love to express my opinions so here we go. From my POV the destiny of Univision and for that matter the destiny of and media geared towards the Latinos in the US depends on who's involved behind the decision making at the top. If you ask me there are to many "suits" not enough creative and producers. Not only in the administrative side but also in the content or production side of the venture. You either have the same "old suit Latino wolfs" or you have "Anglo suits" who have no idea about the Latino culture. Another of the problems I see, is the lack of quality in the programming, they are still repeating the same mistakes of their founders. How many bad produced novelas can you have? How many cheesy, sexiest programs can you have?. There are not real experienced producers and creative involved in the decision making to improve the quality of the content of the programs. Is always the same bad model and the worst of it is that the competition feels forced to copy them to compete. Until Univision, NBC, HBO or any one else does not understands the need for recruiting real experienced creative and producers Latinos to be at the top. People who can create a real identity of the Latino community in the US.
They need to stop copying a bad model and they need to create their own identity. Look at SíTV. You might like or not like their content but you have to admit they have their own model, their own style. Why? Because people at the top are not only "suits" but people who also understand production values, and they are Latinos in the US and they are reaching the Latinos in the US. In my view you need to main elements: a true economical commitment to invest in quality and the right mix of people at the top to build and lead to a successful venture. In the mean time is just numbers.
By
el guapo, at February 10, 2006 12:36 PM
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