Eight LATAM TV leaders joined VideoAge editor Dom Serafini at a breakfast meeting to discuss the future of NATPE Miami and the development of the upcoming L.A. Screenings. Shortly before the meeting, reps for NATPE announced that it was not going to be involved with this year’s L.A. Screenings. However, some NATPE observers said that a final decision has yet to be made.
The meeting was held at the Hotel St. Michel, a historical landmark in Coral Gables that was built in 1926, on Thursday February 10, 2022. The session was on record for an article in the MIPTV (April) Issue of VideoAge. This Water Cooler features an abridged version of the more comprehensive article that will be published in April.
The eight LATAM TV executives at the breakfast meeting represented various aspects of the TV sector, including services, satellite distribution, content sales, content acquisition, and events organization. The representives were (in alphabetical order): Ana Castillo (Universal Cinergia), Cesar Diaz (7A Media), Jorge Fiterre (Condista), Jose Luis Gascue (Turkey’s Calinos), Helen Jurado (A+E Networks), Alexander Marin (Colombia’s RCN), Isabella Marquez (EventsTM), and Claudia Olachea Silva (Televisa). Loni Farhi, president of SPI, who could not attend the breakfast, met with VideoAge separately in Miami Beach.
The outcome of the meeting can be summarized as follows. If NATPE executives want to move the event outside of Miami, they should consider Orlando, Florida as a potential venue. As for the L.A. Screenings, the verdict is still out due to the ever-changing business model used by the U.S. studios. However, if some buyers from LATAM were to attend the Hollywood-based studio event, they would most likely fly to L.A. with a stopover in Miami. In this case, a Miami screenings tied to the Upfronts in New York City in May would be very appealing. If the L.A. Screenings should happen — in any form — WAWA, an organization representing female TV executives in the LATAM region, will be in attendance.
Pictured above, from l. to r.:
Ana Castillo, Jose Luis Gascue, Jorge Fiterre, Alexander Marin, Claudia Olachea Silva, Isabella Marquez, Cesar Diaz, and Helen Jurado.
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