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MAIN Contents • Editorial • Telenovelas Giants • Telenovela Stars • Taking a look at the world of telenovelas Telenovelas, Fiction and Formats • Europe • Asia • Africa • United States: The powerful Hispanic market • Business • Only CEO's • Latin America Writers Seedbed • RUSIA • UKRAINE • Investigation • BUSINESS PEOPLE as actors of the industry |
French speaking Africans constitute all the former French colonies accounting for 23 countries and 200 million people, among whom telenovelas are very successful products.
In the past time there was a state
channel in each country but today
the scene of this African region has
changed because governments
have neither the financial nor the
political means to support those
channels, which are starting to fall off
dramatically. Their infrastructure is old,
their human resources are inefficient and
they have a very limited income; therefore,
most of them only try to survive.
On the other hand, private channels are starting to have a prominent role, though with limited economic resources. Their strategy is often to position themselves as proximity channels, but sometimes it is not enough and they choose to differentiate from the rest by adding as many high-quality foreign fiction programs as they can.
Bernard Azria is a buyer, and Chairman of the company Cote Ouest, so he knows this market like the back of his hand. He says African audiences love telenovelas and they are a phenomenon that performs some kind of social work. Besides, he assures that in Africa the business is growing.
On the other hand, private channels are starting to have a prominent role, though with limited economic resources. Their strategy is often to position themselves as proximity channels, but sometimes it is not enough and they choose to differentiate from the rest by adding as many high-quality foreign fiction programs as they can.
Bernard Azria is a buyer, and Chairman of the company Cote Ouest, so he knows this market like the back of his hand. He says African audiences love telenovelas and they are a phenomenon that performs some kind of social work. Besides, he assures that in Africa the business is growing.
Telenovelas and budgets
In Africa, telenovelas are consumed as an expensive and unusual product. Channels broadcast one telenovela a day; in most cases, five times a week, but some of them air them only three days a week when the budget is not enough. They are always half-hour episodes broadcasted on access prime time.
In Africa, telenovelas are consumed as an expensive and unusual product. Channels broadcast one telenovela a day; in most cases, five times a week, but some of them air them only three days a week when the budget is not enough. They are always half-hour episodes broadcasted on access prime time.
They are generally scheduled on
national channels and repeated the following
day.
In Ivory Coast – the area where the
company directed by Azria operates –
they are currently broadcasting three
telenovelas: an Argentinean, a
Venezuelan and a Mexican one.
“Generally speaking, I usually buy fiction, but also telenovelas, TV movies and series. As regards telenovelas, the most successful are the typical Cinderella-story ones. We are considering telenovelas aimed at the new television audiences, so we are negotiating with Telefe from Argentina,” states the entrepreneur and content buyer.
In this region, the telenovela audience is not only made of women, “although they prevail, it is mostly a family audience,” explains Azria, who adds that telenovelas are not considered foreign programs. “Telenovelas have never existed in our European satellite channels; they were discovered by the African national channels – that’s why they are considered as part of the local program scheduling and that explains why Africans see telenovelas as part of their inheritance.”
National production
“Because of the absence of cinemas and theatres, the systematic policy that endangers home video and TV channels’ low processing power, there’s practically no national production in these countries. However, they are making some productions with subsidies granted by French governments and several private sponsors – some sitcoms, TV comedies and hardly ever futuristic movies. Within this context where everything goes wrong, is there anything that works? Yes, telenovelas,” remarks Azria, who highlights the productions of Little Missy, Marimar and Muñeca brava.
Telenovela audiences are a success that keeps repeating itself. This way channels settle in African everyday life firmly and for good. Firstly, telenovelas from TV Globo – a pioneer in versions for Africa – stand out; secondly, the ones f r o m Televisa; and finally, TV Azteca. “But r e c e n t l y Telefe and RCTV telenovelas have entered the market,” concludes Azria.
“Generally speaking, I usually buy fiction, but also telenovelas, TV movies and series. As regards telenovelas, the most successful are the typical Cinderella-story ones. We are considering telenovelas aimed at the new television audiences, so we are negotiating with Telefe from Argentina,” states the entrepreneur and content buyer.
In this region, the telenovela audience is not only made of women, “although they prevail, it is mostly a family audience,” explains Azria, who adds that telenovelas are not considered foreign programs. “Telenovelas have never existed in our European satellite channels; they were discovered by the African national channels – that’s why they are considered as part of the local program scheduling and that explains why Africans see telenovelas as part of their inheritance.”
National production
“Because of the absence of cinemas and theatres, the systematic policy that endangers home video and TV channels’ low processing power, there’s practically no national production in these countries. However, they are making some productions with subsidies granted by French governments and several private sponsors – some sitcoms, TV comedies and hardly ever futuristic movies. Within this context where everything goes wrong, is there anything that works? Yes, telenovelas,” remarks Azria, who highlights the productions of Little Missy, Marimar and Muñeca brava.
Telenovela audiences are a success that keeps repeating itself. This way channels settle in African everyday life firmly and for good. Firstly, telenovelas from TV Globo – a pioneer in versions for Africa – stand out; secondly, the ones f r o m Televisa; and finally, TV Azteca. “But r e c e n t l y Telefe and RCTV telenovelas have entered the market,” concludes Azria.