German Music Channel Viva Targets Spain

MADRID-German music channel Viva has made Spain its top priority in international expansion plans that also take in Poland, Switzerland, and Hungary, according to director of European TV operations Michael Westhoven.
Viva has linked with Spanish authors' and publishers' society SGAE, first to launch a one-hour Spanish and Latino music show in March in Germany, then to set up by late 2000/early 2001 a 24-hour Spanish-language music channel in Spain with a mix of Spanish/Latino and international repertoire, says Westhoven.
"Spain is our No. 1 international priority," he stresses. "Two factors are chiefly responsible for this: the undoubted quality of Latino music available worldwide and the fact that millions of Germans spend their holidays in Spain every summer. Tens of thousands have bought second homes there, especially on the holiday island of Majorca, and they have grown to love Latino music and the Latino lifestyle."
Following the success of "Buena Vista Social Club" last year, Westhoven says, Latino artists such as Chayanne, Alejandro Sanz, Marc Anthony, and Ricky Martin have enjoyed success in Germany. "We need more Latino output on Viva here in Germany, and that is where SGAE's advice and assistance will be crucial. We feel that it is crucial to have a Spanish-language channel set up in Spain," he says.
To that end, SGAE and Viva are to set up a joint venture to negotiate broadcast agreements with Spanish digital-TV platforms and cable-TV companies and to improve the production quality of videos for the Latino program in Germany.
Westhoven says, "Latino musical excellence is already there, but the key to success in this new operation is having good videos. We are now in negotiations with third parties to sponsor a SGAE/Viva video production operation."
Viva could face competition from rival MTV, which announced last year plans to set up a Spanish-language channel here, but no date has been set. MTV Europe's English-language channels are already broadcast on both platforms.
SGAE's director of complementary activities, Francisco Galindo, who is overseeing the operation from Spain, says, "This is an extremely important development for us to promote both our members [some 42,000 out of a total of 58,000 are in the Spanish and Latino music industries] as well as Latino music in general."
Germany's edel music, which last November acquired 16% of Viva, is also delighted with Viva's plans.
Nicola Zingarelle, managing director of edel music Spain, says, "It will be very useful for the industry, although I imagine the main problem will be winning a big enough audience.
"I have not been asked to help out on the operation and don't expect any preferential treatment because of edel's participation in Viva," Zingarelle says. "Viva has only one criterion regarding videos, and that is good quality."
Viva will establish operations in Poland starting April 1 and Switzerland shortly afterward. Other European countries, including Hungary, are targeted as well. -