¡Sorpresa!

World Screen Weekly, June 05, 2008

COUNTRY: U.S.

LAUNCH DATE: May 2003 by Firestone Communications

OWNERSHIP: The channel is owned by the publicly held company Juniper Content Corporation, which merged with Firestone in January 2007.

DISTRIBUTION: ¡Sorpresa! network is offered through Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, Verizon FiOS and participating National Cable TV Cooperative systems and in Puerto Rico on Liberty Cable systems, Choice Cable and Onelink. ¡Sorpresa! is also available through third-party multiplatform operators, including MobiTV, the provider of Spanish-language video services to Alltel Wireless, AT&T and Sprint; Brightcove, the exclusive broadband video player to www.sorpresatv.com; and Akimbo, the VOD provider to AT&T Homezone.

DESCRIPTION: The 24/7 Spanish-language network targets Hispanic children of all ages with educational, “in-culture experiences” across multiple platforms.

PRESIDENT & CEO: Stuart B. Rekant

SENIOR VP & CFO: Herb Roberts

SENIOR VP, PROGRAMMING: Maria Badillo

SENIOR VP, DIGITAL MEDIA & BROADCAST OPERATIONS: Chris Firestone

SENIOR VP, ADVERTISING SALES: Mike Weiden

VP, AFFILATE RELATIONS & MARKETING: Tim Kelly

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: ¡Sorpresa! celebrated its fifth anniversary last month with a new on-air look as well as a new tagline, “El Mundo que Imaginas.” Maria Badillo, ¡Sorpresa!’s senior VP of programming, notes that the new motto, translated as “The World You Imagine,” reflects the channel’s mandate. “We offer a variety of shows that are fun, edutainment and that are culturally relevant, with the idea that kids can learn about themselves and about the world they live in."

Badillo stresses that Latin America is not the only source of content for the channel; indeed, recent acquisitions include Lola & Virginia from Imira Entertainment in Spain, Galactik Football from France’s Alphanim and Erky Perky from Canada’s CCI Entertainment. “We have shows from the U.K., France, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain. We want programming that really connects these kids with the world around them and we’re also looking for shows that not only can translate on the screen but also have multiplatform outlets.”

?Sorpresa! has also ventured into original productions with ?Que Pasa?, produced in association with CNN en Españ¯¬® In the series, kids can send in videotaped questions to be answered by the Spanish-language news network’s anchors. In addition, Sorpresa! recently renewed its partnership with the Hamptons International Film Festival for the ?Sorpresa! Youth Film Competition. ¡Sorpresa! is looking for outstanding short films created by young people up to the age of 17 that illustrate "The World You Imagine" through a Hispanic lens. Five finalists will be selected and screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Badillo stresses the variety of Sorpresa!’s grid, from animation to live-action drama to magazine-style series like Gillette’s World Sports. Movies are also key to the schedule, as part of ¡Sorpresa!’s prime-time lineup. Targeting a range of demographics, ¡Sorpresa!’s has several dayparts skewed to different segments, from preschool fare in the morning to shows for the 6-to-11 set in the afternoon. Tweens, teens and families are catered to at the end of the day.

WHAT’S NEW: ¡Sorpresa! recently established a multiplatform partnership with Major League Soccer. Badillo notes that this an example of how ¡Sorpresa! is looking to build a strong online community, and its website serves as the hub for those activities. Sorpresatv.com already features on-demand videos, games, ringtones, games and more. To further those efforts, ¡Sorpresa! recently tapped AOL executive Kate Condon as executive producer of Sorpresatv.com. In her role, Condon will be charged with expanding the network’s online capabilities, digital community and audience reach. She will also focus on growing and integrating the online presence of ¡Sorpresa!’s advertising and programming partners.

WEBSITE: www.sorpresatv.com

—By Mansha Daswani