ALARCON’S GAMBLE … SBS Television’s debut On Wednesday Has Industry in Awe.

On Wednesday, March 1, 2006, amid controversy and awe, and defying the persistent skepticism of some industry observers, as well as the fears of Wall Street analysts, Spanish Broadcasting System, (SBS), will make it’s first quantum leap from radio to television.

The Coconut Grove/Miami-based radio giant is launching its first television station, the recently acquired Channel 22, with an ambitious menu of musical and local programming, produced in-house, mostly lifted from the radio network’s fare and using some of its local celebrities and network-produced concerts.

The brainchild of Raul Alarcon, jr., the new station, according to sources close to the Alarcon Family, “will behave like a soon-to-be third network in the U.S. Hispanic arena.”

“It will perform beyond the limited confines of a traditional local, non-affiliated station, which is nearly an extinct model,” confirmed a source. “The idea is local flavor and national status: the goal here is the creation of SBS Television as a bona fide major contender, a new full-fledged network.

Alarcon, the young maverick impresario, who has taken the reins of the family empire, originated by his father and namesake from the humble beginnings of a tiny salsa-recording studio in Manhattan, has been constantly in the industry limelight. Sometimes for the perceived tame performance of his radio network, a public company and the direct rival of Univision Radio; most times for his daringness and ability to create massive audience hits and grow sales in the millions.

“If intuition could be sold at the pharmacy, the largest brand would most likely bear Alarcon’s name,” said Daisy Exposito-Ulla, the highly-regarded advertising guru. “Raulito is in no way a new kid on the block, he knows the block and all its alleys. He knows the market iis ripe.”

The new SBS station is being managed by Tomas Johansen, Executive Vice President/General Manager. Cynthia Hudson-Fernandez is at the helm of programming. The debut lineup includes veteran TV
journalist, Maria Elvira Salazar, the Latina version of Christine Amanpour. They all worked for Univision or Telemundo at some point in their careers.