Subverting the telenovela juggernaut to become the nation's premiere Spanish-language alternative won't be easy CNN Latino's slogan, 'Todo es posible' ('Everything is possible'), seems almost a jab at the task. But Marlen Abrahantes, who is leading the CNN Latino charge in Tampa and Orlando, said the station will try to carve out a niche among a new generation of young Hispanics weaned on high production values and bored with formulaic soaps. The Latin-American soap operas built off time-worn story lines - villains brought to justice tawdry love triangles small-town everygirls marrying millionaires - are consistent hits among Hispanic audiences, so launching a Spanish-language station without one could seem like a risk.

30) in Verizon's local lineup and is already pushing to expand.īut the station will face a series of challenges as it wrestles for market share with Spanish-language powerhouses Telemundo and Univision, which boast established studios, loyal viewership and pipelines to Miami's telenovela factories. Funded by the heir of what was once one of Ecuador's most powerful business families and overseen locally by a former account executive at Telemundo, the affiliate won a coveted low-numbered slot (Ch. Filmed from a small studio in Tampa Heights, the morning show is a centerpiece of CNN Latino Tampa, which launched here six months ago as part of an ambitious nationwide bet to build a news-heavy network aimed at winning over America's exploding Hispanic market.Ĭovering a 45-mile radius from Sarasota to Zephyrhills, the station mixes glossy syndicated programming from the cable network's Spanish-language news outlet, CNN en Espanol, with a lineup of locally made shows ranging from news, traffic and weather to cooking, fashion and fishing.īoosters say the young affiliate is already off to a strong start.

Telenovelas en espanol