Univisión touted its climbing ratings growth to advertisers Wednesday as the nation's top Spanish-language media company unveiled little new in its traditional programming formula for the 2008-09 season.
At a presentation to advertisers in New York, company executives noted that last year Univisión ranked as the No. 1 broadcaster among adults 18 to 34 on 55 individual nights, beating ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.
About 60 percent of Univisión watchers 18 to 49 are not exposed to television advertising elsewhere, as compared with only a small percentage of viewers who are unique to the top English-language networks, Univisión said.
''Univisión is delivering innovative, quality programming that has performed very well year after year,'' said president and chief operating officer Ray Rodriguez. ``The strength of our programming, combined with the unique connection with our audiences, allows marketers to build cross-platform initiatives that can help build market share.''
Univisión made a strong case for its networks, and is offering more opportunities for product integration in its programs, said Manuel Gonzalez, managing director of abece, a Hispanic marketing agency based in Miami Beach.
Programming highlights for the upcoming season include a telenovela with an environmental theme, Tormenta en el Paraiso (Storm in Paradise), which will accompany a ''green'' public awareness campaign, Piensa Verde, Actua Verde (Think Green, Act Green). The campaign will include environmental themes in numerous shows and public-service announcements.
The classic Sabado Gigante show is getting a makeover with new comedy skits and amateur talent contests. It now will include viewer participation via cellphone and Internet.
Univisión is also adding a bloc of Saturday morning educational kids programming including PBS favorites Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go! The Federal Communications Commission fined Univisión $24 million in 2007 for failing to provide educational and informative children's programming, instead offering steamy youth soap operas.
Also, for the first time, programming at Univisión's sister network TeleFutura is being tweaked to include prime-time novelas. ''I think they're responding to the fact that telenovelas are their strongest property,'' Gonzalez said.
But with TeleFutura vying hard with Telemundo for the second-most watched slot in Spanish-language television, the network will air an original production of the epic story Doña Bella (Lady Bella), which will capture audiences with its sensual and passionate love story; and Azúcar (Sugar), the story of forbidden love that unfolds amid the sugar plantations of a wealthy family, and provides advertisers with opportunities for product integration.
Univisión is also offering new reality shows: ¡Viva el Sueño! (Live the Dream!), a 13-week competition that showcases struggling Hispanic performers who have recording contracts, but need a big break. In the end, viewers will vote on Latin music's next superstar. Its hit beauty reality show Nuestra Belleza Latina will be expanded to two hours Sunday nights.
TeleFutura has a family game show, Dame la Pista (Give Me a Clue), in which kids give clues to adults to guess the ''secret word.''. Cable network Galavisión's game show ¡Yo Cocino Mejor que mi Suegra! (I Cook Better than My Mother in Law) pits wives against mother-in-laws to see who knows their favorite man best.
