Deutsche Welle (DW) will be expanding its Spanish television service for Latin America from two to 20 hours daily, starting February 6, 2012. The new lineup for viewers between Mexico and Tierra del Fuego is part of a comprehensive reform process designed to reposition DW in the international media landscape. The expansion of the program for Latin America will significantly increase DW’s presence there.

DW officially announced the changes at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 26. Mexican President Felipe Calderón said: “It is great to have a partner like Deutsche Welle broadcasting for 20 hours in Spanish. It opens up new opportunities in Latin America. The program will be a bridge to Europe, and Germany in particular. DW has seen success in the competitive television market in Latin America from day one. Around 850 partners throughout the region have included DW programming in their lineups so far – and negotiations with other partners are currently under way.

The new Spanish program required a lot of hard work and restructuring. A big change is in store for Gonzalo Cáceres, who has been a host for Journal and Cuadriga for years. His new job will be to manage and host Claves with partners on location. including ARTV in Chile, SJRTV in Mexico and RTVC in Colombia. The new show will focus on the latest issues in Latin America.

DW will also be welcoming several new faces – among them, Silvia Cabrera. She will be hosting Berlin poltico and Journal. According to Cabrera, DW has a lot to gain in Latin America by setting itself apart as a reliable, objective source of information.

Another addition is Paco Furio. Not only will he be the new producer and host for sports on Journal, but he will also help manage the magazines Reporteros en el mundo, PopXtra and Europa semanal.

“German punctuality and reliability is something that you can count on,” says Carolina Chimoy. The daughter of a Peruvian diplomat will be hosting Journal as well as Reporteros el mundo dazu.

The new Spanish program for Latin America will also receive support from a completely redesigned website for Spanish-speaking users. In the future, the editorial team will be made up of more than 130 employees.

Africa
Alrai-TV, a channel in Kuwait, will start broadcasting DW programming starting in September. Alrai is the most successful channel in Kuwait, reaching around 60percent of households. It will include the Arabic versions of In Good Shape and drive it! in its line-up starting September 15.

Asia
DW-TV ASIA+ is making waves in Asia with three new deals. The English-focused channel is now part of the MAX3 cable network in Indonesia. The provider currently has 20,000 subscribers – a number that is quickly on the rise. DW-TV ASIA+ is also being broadcast to more than 50,000 subscribers in Tawain via SHIH HSIN Cable. The provider from Chiayi City has a line-up that includes approximately 50 channels. And in Myanmar, DW-TV ASIA+ has been picked up by the DVB-T provider Forever Group. This will make DW’s television programming available in Rangoon and surrounding areas.

Europe
The next phase of the extensive partnership with RBC TV is in full swing. The Russian channel is now using banners to link to content and articles on DW’s website (in Russian). The website from RBC is among the most popular in Russia, with approximately 1.5 million visitors daily and is the number one website in the area of “Info and News”. This latest development in online comes on the heels of two further programming partnerships – with a live feed and the introduction of GLOBAL 3000 earlier this year.

DW has a new number one in Kosovo. With telegrafi , DW has found a partner that can really deliver. The website has quickly become the best referral website for DW’s Albanian page. Telegrafi has included DW’s online news box on its homepage in the “News” section.

Experts from DW’s Albanian service will also be taking part in broadcasts from RTK (Radio Television Kosova) starting in September. DW’s journalists will be dialed in via video-phone twice per week.

Latin America
Deutsche Welle has entered into a comprehensive agreement with ARTV. The Chilean channel has been broadcasting the Spanish shows Cuadriga and Prisma since last month. In addition, DW and ARTV worked together on a coproduction on July 20, when DW’s Director General was in Santiago. ARTV has been operating for 20 years and is available via cable. The channel focuses on arts and culture, as well the cultural contributions of Latin America in the areas of history, society, the environment and human rights.

 

DW Director General Erik Bettermann is currently in Latin America, presenting DW’s new television schedule for the region, with stops in Mexico, Chile Paraguay, Brazil, Panama and Colombia. Starting in February 2012, DW will expand its Spanish-language programming from two hours to 18 hours daily.

“Latin America is a continent with a lot of potential. Due to its political, economical and cultural relevance, it is one of our main target regions,” said Bettermann. “DW is already very important for information seekers and partners between Mexico and Argentina – and we want to expand this with more programming in Spanish.”

In Mexico, Bettermann and Germany’s Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, spent more than an hour with participants of the “Young Voices” Media Dialogue. They answered questions posed by up-and-coming journalists from Germany and Latin America. Participants included prominent young media workers who are bringing their ideas, stories and projects to the public forefront – often in unconventional ways. They posted their impressions, ideas and questions regarding the Media Dialogue on the event’s blog. “A positive culture shock”, “A successful exercise in collective intelligence”, “The beginning of a sustainable network,” was how they described the meeting.

In Guadalajara, Bettermann met with officials from La Red – the largest public broadcasting network in Spanish-speaking Latin America – to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement solidified the two broadcasters cooperation in the future, with La Red integrating audio, video and online content into its line-up.

In Chile, Bettermann met with the country’s President, Sebastian Pinera, who said that DW could fill an important gap with programming and information from Europe.

Alicia Barcena, General Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), also sees the potential of the expansion of programming in Latin America. She said that Germany and Latin America have a lot to offer each other – especially in the transfer of knowledge in the areas of technology and innovation. Barcena and Bettermann signed a Memorandum of Understanding for DW’s participation as media partner in next year’s Latin America-Europe Summit in Santiago de Chile.

Bettermann appeared on “Media and Human Rights” a DW coproduction with ARTV. Host Gonzalo Caceres led the discussion with human rights activists and prominent journalists, as the talked about the relationship between the media and the government in dictatorial countries.