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Networks consider changing channel on pitching shows

As the television writers strike went into a new year, many U.S. viewers were left wondering what they were going to do with their evenings. For Spanish-language TV fans, one solution came in four words: Amas de Casa Desesperadas.

This is the new Latin American interpretation of Desperate Housewives, the ABC hit show. But will that be enough? Executives at both major networks, Univision and Telemundo, were wondering what they will do in May, the time for the annual upfront presentations of their line-ups for advertisers.

Mike Rodriguez, senior vice president/sales for NBC Universal-owned Telemundo, tells Advertising Age that whatever the mother ship decides “is a consideration.” But someone needs to make a move soon. “It's premature,” he says. “We need to decide pretty soon.”

“We haven't made a decision yet, but we’re talking about it internally,” says David Lawenda, Univision's president/advertising sales.

Univision could decide between a splashy upfront presentation or instead host a road show based on what the English-language networks do. But since the large agencies and advertisers traditionally head to New York at the same to attend multiple networks’ presentations, there is a question of whether Univision would get the same crowd as before.