Spanish Language TV Talent Hunt Scores Boffo Ratings.

A Spanish-language TV talent-search program has shaken up Sunday night viewing in New York, the nation’s top TV market. “Objectivo Fama” (Fame is the Goal), a weekly reality program in which contestants, who compete for a recording contract with Univision Music Group, are eliminated each week, has grown steadily in the Nielsen overnight ratings for New York since its January 30 debut. The series now ranks as the top rated Spanish-language program in its time period (Sundays, 7 pm to 9 pm) in the key audience measures (households and adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54), and even beats a number of competing English-language programs on Gotham’s major commercial VHF-TV stations.

What is so unusual about the feat is that “Objectivo Fama” is seen on the TeleFutura network, the newest of the nation’s three, full-service Spanish-language TV networks. TeleFutura, a unit of Univision, is seen in the New York area on WFUT-TV Channel 68 in New York City and WFTY-TV Channel 67 in Smithtown, Long Island, the latter a repeater. While TeleFutura has roughly doubled its sign-on to sign-off audience in New York since its January 2002 debut, it has not yet posed a challenge to the market’s six major, long-established English-language TV stations – until now, that is.

“Objectivo Fama” has emerged as the top rated series in the history of TeleFutura. Since its January 30 premiere, “Objectivo Fama” has nearly doubled its household audience. The Sunday, April 10 broadcast was seen in an estimated 132,440 New York area Hispanic TV households, according to Nielsen, up 77 percent since the premiere. Key demos tell a similar story. Viewership among 18-49 year-olds is up 61%. Among 25-54 year olds it is up 47%. Biggest gains are among female viewers with ratings among 18-49 year-old women up 126% and up 96% among those aged 25-54. In comparison to Gotham’s big six VHF-TV stations regardless of language, the TeleFutura outlet placed third for the two-hour block on April 10, behind only powerhouses WABC-TV and WNBC among 18-34 year-old women according to Nielsen Station Index overnight ratings. TeleFutura placed fifth among women aged 18 to 49, beating the Fox-owned duopoly of WNYW and WWOR. Among women aged 25 to 54, it ran fourth behind ABC, CBS, and NBC O&Os.

The continuing success of two, New York area contestants, a young man and a young woman, may contribute to the series’ popularity in the Big Apple.

Two more regular episodes of “Objectivo Fama” are scheduled, followed by a finale and a special two-hour concert which wraps up the series on May 8.