Telemundo Appoints New PRTI President

MIAMI: Telemundo Communications Group has named Patricio Wills as president of Producciones RTI (PRTI), Telemundo’s strategic joint venture in Colombia focused on producing Spanish-language telenovelas and series.

Wills has overseen production of a number of Telemundo’s original programming, including the top-rated telenovela La Reina del Sur, which was produced by PRTI and executive produced by Wills.

Telemundo has already committed several productions to PRTI in 2011, including the series Decisiones Extremas. Wills’ transition is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2011; in the interim, he will continue to oversee projects in Telemundo’s Miami studios including Aurora and Candela Volcan, as well as the development and production of Telemundo’s slate of shows for the 2011-2012 upfront season.

Don Browne, the president of Telemundo Communications Group, said of the appointment: “Patricio’s creative vision has been a key reason for Telemundo’s success in producing original content for millions of viewers in the United States and around the world. Our investment in PRTI strengthened our strategic production partnership and helped expand our production capacity. Patricio’s new focus will ensure that PRTI continues to produce world class content for the Telemundo network while allowing PRTI to continue to grow as the demand for first-class original Spanish language content increases around the world. Patricio’s record in producing content watched by viewers all over the world, ensures PRTI’s success in a rapidly expanding market and competitive environment. At the same time, Patricio will continue to collaborate with Telemundo to produce the world class content Telemundo audiences have come to expect. This development is a win-win for Telemundo and PRTI.”

Wills added: “I want to thank Telemundo for allowing me to focus on PRTI on a full-time basis. We will continue to supply Telemundo with great content while I now focus on growing PRTI. I look forward to continuing the close creative collaboration I have had with the Telemundo team.”

Telemundo is also promoting Aurelio Valcarcel to executive VP of Telemundo Studios in Miami. As part of his new position, Valcarcel will be responsible for all productions out of the Miami studio. Valcarcel has been executive producer of more than 15 telenovelas since he joined Telemundo Studios, including Donde Esta Elisa?, El Cuerpo del Deseo and Mas Sabe el Diablo.