TV Azteca Chief Talks Transformation

Benjamin Salinas Sada, CEO of TV Azteca, shared his strategy for the Mexican broadcaster in conversation with World Screen’s Anna Carugati during his MIPCOM Media Mastermind keynote.

Salinas has been the CEO of TV Azteca, which is marking its 25th anniversary, for the last two years. He inherited an organization that needed a transformation from within. “The culture was a mess. There was no teamwork, no creative ideas. We had to start to change from the inside by producing better and start reconnecting with audiences.”

Salinas put in place a strategy to change the culture at TV Azteca, fostering a spirit of collaboration. “The culture is completely different now. It’s still a work in progress. I’m really happy with the results. When I arrived we had 28 percent share in prime time. Now we have well over 35.”

He noted that when he took over at the company, “We had no owned telenovelas. We bought internationally and aired them. So we had a big lag in the pipeline.” Now it’s making nine to ten, including, with Sony Pictures Television, Rosario Tijeras. “It’s the first time we beat Televisa in the ratings.”

Salinas is excited about the prospect of international collaborations to deliver shows with bigger budgets and greater scale and ambition. “The audience is very demanding. That’s why we’re making big changes for the future.”

TV Azteca, which operates two free-TV networks, launched two new channels this year, including a 24-hour over-the-air news service. Free to air remains strong in Mexico, Salinas noted. He added that sports is a key driver for TV Azteca. “Every year we have the number one show in ratings and it’s usually a boxing match.”

Carugati asked Salinas about how TV Azteca is responding to the shifting media landscape. Outlining his vision for the next few years, Salinas said, “Audiences are demanding. There are multiple distribution platforms, so the ecosystem is growing. The number of productions is growing. We see opportunities. There is an imbalance between supply and demand. There is more demand than there is supply. That’s a clear opportunity for us. We should seize it.”

Part of that strategy has involved the launch of an independent production company, Dopamine, to make “top-tier original content.” On why the company has taken this route, Salinas said, “We’re a local player. We cannot compete with content worldwide that’s being done with much larger budgets than ours. With Dopamine we’ll be able to do that.” The venture will begin in Spanish-language content but could expand to English. It will have its own sales arm to distribute shows around the world. “We need to be producing for different platforms,” Salinas said.

Dopamine projects in the works include a collaboration with Sony Pictures Television about Mary Magadalene. “We could not have done that with TV Azteca. It would not be profitable. If by any chance TV Azteca can [afford to] buy it, great. It not, they’ll sell it to anyone who’s here!”