TELENOVELA BLOCK.pages 24 - 30: - Discop

telenovela block
HOW DO THEY CHOOSE
Telenovelas are still one of the most popular TV formats
in South-Eastern Europe. In spite of the attack by the
great number of producers that produce and sell this kind
of programming, only top quality and confirmed ones are
being bought. But, how do buyers recognize top quality
One of the most frequent statements, which we have
found in our research, was: “We do not have enough
money to buy cheap!”
Of course, we’ve also got more specific answers:
“When I decide about the serial that we may broadcast
on HRT, I choose them subjectively. I choose serials
for the wide audience and older population. Classical love
stories have priority. Some of the criteria are that telano -
vela is from the best production, with carefully selected
cast, and rich exterior. We try to broadcast telenovelas
with theatre actors, and we are constantly informing ourselves
about them from the magazines covering this kind
of production,” says for DISCOP LINK Ranka Horvat. “We
cooperate exclusively with TV GLOBO, whose serials are
from the Mexican Spanish language area, and with TELE-
VIS from the Portugal language area. I observe the work of
these two production houses, and consider them to be the
best.
Tatjana Majhrovski said that for selection quality of
production is crucial.
“We had found the quality with the productions of
GLOBO TV and TELEFE International from Argentina.”
“Criteria that I use to choose telenovelas are, in the
first place, successful production house, telenovela’s success
and popularity on other markets, and the quality of
the story,” says Branko Lazic. “I choose love stories like
CINDERELLA BECOMES PRINCESS and similar stories.”
In Bulgaria, besides obvious criterion being the production
quality, another important criterion in the selection
of a serial is how it fits into the complete program
scheme of the media.
Ratings of the serial in countries with similar audience
are also important (the Balkans, Russian republics, East
European countries). Also, there is always a matter of
price of certain serial.
Completely “unprofessional” yet applicable is the
selector’s intuition criterion that plays a decisive role in
soap serials selection.
In Romania, among the criteria for the acquisition and
broadcasting soap appears are: the topic (the favourite
being the classical ones which give off the subjects of the
childhood’s fairy tale; Cinderella, Snow-White and the like);
the script (the most favourite were those of Delia Fiallo);
the actors (famous, beautiful, suitable for a specific part);
quality of production (favourites are the Mexican ones and
those from Peru).
“Telenovelas as a genre are very popular in Slovenia
and their rating constantly increases. One of the principal
selection criteria for this kind of programming is, primarily,
their success on the foreign markets, followed by the
quality of production and the cast, because the Slovenian
audience has criteria different from the audience in the
region. Therefore, we are strict in our intention to satisfy
the taste of the choosiest spectators,” says Petra
Uranjek.
TVN has been on the Polish media
sky since 1997 (its roots are in regional
TV WISLA) and its target group is
urban audience aged between 16 and
49. “During the past year, three tele -
novelas of foreign production were
broadcast”, says Radoslaw Ziolek.
“They were Columbian THE BITTER
REVENGE, which attracted 900,000
spectators per episode, and two
Mexican serials, THE SINNER and THE
HEART OF STONE with 1.2 million and
500,000 spectators, respectively.
This year, THE COLOUR OF SINN and
new episodes of THE BITTER REVEN -
GE will be broadcast.
TVN is producing three new tele -
novelas at the moment. Investments
are much higher compared with the
amounts needed for the purchase of
foreign production, but ratings show
that our audience prefers domestic
telenovelas.”
ROMANIA
In 1994 and 1995, when the first
private televisions in Romania started
attracting viewers and taking important
place on the mass-media market,
South-American telenovelas also
appeared. Subsequently, these series
won more and more viewers, so that
the commercial generalist televisions
entered a real fight over broadcasting
as many soap operas as possible. In
1998, Media Pro Corporation (which
held PRO TV television, broadcasting,
newspapers and the like) created a
special television, ACASA TV, which
continually broadcasts soap operas,
but also some programming for
women. At present, ACASA is broadcasting
fifteen South-American series.
Moreover, Media Pro Corpo ration registered
its first performing two years
ago, when the first Roma nian soap
opera appeared. Now it is broadcasting
the second one, which scored with
the viewers of this kind of programming.
On the other hand, PRO TV
doesn’t broadcast any kind of soap
opera.
Antena 1, another generalist television,
which is a part of a great media
Continued on page 30
corporation, was the first to launch a
soap opera in Romania. Gradually, due
to increased demand, the quality of
the release deteriorated. There were
not original scripts, there were more
repicturisations, and the topics were
alike. Now, Antena 1 doesn’t broadcast
South-American soap operas
either, as the audience gradually
decreased. Those being fond of such
programs know that they have a specialised
channel for them, ACASA TV.
Antena 1 also made Romanian soap
operas, together with LA DOLCE VITA,
which is being broadcast since last
autumn, in the evening at 10 o’clock,
and which was a success (audience
share is 7-8%). Recently, Antena 1
broadcast a Russian soap, first season,
in the afternoon at 5 o’clock, also
with great success.
Other commercial generalist televisions
either do not broadcast soap
operas at all, or they have two or three
serials. It must be noticed that simul-
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