NBC Soaps Up
By Jim Benson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/27/2006 12:40:00 PM
It’s telenovela fever.
NBC Universal Television Group has signed a two-year, first-look development deal with Galan Entertainment for the production of telenovelas and other Spanish-language formats in English across its networks, starting with NBC, USA, and Bravo, according to CEO Jeff Zucker. Seeking to separate this announcement from all the others, NBC U, Galan Entertainment, and Telemundo noted they will leverage the existing assets of NBC-owned Telemundo -- the second-largest Spanish-language content producer -- for the Spanish market. Telemundo will license all its formats, in addition to other acquired formats, to Galan Entertainment to redevelop into English.
Says Telemundo President Don Browne, "The deal further highlights the value of GE's and NBC U's investment in Spanish-language television."
Under the deal, Galan will “reshape” Telemundo and other suppliers' Spanish language formats for the English market. As expected, the first project to be developed for production this summer will be Telemundo’s Body of Desire.
Twentieth notably has weighed in with an English-lagunage version of the sexy telenovella, Desire, which was to be syndicated and will now to be an anchor of co-owned Fox's new service, My Network TV.--John Eggerton contributed to this report.
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