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This December, when the temperature outside is a balmy ten
degrees, New Yorkers will be treated
to a series of programs
highlighting the best of Brazilian culture in the Big Apple. Thanks
to a new
TV company from New York City, the NYC TV, New Yorkers
will be able to see Angélica, Ivete, axé music, and even
capoeira.
by:
Wilkela Walker
Of the estimated one million visitors who took in Brazilian Day 2003 in New York City, perhaps the most notable
presence was that of Mayor Bloomberg's new TV enterprise, NYC TV (
www.nyc.gov/tv ). Launched in June, the
newly-minted network which serves all of New York (2 million households) has been called "a civic-minded MTV" by
The New York Times.
Variety, The New York Post, indeed just about everyone East of the Mississippi is wondering what the network will
do next. Government TV has never been much fun anywhere much less "hip". The new effort even announced recently a
deal with E! Entertainment to swap content.
The network, led by General Manager Arick Wierson, inked a deal with TV Globo International to share content and
bundle resources.
The result: this December, when the temperature outside is a balmy ten degrees, New Yorkers will be treated to a
series of programs highlighting the best of Brazilian culture in the Big Apple. This past August, Sixth Avenue shut down to
be entertained by megastar Angélica, dance to the Axé music of Ivete, and hear
sertanejo singer Daniel, rocker Davi Morais and a host of others take the stage in celebration of Brazilian Independence Day. Mayor Bloomberg even greeted the
crowd from the jumbotron wearing Ronaldo's #9 Brazilian national team soccer jersey.
For many years, the City of New York ran Crosswalks, a lifeless municipal-equivalent of C-SPAN. Mayor
Bloomberg, who knows business and knows TV, saw an opportunity not only to retool the City's Television station, but fold it into a
new array of services poised to dramatically change the way New York City government communicates with New Yorkers,
such as the City's new 3-1-1 city services hotline:
www.nyc.gov/311
After a year of digging, gutting, and reorganizing, the product was ready for market. This past summer the Mayor
announced the launch of NYC TV, and its flagship channel NYC TV 74.
TV Globo, which had only recently relocated to Lower Manhattan, a stone's throw from City Hall, imported a team
of production specialists from Brazil to cover the day-long Brazilian Day event, and NYC TV focused on the story in the
streets and the stars back stage. NYC TV Producer Seth Unger teamed up with Globo producer David Presas to develop a
production strategy aimed at introducing Brazilian Day to New Yorkers.
Brazilian Day is just a small part of Wierson's plans to cover many of New York City's cultural events, street
celebrations, and Parades. So much, in fact, that NYC TV is packaging the Brazilian Day coverage into two separate shows:
Cultural Corners (Tuesday, 11 PM) and Paradetown
(Sundays, 10 AM). "Cultural Corners
will focus more on the performances and interviews with the stars," said Unger.
"Paradetown will capture the event in its entirety." NYC TV personality Julie Laipply
will serve as New Yorkers' guide to the Brazilian Day festivities in both shows.
KEY INFORMATION:
What: Cultural Corners with Ivete Sangalo, Daniel and other Brazilian personalities.
When: Tuesday, December 9, 11 PM; encore performance on Saturday, December 13th, 9:00 PM.
Where: In New York City, Channel 74 (Time Warner & Cablevision)
Show: Paradetown, USA: Brazilian Day 2003
When: Sunday, December 14, 2003, at 10 AM, NYC TV
Where: In New York City, Channel 74 (Time Warner & Cablevision)
For complete listings, visit
www.nyc.gov/tv or call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK outside of New York City.
Wilkela Walker can be contacted at
wwalker@doitt.nyc.gov
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