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Video in Latin America: The Outlook for 1954
By FRANK FOUCE
President Pan American Television Corporation
TELEVISION while in existence some three and a half years now, can, nevertheless, be considered as hemg m its infancy in Latin America. At the present time there are six stations operatmg m three markets in Mexico; eight stations operating in five markets in Cuba; one station in the Dominion Repuiblic; two stations in Venezuela; five stations operatincr in three markets in Brazil; one station^in Argentina and C.P.'s issued for several of the other countries in Latin America.
The reason for so few stations Is due to the fact that receiving sets are not being delivered as yet in sufficient quantities to allow existing stations to raise their basic time rates, and since these stations form the nucleus for further expansion, they must obviously be on a paying basis in order for the other principal cities in each country to obtain stations. The chief difficulty at the present time is that receiving sets cost a great deal more than they do in the United States, due to such factors as freight, duties, and so forth, combined with the fact that the per capita income in these countries, in most instances, is much less than in the United States or Great Britain, where sets are manufactured.
For the present only Cuba can afford a micro-wave relay network system and it is highly doubtful that any other country will have such facilities, at least on a national basis, for many years to come.
With these thoughts in mind. Pan American Television Corporation was formed to supply filmed and kinescoped programs throughout Latin America. We have arranged to obtain from the leading
motion picture producers in Latin America all of their backlog together with their current and future production, guaranteeing them ample protection for their theatrical playdates. At the present time our catalogue shows many thousands of hours of feature productions. In addition, we are constantly receiving short subjects and complete series in Spanish for the Stations.
For the present, it is not economically feasible to dub English product into Spanish, unless a Sponsor demands it and is willing to contract for a sufficient number of stations to cover the cost involved.
With the interchange of programming between the various countries, I feel certain that each country's culture will be much more easily assimilated by other countries than in the past, resulting in a greater understanding of each other's problems. However, most countries rely on the local type comic for their comedy and variety formats.
The future of live television in Latin America is dependent upon the technical advances made by the Scientists of the industry in devising some means of long distance transmission such as we now have in AM radio. Of course, this is the answer to world-wide television and we find ourselves in the same position exactly as almost all other countries with the possible exception of the United States, insofar as national or regional telecasting is concerned.
In conclusion, our major problems then can be met by lowering the price of the receiving sets to the ultimate consumer and by the technical advancements of long distance transmissions or relay and faith in the future of our markets.
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