The Hispanic TV Summit panel Content for Special Audience Segments looked at the best ways of reaching users on multiple platforms and the role AI might play in programming in the very near future.
The panel saw J.C. Sanchez, CEO and founder of family programming network Family Playland, define the modern TV era as TV 3.0. Broadcast TV was 1.0, and the onset of cable ushered in 2.0. The new era means users want what they want, when they want, on the device they want.
“We want to be wherever our fans want to consume our content,” Sanchez said.
Court Stroud, an adjunct faculty member at New York University and Columbia University and a veteran of Univision and Telemundo, among other TV companies, moderated. Chris Knight, Gusto TV president and CEO, echoed Sanchez on reaching users where they choose to be. “We don’t care where you watch us, just as long as you watch us,” he said.
Knight added that a lot of time is spent thinking and talking about the right “vessels” for content, when more of the focus should be on the quality of the programming.
Sanchez said there is so much fragmentation in television that it offers content creators a good opportunity to connect with overlooked audiences. “The market is ripe right now to come in and superserve what has been underserved,” he said.
Oscar Ramos, senior director, digital content at ESPN Deportes, said connection is more than simply speaking users’ or viewers’ language, but serving them “the content that moves them” as well.
Original content was a theme of the panel. Doris Vogelmann, VP of programming and operations at Spanish-language network Vme Media, said the network “looks for shows that are positive for the community.” Sanchez said Family Playland would love to get into the originals space, but it is not there yet. Food network Gusto TV, for its part, is. “We produce 100% of the content on our channel,” Knight said.
The panel also touched on AI. Ramos said AI is not yet a major factor in programming. “In the end it’s about being authentic,” he said, “and AI still has a lot of work to do.”
Knight said Gusto TV is “all in” on AI and Sanchez said Family Playland is embracing it, too. He added, “As small programmers, it’s helping us compete.”
