KCBS Will Test Seven Weeks of Late-Night Latino Shows

KCBS-TV has reached an agreement with Si TV, a Hollywood production company specializing in Latino-themed programming, to test an hourlong late-night strip of series and specials. The station hopes that the move will boost its ratings among the market’s 5.8 million Latino television viewers.

Debuting July 23 at 1:30 a.m., the English-language overnight programming block will draw from Si TV’s library, including “Cafe Ole With Giselle Fernandez”; the comedy showcase “Funny Is Funny”; “Culture Shock,” a panel show that looks at social, cultural and racial issues; “Young Filmmakers’ Showcase”; and “The Latino Laugh Festival.”

In addition to the Monday through Friday block, the station also will air a half-hour Si TV show Sunday mornings at 1 a.m.

“From the station’s point of view, we’re trying to do something to be responsive to the community,” says KCBS program director Rozanne Englehart. “From a marketing standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world. It works on a lot of fronts.”

KCBS will not pay for the programs nor will Si TV contract for the air time; instead the two parties will divide advertising time under a barter agreement. Although the programs will run in English, Englehart said it is “very likely” some ads will air in Spanish. The station recently aired a Spanish-language Chevron spot and received a favorable response.

Both Englehart and Jeff Valdez, the co-chairman of Si TV, characterize the seven-week deal as “an experiment” and say that if viewer response is good, a contract renewal and a better time period are possible.

“This is a big step on KCBS’ part,” Valdez said. “The local stations get it. They know 40% of their audience is Latino and they can’t just write that off. If this works, it will be a great message for the networks.”

Si TV was founded 20 months ago by Valdez, a former comedian and one-time executive producer at Tri-Star Television, to address the lack of television programming for English-speaking Latinos. Its first productions, which included “Cafe Ole” and “Funny Is Funny,” enjoyed mild success during a yearlong run on the Spanish-language cable channel Galavision. The programs later ran in syndication on English-language channels in 52 markets, including New York, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio.

In March, Si TV has gotten an OK to produce two half-hour pilots for Disney and Nickelodeon; this month it forged a partnership with Film Roman (“The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill”) to co-produce a 30-minute animation pilot, “Stuck in the Middle,” featuring Cheech Marin. Valdez is also lining up investors to help launch a full-time English-language cable network next spring.