Latin America is not a region; but a multiplicity of regions and cultures. In this interview via WhatsApp with Amanda Ospina, director and editor of TVMAS, Germán Pérez Nahim, one of the gurus of programming and production in LATAM, Europe and the United States, talks about the flight of audiences from traditional TV, loss of confidence in newscasts, absence of youth audiences and the challenges for traditional TV in the hands of corporate groups that face innovative, technological environments and influencers, with more credibility and accumulate a significant mass of audience.
‘Combate’ in Ecuador has achieved good audience and profitability records due to the interaction with the public and national events.
“The Simpsons is a comedy and a benchmark of creativity in an intelligent format that reinvents itself and remains current thanks to the production of episodes despite constant political and sociocultural changes.”
This Venezuelan is one of the most efficient and innovative executives in the industry. He comes from the school of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) in Venezuela; RTVE in Spain; and Univision in the United States. Today, he works with the Mexican businessman naturalized Guatemalan Ángel González, founder of the Latin American media network Albavisión, owner of twenty open TV channels, radio stations and media in Central and South America. In the first interview conducted by TVMAS several years ago, when Pérez Nahim put Televen in primetime in Venezuela, he told me that “to be a good programmer, you don’t have to be good, but the best.”
Today, in this conversation we talk about the pulverization of audiences and advertising, as well as the loss of confidence in traditional media, especially in newscasts full of toxic journalists. (for example, Tucker Carlson-FOX NEWS)
Let’s get to the point and start with entertainment programs. Do you think that canned programs like ‘El Chavo del Ocho’ will solve the numbers that executives have to deliver to the groups that hire them?
Thanks for the presentation. I don’t consider myself an expert and even less so in these times of change when no position is easy to execute given the shift in paradigms. In relation to classic comedy programs like ‘El Chavo’, it has endearing characters that address satire and social commentary; I think it is a genre that will always be well received. As you rightly mention, ‘The Simpsons’, apart from presenting a broad spectrum of humor, a family with its colloquial problems that at the end of the day stay together in adversity, maintains its success.
That is also the case of ‘El Chavo del 8″ and ‘Casados con Hijos’ (Sony). The Simpsons is and will be a benchmark of creativity in an intelligent format that reinvents itself and remains current thanks to the production of episodes despite constant sociocultural changes. These programs captivate young audiences who have now migrated to streaming platforms.
You work for ALBAVISION bringing information and entertainment to several countries in LATAM and, although you are in production, it is the basis of the programming. Let’s talk about the comedies and humor programs that the Latin American and Central American audience watches. What or how is the highway for brands in times of lean cows for advertising?
In large territories, national humor and social satire programs connect with the digital ecosystem to generate content; own production is the most effective way since the advertising industry supports the integration of brands into programs that also have active digital platforms that monetize. For example, ‘Combate’ in Ecuador has achieved good audience and profitability records due to interaction with the public and national events.
You mention canned content versus original production. One of the favorable effects of in-house production is the amplification of reach through the social networks of the members of the program (hosts, talent, directors, producers, technicians) who are generally very active on their networks.
Indeed, Germán. Users do not care about the windows, but rather the content and the time they feel like watching. What should traditional TV do in the face of the loss not only of audience but of trust even in what was considered the backbone of newscasts?
Traditional TV is sailing in the digital ocean and has become more interactive through second screens. Technology allows us to vote, comment, and share content, creating a more dynamic experience.
Perfect. But my question goes directly to the value of the content. Many national and international media have become mouthpieces for the advertising of their own companies and advertising and political partners, forgetting the quality of the content and the fierce competition.
Open TV has been forced to adopt formats that were previously exclusive to digital platforms. Series, reality shows with digital twists and viral internet content are now an added value to programming and provide reach in times of audience atomization.
Regarding content and the fight for audiences with the appearance of Netflix and Amazon Prime, open TV has had to reinvent itself. Depending on the size of the market, some stations are exploring segmented original content generating digital derivatives. In strong markets, own production continues to dominate consumption, but television is supported by digital through social networks directly or indirectly affiliated with the programs and web pages.
As for advertising, it has become more sophisticated and interactive with QR codes for interaction, applications for more content, and sometimes virtual reality experiences that make the audience forget that they are watching a commercial that tries to sell them a product or service.
Finally, in Latin America, TV was born in the hands of economic and power groups; today they are suffering, punished by technology and ‘influencers’ who do a good job and accumulate audiences. How do you anticipate the immediate future of traditional open TV?
The wave of changes will continue. Mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies. Large television companies and production companies (studios) will be absorbed by digital platforms. For example, the impressive performance of social platforms of journalists that exceed the audiences of the television channels where they work or worked (Tucker Carlson vs FOX), are a clear indicator of the process of atomization and segmentation and consequently of advertising investment.
Open TV is learning to navigate in digital seas. Before it was like captaining a motor boat where the variables are the rudder and the accelerator, these days it is like in a sailboat which is much more complex since you have to coordinate the rudder, sails, moorings, drifts, winds and waves.
German Pérez Nahim says that today TV is not the most agile medium, it has a high fixed operating cost (transmitters, antennas, electricity, concession expenses, maintenance, payroll expenses, programming, etc.) but it continues in the race adapting to its new digital life, reinventing itself and learning to navigate in more turbulent waters and stronger winds.
This experienced executive was VP and general manager of Coral Pictures in Miami; founder of the production and distribution company Skyquest and productions in Spain. Today he works for the channel group of the Latin American television czar best known in the industry as ‘the ghost’ for his few appearances at industry events.
Redacción TVMAS