33 January 2015 Televisa USA Presburger, managing director; Michael Garcia, chief creative officer and Ryan Likes, chief of operations and Business Affairs. Marc Provissiero of the Hollywood talent agency Odenkirk-Provissiero Entertainment commented, “Michael is one of the smartest executives in the business who has a great reputation as an artist-friendly producer.” VideoAge met with the American-born Garcia in Cannes during the most recent MIPCOM just before he was included in the “2014 HispanicBusiness 50 Influentials” list. Garcia is in charge of all creative for Televisa USA TV studios and South Shore, a joint venture for TV content between Televisa and U.S.- Canadian Lionsgate Television. South Shore was formed in 2012 and on the Lionsgate side creative is overseen by Chris Selak withJ.J.Jamieson,SouthShore’sheadofProduction reporting to both Garcia and Selak. Televisa USA managing director Paul Presburger and Lionsgate TV COO Sandra Stern run the business side of South Shore, along with Televisa USA’s Likes. In 2010 Televisa and Lionsgate also formed the Santa Monica-based Pantelion Films to produce and acquire movies for theatrical distribution, which target Hispanic audiences. Its chairman is veteran TV executive JimMcNamara, who’s based in Miami, while the COO is Edward Allen and the CEO is Presburger, a former Lionsgate executive. Currently, with a team of 11 people (including the South Shore team), Televisa USA produces 35 hours per year and has about 65 shows in development for the 2015 TV season, as well as 12 unscripted projects. Last year, Televisa USA acquired the English-language television and digital rights to Anne Rice’s The Sleeping Beauty erotica books. Content produced by TelevisaUSA is distributed by Miami-based Televisa Internacional, the world content distribution division of Grupo Televisa. parent company: “On the creative side, we are looking for content that appeals toawideaudience, but our DNA is Latin — our programming is something I call, ‘LatinFeel,AmericanAppeal.’Our goal is to take everything we’ve learned from our decades of experience programming throughout Latin America and to Spanish-language speakers in the U.S., and apply it to the English-speaking audience now. I believe we have what it takes to speak to the U.S. Hispanic, and can put that on the screen better than anybody.” He also spoke about his production philosophy, which is executed through Latin actors who are very popular with the general U.S. public, actors who’re popular in Latin America and can become U.S. sensations at the script level or behind the camera, with directors, too, who come from a Latin background. Televisa USA participates in productions such as the drama Chasing Life, a co-production with Lionsgate Television and Buena Vista Productions for ABC Family that is based on Grupo Televisa’s Spanish-language Mexican television series, Terminales; and Devious Maids, a collaboration with ABC Studios. Garcia has served as executive producer on all 39 episodes of seasons one through three of Devious Maids, which airs on Lifetime. He has also worked on Chasing Life and the Teen Nick series Hollywood Heights, a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. Garcia has 16 years of experience in television covering all aspects of TV, including network, studio, independent production and executive producing. Prior to joining Televisa USA, he was vice president of Entertainment at HBO for seven years, from 2002 to 2009. At HBO, Garcia worked on popular series such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Deadwood and the pilot of Boardwalk Empire. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Yale University, Garcia got his start as an executive assistant to the vice president of Comedy Development at 20th Century Fox Television. During a follow-up interview from his Santa Monica office, Garcia expanded on his production goals, stating that Televisa USA aims for “High quality content, since the U.S. market requires high levels of production with a very strong creative element because there is so much competition and we want to be on par with all other major producers.” He also explained his business strategy: “In terms of quantity, we want to aggressively grow our series slate over the next five years. Our inhouse development unit has [up to] 65 projects in the works. Televisa USA is the only major TV studio focusing specifically on the general market, plus the U.S. Hispanic market, with the ability and infrastructure to finance and distribute series, as well as scripts and talent deals.” As for targeting TV outlets, Garcia said, “Right now, our focus is content for cable in all genres, scripted and unscripted, including drama and comedy, but without ignoring broadcast networks and other distribution platforms.” Garcia was also careful to credit the 75-year production experience and nature of his Mexican (Continued from Cover) “Michael is one of the smartest executives in the business who has a great reputation as an artist-friendly producer.” — Marc Provissiero Michael Garcia, chief creative officer at Televisa USA Televisa USA works on the ABC Family dramaChasing Life
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