Telenovelas: A Latin American Success Story

Abstract

The success of Spanish-language telenovelas a type of soap opera illustrates major changes that have occurred in recent years in television systems in Latin America. There has been a trend toward decreased reliance on programming imported from the US and a flow of telenovelas from country to country within Latin America. This article based on interviews with 65 television personnel and communications experts in Mexico Peru Argentina Brazil and Venezuela in 1982 focuses on the development of the telenovela as the paramount form of popular culture. Latin American audiences consistently prefer locally produced television programs followed by programs imported by other Latin American countries and finally programs imported from the US. Even telenovelas with an educational slant (e.g. promotion of adult literacy training or family planning) earn both high audience ratings and substantial advertising income. In 1977 the year in which a telenovela promoting positive role models for Mexicos family planning program was broadcast the number of family planning acceptors increased by 560000. Mexico and Brazil are the main producing nations. This phenomenon is an example of how Third World nations can create their own products to compete successfully with products from developed countries. Inspired by the Latin American experience other developing countries such as India plan to broadcast educational soap operas to promote national development goals such as family planning and the equality of women.