My 2003 Upfront Diary …… David Flynn Huerta / Amistad Media Group..Part III

Telemundo ………………………………….

6pm. Time for the Telemundo upfront and I hope I survive. I can’t imagine the general market upfront and what those buyers go through. Four networks. Umpteen cable channels. Declining ratings.

712pm The show begins with lots of thank yous all around from Steve Mandala, Sr. VP of Sales for Telemundo. He tells us they are going to focus on success and value. They peel open their proprietary study. Lots of numbers like 16 million more Spanish speakers in the coming decade. Then a little self deprecating humor with the shot of a Telemundo rep (he’s homeless).

But Telemundo is younger, better educated, and has a higher income. Oh, no. Not NBC upscale mantra again!

On to primetime with growth in A1849, some talk about Sunday movie numbers, sports numbers in aggregate and a final admission that not everything went well last year. McNamara puts novela dud Beso de la Muerte in Telemundo’s hall of shame. (Did they build a new wing?)

Los Rabanes from Panamá give us a little of their music stylings, customized with some of their own product integration: Telemundo me gusta tu estyle.

Jim McNamara, head cacique for Telemundo, comes out and gives a nice little Spanish set up to the theme: “The TV network for all Hispanics in the US and to become the leader.” He’s reporting to Mr. Upscale, Jeff Zucker, who is his first NBC boss to actually speak Spanish (interesting).

McNamara lauds Telemundo’s broadcasting capability and strength in programming talent, pointing to the local news successes at Telemundo’s O&Os. A nice round of applause follows his announcement of a public service campaign they are working on called Get Out theVote for Latinos.

He’s also excited about the Olympics and proves it with a short, very funny video parody of the Olympics and the Telemundo organization. We see a daily opening ceremonies at Telemundo HQ in Hialeah. Instead of the parade of nations, we have the parade of departments: accounting, sales, programming, etc. Gold medals given to salesperson of the month, Bob Pantanini weeping in the foreground. Pretty well done, crowd loves it.

Here comes McNamara again. He promises the program we are going to see will speak directly to: outstanding novelas, more US-produced programs (here a moderate applause) and to be more inclusive of the Mexican audience (hmmm).

So, news. We are the leader, he says, thanks to Sevcec. Sevcec is just back from Bagdad and comes up with the throwaway line of the upfront: “After Baghdad, I tell you, Hialeah looks better and better.” He delivers all his comments in English and Spanish, nicely overlapping each as he introduces a gripping, tear-jerker video with lots of footage of Latino soldiers in Iraq.

Some programming specifics now, like Las Comadres, a weekly talk show by women and for women of very diverse backgrounds (but with similar hair). Looks like the view, only louder and more Latin.

Focus now goes to specials with an impressive litany: Celia Cruz tribute, Billboard, Calle 8, Festival Presidente, Ritmo Latino, Vicente Fernandez Duets, Kumbia Kings, People 25 Bellezas and with the great white father, NBC, partnering on Golden Globe, Macy’s Parade, Hispanic Heritage Awards, Miss Universe pageant. McNamara glows when he introduces Miss Universe (a panameña and compatriota of McNamara’s) and Miss USA, Susie Castillo (third Latina Miss USA).

Andres Cantor takes the stage, makes a brief homage to his friend and long time partner Humberto Longo who recently passed. Very nice. Then kudos to Jorge Hidalgo, honored by Sports Illustrated as a one of the most influential persons in sports (Jorge tells me later he ranked 34th).

We’re shown the obligatory montage of fútbol coupled with the announcement that Telemundo is going to give us exclusive coverage of the Mexican and US National soccer team games. Some boxing, and the NBA back for another year, this time on Saturday (and hopefully some numbers).

Sports continues with the Olympics. Maria Celeste appears on stage, she’s the star of Al Rojo Vivo and, apparently, a former Olympian (swimmer for Panamá). So we get a video of the Olympics focusing on events that will presumably appear on the Telemundo airwaves: boxing, soccer, baseball. They close this segment with “Complete Olympic experience is on Telemundo and the networks of NBC.”

