KCBS Will Test Seven Weeks of Late-Night Latino Shows
- Share via
KCBS-TV has reached an agreement with Si TV, a Hollywood production company specializing in Latino-themed programming, to test an hourlong late-night strip of series and specials. The station hopes that the move will boost its ratings among the market’s 5.8 million Latino television viewers.
Debuting July 23 at 1:30 a.m., the English-language overnight programming block will draw from Si TV’s library, including “Cafe Ole With Giselle Fernandez”; the comedy showcase “Funny Is Funny”; “Culture Shock,” a panel show that looks at social, cultural and racial issues; “Young Filmmakers’ Showcase”; and “The Latino Laugh Festival.”
In addition to the Monday through Friday block, the station also will air a half-hour Si TV show Sunday mornings at 1 a.m.
“From the station’s point of view, we’re trying to do something to be responsive to the community,” says KCBS program director Rozanne Englehart. “From a marketing standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world. It works on a lot of fronts.”
KCBS will not pay for the programs nor will Si TV contract for the air time; instead the two parties will divide advertising time under a barter agreement. Although the programs will run in English, Englehart said it is “very likely” some ads will air in Spanish. The station recently aired a Spanish-language Chevron spot and received a favorable response.
Both Englehart and Jeff Valdez, the co-chairman of Si TV, characterize the seven-week deal as “an experiment” and say that if viewer response is good, a contract renewal and a better time period are possible.
“This is a big step on KCBS’ part,” Valdez said. “The local stations get it. They know 40% of their audience is Latino and they can’t just write that off. If this works, it will be a great message for the networks.”
Si TV was founded 20 months ago by Valdez, a former comedian and one-time executive producer at Tri-Star Television, to address the lack of television programming for English-speaking Latinos. Its first productions, which included “Cafe Ole” and “Funny Is Funny,” enjoyed mild success during a yearlong run on the Spanish-language cable channel Galavision. The programs later ran in syndication on English-language channels in 52 markets, including New York, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio.
In March, Si TV has gotten an OK to produce two half-hour pilots for Disney and Nickelodeon; this month it forged a partnership with Film Roman (“The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill”) to co-produce a 30-minute animation pilot, “Stuck in the Middle,” featuring Cheech Marin. Valdez is also lining up investors to help launch a full-time English-language cable network next spring.
More to Read
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.