Although far from posing a threat to superpower Univision, Telemundo’s latest strategy to fill its prime-time slots with imported novelas is paying off.
The No. 2 network doubled its prime-time ratings during February sweeps, according to the Nielsen Hispanic Television Index.
The reason: Telemundo’s new imported programming from Argentina, Mexico and, of note, a couple of remarkable Brazilian productions, one of which was responsible for drawing massive audiences during the recent intense ratings periods that sets advertising rates.
Xixa, (pronounced Shee-kuh) is a novela loosely based on the life of historical figure Xica Da Silva, an ambitious mid-19th century slave who won her freedom using her feminine wiles. It’s drawing a faithful 10 p.m. weeknight audience, in place of the hodgepodge of programming that had been offered in that slot.
Novelas have long been considered the bread and butter of Spanish-language TV, and Telemundo is cashing in on their power to draw and keep viewers.
Xixa’s ratings in the 10 p.m. slot increased 100 percent since its January debut, drawing nearly half a million viewers on an average sweeps night.
Highly controversial, Xixa contains steamy sex scenes featuring Tais Araujo, the first black woman in a leading role of a Latin American novela.
Hoping to multiply its ratings success, Telemundo recently premiered another Brazilian production, ChiquiM-qa Gonzaga. This critically acclaimed novela tells the story of ChiquiM-qa Gonzaga, Brazil’s first woman composer and feminist who scandalized Rio de Janeiro society for some 60 years at the turn of the century.
Even though the Xixa and ChiquiM-qa novelas lack the high-profile Latin stars of Mexico and Venezuela, which are leaders in novela productions, these two shows are particularly interesting because they have historical and political edges missing from other novelas.
ChiquiM-qa airs weeknights at 9 p.m., followed by Xixa at 10 p.m. on WSCV-Ch. 51.
Another El NiNo
As the custody battle over Elian Gonzales continues in Miami, Univision is getting ready to premier a daytime Mexican novela that the network hopes will produce a ratings tidal wave.
El Nino Que Vino Del Mar (The Boy Who Came From The Sea) will premiere Monday, and though, according to the network, any resemblance to real events or characters are purely coincidental, the timing of its release says otherwise. The story eerily parallels EliM-an’s, recounting the plight of 8-year-old FelipM-mn, (Imanol) who survives the capsizing of a boat in which he was traveling with his mother. After washing up on the beach, he is found inside a raft by Nisa (Natalia Esperon) a young single woman who takes him home and cares for him and does everything in her power to keep him as her own.
But this is as close as the novela gets to the real-life drama that has clogged the news in the last few months, because FelipM-mn’s mother survives the boat tragedy.
El Nino Que Vino Del Mar will air weekdays at 2 p.m. on WLTV-Ch. 23.
Unica in the morning
Ricardo Brown and Ana Patricia Candiani joined the Radio Unica family with the debut of their new morning talk show Muy Temprano (Very Early).
Brown, a 25-year veteran of English and Spanish media before joining Radio Unica, was chief correspondent at CBS Telenoticias.
Candiani’s credits include news anchor at Telemundo, CBS Telenoticias and anchor/writer for Telenoticias’ entertainment program MM-as Vida.
In Muy Temprano, the hosts discuss a variety of issues including local and national news, and sports, allowing for listener participation.
Muy Temprano airs weekdays 6-9 a.m. on Radio Unica (WNMA -AM 1210)
This column appears every other Wednesday. Send items to Latin TV/Radio, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale FL 33301; fax to 954-356-4386 or e-mail
