MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Get set for a new take on music competition shows, courtesy of Telemundo and Barcelona, Spain-based production studio Reset TV.
In an announcement made Jan. 27 at the 2014 NATPE Market & Conference here, the NBCUniversal-owned Hispanic said it has forged an agreement with Reset TV that allows it to jointly own, develop, produce and distribute “a new musical competition format and weekend primetime series” with the working title El Artista.
Telemundo expects the show to debut in the 2014-15 season.
With key phrases including “new format” and “original concept” emphasized by Telemundo, the program will seek to distinguish itself from such long-running franchises as Fox’s American Idol and The X Factor and NBC’s The Voice, as well as El Factor X on MundoFox and La Voz Kids on Telemundo.
According to Telemundo, the series will follow “a bevy of talented upcoming stars demonstrating on stage in a spectacular TV gala that they have what it takes to become the show’s ultimate winner.” Thirteen two-hour episodes will be produced, with Reset TV founders Toni Cruz and Josep Maria Mainat overseeing a Miami-based crew.
Cruz and Mainat are widely known for launching the Star Academy music competition format in Spain under the Operación Triunfo brand, which ran on national broadcaster TVE1 and, later, Telecinco from 2001 to 2011.
“Audiences around the world have a proven appetite for innovative music competition programs that the entire family can enjoy as appointment viewing,” Marcos Santana, president of Telemundo International, said. “That growing interest, combined with the creativity and experience of the team at Reset TV, will allow us to develop and produce a successful format for the U.S. and the international markets.”
Also at NATPE, Santana said that Telemundo International would offer a unique feed for Venezuela, Colombia, and Central America; the feed launched on Feb. 1. Telemundo had already offered an international feed based on Mexico time. The new feed will allow South American advertisers to reach their targets more effectively.
And, in a preview of what may be to come at its upfront presentation on May 13 at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, actress Sara Maldonado introduced NATPE attendees to Telemundo’s narco-corrido inspired original series Camelia La Texana. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Carlos Bolado, the program will air at 10 p.m., one of the network’s top-rated timeslots in recent years.
In other NATPE news, rapper and producer Pitbull has signed an exclusive all-encompassing deal with Endemol North America. The agreement calls for “Mr. Worldwide” — a.k.a. Armando Christian Perez — to produce original content for television and digital platforms. Pitbull will also benefit from a branded channel on the Endemol Beyond digital network.
Additionally, Hispanics in Canada will soon become familiar with the Univision logo, thanks to an expanded agreement with Corus Entertainment that rebrands Telelatino’s TLN en Español as Univision Canada. Telelatino has partnered with Univision since the early 2000s, with TLN en Español serving as the exclusive Canadian home to Spanish-language coverage of the Latin Grammys, FIFA World Cup coverage en español, and such signature Univision programs as Sábado Gigante, Primer Impacto, Aqui y Ahora, El Gordo y La Flaca, Premio Lo Nuestro and Noticiero Univision.
"The Spanish-speaking community in Canada is an important and growing multicultural group,” Telelatino Network President Aldo Di Felice said. “We are proud that our longstanding relationship with Univision has culminated in officially putting the Univision stamp on TLNE, a channel that Spanish-speaking Canadians have been embracing since its launch in 2007. As Canada's multichannel operator of branded ethnic services we take pride in adding the iconic Univision brand to the stable of international ethnic channels that we have introduced to Canada."
