#NYCTVWK: Telemundo Programming Shifts As Cultures Intersect

Complete Coverage: NYC Television Week

New York -- Hispanic and American cultures have begun to intersect and that shift has forced Telemundo to rethink its programming, said Jacqueline Hernandez, COO, Telemundo Media, at the TV Summit during NYC Television Week on Wednesday.

"Once upon a time, when I was little, there were two worlds, two parallel universes: Hispanic and American," Hernandez said, noting a shift. "And now it's like those universes have completely intersected."

As part of that convergence, Telemundo has changed its programming. Telemundo traditionally produced telenovelas with a basic romance structure, running 120 episodes. Though Telemundo doesn’t intend on abandoning telenovelas, it does intend on programming shorter, more succinct series.

"We started doing super series. We made them 60 episodes instead of 120. The pacing was much faster. The first one was in 2011, La Reina del Sur," Hernandez said.

With La Reina del Sur's success — and the success of other super series — Telemundo is currently working on the sequel to Reina, which will air next year.