Panel on Hispanic television in the U.S.: Story quality and relevance are what most connect to Hispanics

NATPE put together a panel to discuss the tremendous opportunities for Spanish-language television. During the panel, called “The Ever-Expanding Opportunities in Spanish-Language Television”, Adriana Ibáñez, executive VP of Programming for MundoFox emphasized the importance of stories over language to capture the Hispanic audiences. The panel also included Alberto Ciurana, president of Programming and Content for Univision, Jacqueline Hernández, COO of Telemundo Media, and Christy Haubegger, an agent for Creative Artists Agency. Throughout the discussion, which was moderated by Harris Whitbeck, CEO of Zodiak Latino, Ibáñez and Ciurana agreed that the stories are what drive audiences. The panelists spoke about new platforms and the changes within the industry, Hernández of Telemundo Media said that the company is always working toward innovation. “The webnovelas and the weekly shows, reflect the changes that we’re reaching. The consumer looks for content in different forms” he affirmed. Haubegger of CAA indicated that the diversity of the Hispanics unites them as a community as they share the experience of being Latino in the U.S.. “We all have a foot in one culture and the other in our countries of origin”. Haubegger also highlighted the power of social media for connecting to Hispanics. “I think quality and relevance are what most connect to Hispanics. We have 10,000 hours of original programming per year. The novela has seen a big evolution in the market. Content on all platforms in the best way to reach an audience” Ciurana added. Ibáñez mentioned that because MundoFox is only just beginning, it can take more risks and be more flexible.