Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

News Corp.’s launch of their new broadcast network MyNetworkTV is a brilliant move. While many advertisers and industry insiders seem skeptical at the success of the network which will feature Spanish-language style telenovelas in English, there is so much potential and the American audience will eat it up with advertisers soon clamoring to get a piece with ad spots and product placement. Spanish language telenovelas have been a mainstay for the Hispanic community in the United States. This type of programming is part of their culture and by creating an English language version there will be huge interest by that community and beyond. In high school our teachers wanted us to watch Spanish soap operas to help us with our Spanish, these telenovelas will give non-English speaking immigrants a familiar form of entertainment where they can improve their English language skills. Further, second generation Hispanics who grew up on Spanish telenovelas will love these new shows in English. They are reminiscent of their childhood growing up with non-English speaking parents giving them a connection to their past and also giving them something from their culture to enjoy when their own Spanish language skills might be rudimentary. MyNetworkTV telenovelas will open a huge market that has been untapped and create a unique fan base that no other network is poised to capture. The telenovelas open doors that advertisers have struggled to open, it makes America more multi-cultural, it gives Hispanic immigrants something of their own where they can improve language skills, and it connects second and third generation Hispanics to a style of entertainment born of their culture. Personally I am looking forward to these English telenovelas. I’ve seen the commercials for the show Fashion House starring two legends Bo Derek and Morgan Fairchild. The show seems reminiscent of Dynasty where Joan Collins and Linda Evans duked it out, but with a modern fresh twist with a little of that south of the border zest.