The 22nd Annual Hispanic Television Summit, set for September 11, offers a daylong series of conversations that focuses on how TV is authentically reflecting Latino stories.
One conversation will feature actor John Leguizamo with filmmaker Ben DeJesus of NGLmitu and Luis Ortiz of Latino Public Broadcasting. They discuss American Historia, a three-part series that uncovers the overlooked contributions of Latinos in history. It premieres on PBS in September.
“Here we are in the 21st century, and my son can’t see himself in history textbooks,” Leguizamo said earlier this year at the PBS Annual Meeting. “We’re not anywhere in history textbooks, and we helped build America.”
Another session focuses on how Latino stories are reflected in the news and features journalists Cristina Navarrete, weekend anchor and general assignment reporter for WNJU New York (Telemundo 47); Jessica Formoso, reporter for WNYW New York (Fox 5); and Tanya Rivero, WABC New York weekend anchor.
A different session focuses on Latino stories in new productions and includes programmers like Hortensia Quadreny Tenchi of Warner Bros. Discovery, Oswald Mendez of Canela TV, Frank Scheuermann of Endemol Shine Boomdog and more.
A discussion on streaming and distribution features executives including Jen McBride from Condista; Luis Torres Bohl of Castalia and Mexicanal; Doris Vogelmann of V-Me and Evan Redwood of Google. In another session, Comcast’s Jose Velez Silva will discuss Now TV Latino, Xfinity’s new streaming platform for serving Latino audiences.
A session focused on media strategies features Marina Filippelli from Orci; Ron Mendez, with GroupM Multicultural; Alex Minicucci at Horizon Media; and Carla Kelly from NBCUniversal Media. An opening keynote address is presented by another media star, Isabela Sanchez of Zubi Advertising, who is the current chair of the Hispanic Marketing Council. Plus, the agenda also includes new research findings from Altman Solon, AIMM, Nielsen and Horowitz, plus a lunchtime mariachi performance.
Award Winners Honored
A popular segment is the presentation of the Hispanic TV Awards. This year’s recipients will be recognized for their contribution to the business of TV for Hispanic audiences in the U.S. and worldwide.
Chiqui Cartagena is the director of CUNY TV and an author. She is one of the two recipients of the Rafael Eli Award for Pioneer in Hispanic Television. Her inspiration comes from her friendship with TV talk show legend, Cristina Saralegui. Cartagena covered news in her early career, and claims this for her success. She used her journalistic skills to develop new Spanish-language media and marketing products. She said receiving this award gives her courage.
The other recipient of the Pioneer Award is Javier Saralegui, CEO of Danger TV. His mentor is Jerry Perenchio, a pioneer in Hispanic television at Univision. Saralegui shared that he was often the first employee hired for new projects and that made him realize that he would be underresourced and require him to develop an “outside the box” mindset. He said this mindset is a key to his success.
Three awards will be presented for leadership in Hispanic Television. One goes to Isabel Rafferty Zavala, founder and CEO of Canela Media. She credits her mother for her ability to remain committed to her vision of securing $32 million in funding, making Canela Media the most heavily funded Latina-owned company in the media industry. Rafferty Zavala said that her success is due, in part, to surrounding herself with people who elevate the company and share a common vision.
VAB CEO Sean Cunningham is also a leadership recipient. He believes most advertising successes come when leaders allow young, bright people to go as far as they can as quickly as they can handle it. Cunningham said he has worked with many in the Hispanic space and being thought of as a peer leader to them gives him great personal satisfaction.
The final award for leadership is presented to Michael Roca, executive director of Omnicom Media Group’s cross-cultural center of excellence. He grew up in Queens as the child of Guatemalan parents. Roca said his mother is his inspiration in his career and influenced him to develop traits of humility, ambition and empathy. He said programs like Sabado Gigante, Jorge Ramos and Betty la Fea were staples of his childhood. This award represents the importance of positive representation in storytelling that can only be found in Hispanic TV and media, he said.
The Hispanic Television Summit, programmed by Schramm Marketing Group during NYC TV Week, will be held at etc.Venues, 360 Madison Ave., New York. For more information, visit nyctvweek.com.