Now it’s time for Mun2, Telemundo’s cable channel. It’s bicultural, bilingual. Nothing about their numbers, but lots about edgy programming. Fuzion, and The Roof. Lots of quick cuts on the video. Lots of flashes of the Mun2 gang sign (hold three fingers down, like you are making the letter M, then quickly flash the peace sign. Get it? M2? Mun2?),

New show called Twisted Novela Theatre looks funny, but I don’t know how long it will sustain itself. These are melodramatic scenes from novelas, dubbed over with new and funny dialog. Kind of like Mystery Science Theatre meets Televisa.

Another one that looks good is Lugar Heights. It’s animated and funny.

Back to Telemundo and primetime (try to follow me here). We’re “in to win” McNamara sez. Protagonistas de la Fama, new reality series (predictable, we’ll see if this genre still has legs I guess) and La Cenicienta, a bachelorette-type reality show where the girl doesn’t pick the guy, her family does. Very funny cut to her father who is vehemently spitting out: ¡no quiero ni cubanos ni peruanos, tiene que ser mexicano!. Good laugh from the Spanish-speakers and posers in the audience.

Weekend movies…. Telemundo says they are upping the ante here. Family films and a “classic ratings grabber” (great term Jim). The classic ratings grabber is, of course, El Maravilloso Mundo de Disney. A montage of Cantinflas classics. And original productions like Historia y Testigos, a border drama. This last one could be great. It all hinges on the quality of the acting, of course. (Well, not always. Case in point: Dos Mujeres y Un Camino).

Rumberas is a novela miniseries, and Corridos Famosos another miniserie based on the story lines of well known corridos. They also have a four hour miniseries on Zapata in the works. It’s called Zapata. Looks okay, but doesn’t come off as having epic quality. Besides, Huerta is the bad guy.

Pedro el Escamoso is back, this time as Pedro Por Su Casa. We have a cameo on the screen by Pedro himself. It’s pretty funny, but not side-splitting like last year.

Ladron de Corazones, a new novela, starts Monday.

And from TVGlobo, Siete Mujeres is a wartime drama, although I am not sure which war. Since it if from Brazil, I’m thinking it’s Pedro I and Brazilian independence. Production value looks top notch, as everything I have seen on Telemundo from TVGlobo.

Another border storyline (I like this theme) is Alma Herida. Story of a family separated at the border (the gringos capture the parents, I think) and the ultimate family reunion years later.

A comedic novela from Colombia’s Victor Mallarino is Médico de Familia. Another lighthearted comedy is Angeles Caidos about three babes who cross the border disguised as nuns. This seems a big stretch.

Finally, there is Amores de Mercado which has a tried but true storyline involving mistaken identity. Two guys look alike. Guess what? One is rich, the other poor. You can fill in the rest.

McNamara says “one more thing” and he introduces Benny Medina and J-Lo. Yes, J-Lo. Predictably, there is thunderous applause as they come out on stage. There is a weak attempt at a standing-O but that quickly fades. This is not, after all, Celia Cruz. J-Lo tells us “I want to tell the stories of Latinos who grew up here and I ask that you support the next wave of Latino TV.” It’s not clear what J-Lo’s role is here. I am very confused at this point.

Never mind, because David Bispal closes with his song Ave Maria which rocks. He is pretty charged, has that rock-star hair thing going on. Entertaining, to say the least.

SWAG: Nada

Wednesday May 14

915am. This is the biggest day what with Univision in the am, People en Español/Telemundo in the evening with a simultaneous affair thrown by Radio Unica. So on to Univision. I visit Hadleighs again for an expresso and water. The street, an open wound a few days previous, tubing and cabling spilling into the street like arteries, is now completely patched up with only a scar to show.

continued in Part IV