Telemundo To Stage 2nd Annual Bi-lingual Soap Opera Fan Experience @ ‘Fan Festival 2004’.

NBC announced its second annual joint-venture fan event with stars of NBC daytime programs and Telemundo’s popular “telenovelas” for “Fan Festival 2004.” On the weekend of March 20-21, NBC and Telemundo will provide fans with a rare chance to meet their favorite stars from NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” and “Passions – as well as stars of the hottest Spanish-language telenovelas — at the Universal Studios CityWalk in Hollywood, California.

The two-day event will feature question-and-answer programs in both English (with the NBC stars) and Spanish (with the Telemundo stars). Autograph signings will also be featured.

“Fan Festival 2004” will be sponsored by OLAY. Last year, the festival marked the first event joining the stars of NBC and Telemundo since NBC acquired the Spanish-language network in 2002.

“With the success of Fan Festival 2003, we’re thrilled to continue the world’s only international soap-opera experience,” said Sheraton Kalouria, Senior Vice President, NBC Daytime Programs, NBC Entertainment. Kalouria conceived of the event to reward the loyal fans of NBC soaps and Telemundo telenovelas.

“This year, we are extremely proud to participate in NBC/Telemundo Fan Fest with the stars from our very own original productions,” said Ramon Escobar, Executive Vice President, Programming and Production for Telemundo. “Fans from Telemundo’s novelas and NBC’s soaps will get a real treat at Universal Studios as they will get up-close and personal with their favorite celebrities from both networks.”

Over 60 of today’s hottest soap stars combined from both networks will appear in Hollywood. Stars from NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” and “Passions” will share the spotlight with stars from Telemundo’s latest prime-time hits. “Fan Festival 2004” will offer opportunities for interaction between the fans and their favorite stars with presentations in both English and Spanish providing a unique experience for soap fans from around the country.

NBC’s two-hour soap block consists of perennial powerhouse “Days of Our Lives” and the daytime phenomenon, “Passions.” NBC is No. 1 for the season in daytime’s key demographic of women 18-49 and is the only network to show growth vs. versus year-ago results. For the season, NBC is #1 among women 18-49, women 18-34, women 18-24, females 12-17 and working women 18-49. NBC Daytime is the #1 choice this season among working women, up 33 percent over year-ago results among working women 18-49 while the other networks are flat or down.

“Days of Our Lives” is produced by Corday Productions Inc. in association with Columbia Pictures Television. “Passions” is produced by NBC Studios in association with Outpost Farms Productions, Inc.