The WSJ notes that the Spanish-language television wars are heating up.
Telefutura is now #2, behind Univision, but ahead, mostly, of Telemundo. Telemundo, of course, was bought by NBC about four years ago. And NBC is controlled by Bob Wright, the vice chairman of GE, the same genius who created MSNBC.
NBC, never very good at cable, now finds its hugely expensive acquisition of Telemundo slipping into third place in the hot Spanish-language market. There's money to be made in that market, but as in cable news, you can't make money if you slip too far back in the pack.
"For the 2004-2005 season from Sept. 20 to June 19, Telemundo attracted 296,000 viewers between ages 18 and 34 during prime time; TeleFutura drew 250,000. However, Telemundo's young-adult audience was down 11% relative to the same period a year earlier, while TeleFutura's rose 2%.
"Telemundo President Don Browne attributes the mixed ratings in the latest season to the learning curve that the network is experiencing during a new phase of creating original soap operas (telenovelas in Spanish) and other shows in its own studios. Previously, the network mainly acquired programs produced by broadcasters in South America.
"To spread the word to U.S. Hispanics that its new in-house productions cater specifically to them, Telemundo has launched a marketing campaign with the slogan 'hecho para ti,' or 'made for you.'
"Univision and TeleFutura have a colossal edge over Telemundo, thanks to the tried-and-tested telenovelas and other smash hits they acquire from Grupo Televisa S.A., a big Mexican broadcasting group. In coming weeks, TeleFutura will start airing Mexican comedy classics made by Televisa. Because about 70% of U.S. Latinos are Mexicans, Televisa's programming almost always resonates with viewers here."
So there you have it. Wright et al are reinventing the very windmills they tilt at. Bad cross-cultural practice, even worse business plan.
