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

Univision ………………………………….

1030am. The Univision opening act is splendid. Juanes singing an original song, without a Univision product integration worked into the lyrics.

Ray Rodriguez steps up to the podium. Shoutouts to Jerry Perenchio and other Univision honchos. “We not going to spend a lot of time on ratings,” Ray tells us. He adds that what will follow will be a presentation on Galavision, Telefutura, and finally Univision. Interesting order, perhaps it’s alphabetical.

We are then presented with Univision’s self deprecating piece, entitled Joan Millionaire in which a woman who heads up advertising with a big client courts several media suitors, before getting down to the final two: Dennis McCauley and Tom McGarrity. The kicker is, of course, she has no budget. (Joe Millionaire, get it). It is pretty funny, and there are some scenes in which McCauley or McGarrity are one-on-one with “Joan” pitching their woo in media terminology. My favorite is one of the reps in her office with a tennis racket shilling “Wimbledon en Español.”

At the end, all three are brought out on the stage so that Joan can make her final selection. It’s not either of the co-presidents of Univision network sales she picks, but Oscar de la Hoya. Cute.

Now either McGarrity or McCauley starts out on Galavision (don’t remember which and I didn’t write it in my notes, but I think it was McCauley). “Why did we get away from bilingual programming on Galavision?” pause….. “Not enough people were watching!” Well, I thought it was funny. But not a lot of response for this crowd which typically favors anything in the bilingual arena (note the applause for J-Lo at Telemundo). Suffice to say, we are not the televidentes.

Shifting gears a bit, we’re told, the growth and power of the three Univision Communication networks is such that they now have a 4.5 share of all viewing to TV (see, I told you so). I’m now readying myself for a return to the “Fifth Network” positioning of a couple of years ago. But I am mistaken, because were shown a video of some focus groups to sell us on the importance of Spanish in the lives of US Hispanics.

The groupees are pretty passionate about their language, with several pointing to more trust in anything that is sold to them in Spanish. Scattered applause for one of the groupees stating that Apple practices discriminación económica for not advertising in Spanish. I make a note to talk to Univision later to get the topline on this research.

Mario Rodriguez follows with a pitch on the three network “Trifecta” (nice term there, I wonder if the guys across the street will take this up and call the NBC/Telemundo pairing an Exacta? A Quinella, maybe?). The point he makes, taking a shot at NBC, is that the three stations march to their own drum, and eschew the general market programming model.

The litany of programming partners follows, and it’s quite impressive. It includes: Televisa, Venevision, Radio Caracas TV, Radio Cadena Nacional (Colombia), NostromoAmerica, Freemantle (London).

Next up is Joanne Lynch, Galavision’s Sr VP to tell us that Galavision is now in 90% of US Hispanic Homes (I think she means cable homes) and that Galavision’s revamped line up now has 60 hours a week of live programming consisting of news and sports. What is even more impressive (I like numbers) is a factoid claiming that Galavision outdelivers all other cable networks English or Spanish. We Hispanic agency types, long laboring under the yoke of bigger numbers on the English side, love this kind of tidbit.

What follows is their programming, nothing breakthrough, but basic fare that seems to work: Los Reporteros, Más Deportes (with interactive viewer participation), Acción (weekend recap), and Maite’s return to the Univision family on Por La Puerta Grande (talk and gossip).

Moving on, here comes Alina Falcon, another Sr. VP, this time representing Telefutura and proclaiming that they are the number two network in Hispanic USA (not sign on/off, but in some key dayparts). I brace myself ready to hear a Sixth Network positioning. Thankfully, they don’t go that route and instead give us a run down of their best stuff to date including: Escándalo TV (I cannot believe Charytín is still going at it. Has she reached icon status yet?), Mónica, Guerra de los Sexos, La Oreja, and a favorite of mine, 100 Mexicanos Dijeron. Oh, and a seven hour countdown to the new year (they’re kidding right?)

Some new stuff that looks okay, I particularly liked Marcelino Pan y Vino, which is a classic. Theres another talk show called Quien Tiene La Razon, a kids adventure series called De Pocas Pocas Pulgas, and a lot of hullabaloo on their nightly prime movie line up which went by so fast the only thing that made my notes was Birdcage, Get Shorty, T2, and “sometime in the future” Spiderman.

There’s going to be reality TV as well, but another one that looked promising was Betty Toons, an animation based on Betty La Fea (when she was a little kid) which I think will air in prime.

My notes are now a muddle as Univision launches into their programming. So, here’s what I’ve got for daytime: a new Kate del Castillo novela. That’s it. There’s other stuff, but I missed it. Something about younger programming including a US-based show called Premio Juventud (Univision owns the concept of Premios of any kind, by the way), which they are calling a Premio Lo Nuestro-type of show for younger audiences. Kind of like a Teen People’s Choice, I gather.

Some promises to deliver the best in Spanish language movies, and they’ve got a lot of them including La Celestina, Fresa y Chocolate, El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba.

In primetime, were told, Univision is the fifth network. (Here we go, I think. But this is the only fifth network reference in the whole 90 minute deal.) Te Amaré en Silencio, a great title, is shot entirely in LA and is the first Univision in-house novela production. It features the return of Eduardo Yañez to Univision and an openly gay character (“Papa, soy homosexual!)

Rebecca is an interactive novela where viewers will decide the outcome of her life (first and only direct reference to Univision.com). Some others include Las Amazonas and Niña Amada Mia, a top-rated novela in Mexico. The crème de la crème, it seems, is Amor Real. Five years in the making. It is an historical novela set in 1880s Mexico with some great visual and costuming.

We are then treated to a nice fashion show of the costumes from the program. Men and women in period late 19th century dresses and uniforms do a classy quadrille at the front of the stage. Out of nowhere, some urban hip-hop alien looking creatures come and join in the fun. My client jokes aloud that aliens invade 19th century Mexico in the 1880s. What the hell is this?

Anther original series is Al Filo de La Ley, kind of an Hispanic LA Law, except they deal in immigration cases based on real life. Will there be an Arnie Becker equivalent that not only works for his clients, but seduces them in his office?

Marco Antonio Regil, from 100 Mexicanos, introduces the line up of specials. Apparently, Univision has trademarked the whole concept of Premios with Premio Lo Nuestro, Premio Juventud, Premio Oye, Premio Furia Musical, Premios El Heraldo, Premios TV y Novelas. Another special is Navidad Magia Disney. Wait, I check my notes, didn’t Telemundo say they had an exclusive with Disney? Hmmmm, maybe not.

Finally, telling us that we can count on the Univision media family is the pantheon of Univision gods: Salinas, Ramos, and Kreutzberger. A great number by Area 305 closes the show.

SWAG: A computer bag with all three media kits inside.

Thursday May 15

Going home finally.

On the plane, I drift in and out of sleep. I have a disturbing dream. It’s like the scene in Easy Rider when Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper are milling through the teeming crowds at Mardis Gras. Lots of quick cuts and flashbacks. My dream is the last three days in montage. In all of those faces and presentations, there is a lot of excitement about baseball cards. But they’re not baseball cards they’re Hispanic Media Trading Cards and everybody has a few and trading is brisk. Somebody offers me a Steve Mandala and a Leon Potasinski for my Raul Toraño limited edition Classic SIN. There’s also a Ramon Pineda rookie card, part of the Caballero series. I’m confused. I don’t know if Dennis McCauley and Tom McGarrity each have their own card or if they share one as co-presidents of network sales. Maybe this is a good idea for next year. If I start planning now….