TV Colombia is no more. And for its owners -- privately held RCN Televisión and U.S.-based distributor Condista -- that’s perfectly fine.
The network has changed its name to Nuestra Tele. According to RCN, the rebranding is tied to an effort to reach a larger audience of Hispanics.
In several ways, RCN’s programs have already been seen by far more than Colombians in the U.S.
“RCN’s content has been used by U.S. broadcasters like Telemundo, UniMás (when it was TeleFutura), and now MundoFox, to achieve high ratings,” Julian Giraldo, executive vice president of RCN’s international channels, said. “That success demonstrates that our content has crossover appeal. We can generate audience from beyond Colombians, which makes our network even more valuable.”
With the switch to Nuestra Tele, the channel has overhauled its on-air programming lineup. In the mornings, a Colombia-centric newscast will now be accompanied by a half-hour news program dedicated to Latin America’s top headlines, América se Entera. The program is helmed by Venezuelan journalist Idania Chirinos.
From 4-6 p.m. ET, Nuestra Tele will air Viva la Tarde, a Colombian newsmagazine focused on entertainment news, music and behind-the-scenes looks at RCN productions. The 6 p.m. ET hour starts with a 30-minute newscast from Colombia and is followed by the 30-minute offering Tenemos Que Hablar, described by RCN as “a show with celebrity gossip, artists in trouble, the best and worst dressed, and information the public wants to know about their Latino idols in the U.S.”
Meanwhile, Nuestra Tele will place a spotlight on a host of telenovelas. The channel will broadcast all episodes of El Capo and El CapoII, Hasta Que La Plata Nos Separe, and a novela that focuses on the history of Joe Arroyo (“Rebelion”), one of the most popular salsa musicians in Colombian history.
Nuestra Tele’s nighttime programming also includes an hourlong sports wrap-up show -- Charla Técnica -- hosted by Mariano Olsen. Nuestra Tele will also continue to cover Colombia’s first division professional soccer league with six matches each week.
“We are excited about these changes,” Giraldo said. “We will keep working to ensure that Nuestra Tele is not only relevant and important to Colombians living in the U.S., but also becomes a brand that appeals to all Spanish-language speakers.”
