TelevisaUnivision: The key to the longevity of Primer Impacto is to evolve the show while maintaining its formula

Of the 30 years that Primer Impacto (PI) has been on the air, Yuri Cordero has been involved in the production of the show for 25 of them. Cordero, who is currently the Executive Producer and VP of TelevisaUnivision, mentions that elements contributing to the show’s longevity include “passion, consistency, and dedication.” She adds that the audience “has fallen in love with the entire team because they see that we not only report news but also help the community. It’s not just about delivering the pure news, but through various segments like ‘Ayuda de impacto,’ we have built houses, obtained prosthetics, and helped people undergo surgeries,” the executive noted.

Cordero emphasizes that the journalistic value of Primer Impacto is that “it presents things in a way that people get hooked and stay.” She mentions that her office was once María Lopez’s, the show’s creator, and there are still people from the original team working on Primer Impacto. “There is a formula; the program has evolved, but the formula remains, and that is the key: not losing your essence in change because power lies in consistency,” she points out. She added that they have new talents, and new segments, “the show evolves, but its essence has remained the same since day one.”

INNOVATION

Regarding innovation, Cordero recounts that Primer Impacto was the first Univision show to incorporate social media. “We were pioneers in that aspect. When people were a bit afraid to use social media, Primer Impacto was already trying to do different things because we saw that these changes were coming.”

Another significant evolution was the set. “We just had a new set, launched in early 2023 with touch screens, and huge video screens.” They are also innovating with shots; the presenters are not seated all the time. “We involve the reporters in the set a lot, creating a conversation between the anchor and the reporter that is not too rigid.”

She points out that since the show’s creation, it was established with two female anchors who were Myrka Dellanos and María Celeste Arrarás at one point. “Primer Impacto was the first Spanish-language program in the U.S. to have two anchors. In addition to being the first program, instead of having a closed set, we placed an open one where you could see the legs and had two empowered women presenters.”

“Our program has a very specific format: a news block, a feature news block, an entertainment block, weather, sports, and a strong investigative report; it’s a powerful combination that many programs don’t have in such a short time. It’s 41 minutes of variety that not everyone can do,” Cordero emphasizes. She recalls that they only had a male anchor once, Fernando del Rincón.

She adds that the show’s team has a lot of versatility. “We are used to versatility here. This team used to produce specials for the tent-pole shows before because our boss at that time was in charge of shows like El Gordo y la Flaca and ours,” she added.

As part of the 30th-anniversary celebration, Primer Impacto presented a two-hour edition on Friday the 16th, “with artists from top to bottom, with special reports on the careers of people who have grown up with this program, who have a history with this show,” mentioned Cordero.

View a sample of what is scheduled for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Primer Impacto