Opportunity budding in Mexico

(ill roberts handles international relations at tvontario. Views and suggestions expressed are his own mischief.)

Fifty years of political recognition and a controversial trade deal have not yet brought Mexican and Canadian broadcast interests to a point where they are waltzing on common ground. Specifically, 1994 is the 50th anniversary of Canada-Mexico diplomatic relations. It will also mark the first full year of life under nafta. Canada and Mexico already have an official coproduction agreement, which should soon be revised to include television and twinning provisions for programs and series.

Last year, the Toronto Festival of Festivals hosted a useful morning seminar on Mexico, and this year the Banff Television Festival will dedicate part of its agenda to this very topic. So there are already some pleasant notes in the air.

In addition, many Canadian producers are aware of such recent Mexican feature film hits as Like Water for Chocolate and Danzon, both of which enjoyed successful North American and European commercial releases. (The former remains the highest grossing foreign film ever in Canada.)

However, television is another matter altogether. A few Canadian broadcasters like CanWest Global Communications and Radio-Quebec have courted Mexico for its broadcast growth potential. To quote CanWest Global chairman and ceo Izzy Asper: ‘We’re taking a serious look at the Hispanic market…it is, after English, the most viable and prosperous market.’ Others, like tvontario, are pursuing partnerships and productions with a similar dance card in mind.

But once again it is the Americans who are really into the salsa and tango of Mexico’s potential. nbc’s 14-hour Spanish-language news fare Noticias, Fox’s Latin America Channel, qvc’s Mexican version of the home-shopping service, as well as Mexican gambits by Spelling, Worldvision, hbo, espn, Turner and The Discovery Channel all point to a u.s. lead.

But why is there not a natural jive between Canada and Mexico? Especially when both Canadians and Mexicans openly admit that they face common hurdles. Both confront the clout of u.s. distributors in their domestic markets, both need to recuperate more in their national markets to survive, and both assert that film and television have vital roles in the formation of cultural identity.

To ally with Mexico, get to know the country. With a population of over 85 million, Mexico is the world’s 13th largest economy. Canada has a modest 0.5% gnp export rate with Mexico. However, of the three nafta partners, Mexico has the fastest growing economy.

There are 12.5 million tv households in Mexico, with only 13% pay or specialty service penetration – and that after 1993’s 20% growth in that emerging market. So there is business potential there. Canadian music, learning, arts, news and other niche products and services have incredible export viability, especially with Canada’s ease at second-language production.

While Mexico’s giant Televisa has 90% of that country’s conventional television audience, there are intriguing options here, too. Channel 22, created by presidential decree in 1988, is linked with the Mexican National Arts Council. It has a formal accord with Radio-Quebec and an annual budget, mostly for acquisitions, of $25 million. While Channel 22’s coverage is currently limited to the federal district of Mexico City, it does buy specials, documentary, arts and animation fare offshore, paying up to $2,400 per hour.

Channel 11 is another small broadcaster with a swelling appetite. Its executives visited Canada and were impressed with what we have to offer. While national licence fees for features run to $16,000 and videocassettes to $85,000, Channel 11 will pay more in the $4,000 range. But it’s a start. It too pumps much of its $25 million a year towards acquisition. The station has cultivated a 5% market share in just a few years. It is seen in 170 cities and is actively seeking international coproduction opportunities. Its programming interests embrace the arts, news and public affairs, children, science and the environment, features and quality general-interest offerings.

Educational producers and distributors might want to check out the Unidad de Television Educativa. ute provides a national service from preschool to university centered on a daily high school audience of about 500,000 students. Production values are high and facilitated by a state-of-the-art Sony complex. ute pays about $14,000 for a typical six-hour learning package.

If these approaches fall short of a cakewalk, there are a number of federal government initiatives that can be explored as catalysts. In October 1994, Telefilm Canada and our Foreign Affairs fold may host a showcase of Canadian product at Mexico’s Cinematheque Nationale. Moreover, the Canadian International Development Agency has a film and video coproduction funding program for which Mexico might qualify – if the project raises public awareness of economic and social development issues among Canadians. Contact the Mexican consulate for its equivalent government hot buttons.

As in all international work, try to source some useful in-country contacts and expertise. Initial contacts in Mexico could include: Francisco Robles MacEachen, who heads special projects at Channel 22; Magdalena Acosta Urquidi, who handles acquisitions for Channel 11; Pedro Sbau, director general of ute; Jorge Santoyo, director general of Producciones Telemex; Ignacio Duran Loera, director of imcine (National Film Institute); Bertha Navarro of Mexican distributor Iguana Productions; and if you can reach him, Alfonso Arau of Like Water for Chocolate – he has a genuine soft spot for Canada. The Canadian Embassy can help with contacts and numbers. The latter’s telephone number in Mexico City is 724-7900.

Canadian ‘guides’ to Mexico and Latin America might include: David Mintz, vice-chair of CanWest Global; Luc Audet, secretary general and legal affairs person at Radio-Quebec; Sheilagh De la Varende, head of the international cultural relations branch of Foreign Affairs; cida’s film and video unit; Howard Krosnick at the National Film Board; and, to be sure, our independent production community has a few brave souls like Kevin Tierney of Productions La Fete, John Muller of M&M Productions, and Peter Raymont of Investigative Production Inc. to round out the mentors and contacts. The Mexican consulate number in Toronto is (416) 368-2875.

Lastly, and most difficult, try to locate a producer or broadcaster with a proven track record in both countries. For tvo, this has taken the welcome form of independent producer Wilson Ruiz of Cadex Pictures. If you’re successful in that search, find the project that creates the elusive win-win scenario and run hard. For us, that is currently Vecinos/Neighbours, a two-part series now underway in Mexico.

In brief, trade blocks and free trade accords have often, and with reason, been cast as crude pillagers of cultural and indigenous expression.

With nafta now a fact of life, there may be opportunities for Canadians to shape a future where our block emerges as a neighborhood friendlier to linguistic, cultural and creative exchange. Rather than cede the field to a u.s. monotone, we could employ our own best interests and efforts to foster real continental diversity.

A producer, distributor or broadcaster with English, French and Spanish capabilities would cover 85% of the occidental world’s language groups. Sounds appealing. Hasta luego.