Industry Insider: Fuse Media and Globalizing Diversity
Fuse Media is a Latino owned entertainment company that aids in the production of culturally diverse media. The company is dedicated to serving the Latino community by highlighting authentic and unique stories. Fuse Media is currently overseen by Mike Reggero as CEO and Chairman. Fuse originally began under the name of MuchMusic USA, a localized channel of the Canadian cable network, MUCH. However, in 2014 MUCH and its subsidiaries were bought by NuvoTV becoming Fuse Media. Since then the company has expanded beyond the origins by curating an agenda that best supports the themes of the organization.
To engage with its audience, Fuse specifies the insights that the programs are striving to cover on its site. Fuse is a generation Z primed company and looks to interest this demographic. Some that have been highlighted are environmental consciousness, wealth distribution, cultural inclusivity/representation, sex positivity, and intergenerational living. Many of these topics are essential features of the Fuse TV channel. The greatest example of this would be within the assorted FAST channels under the Fuse brand. This includes Shade of Black, OutTv Proud, Latino Vibes, CampTastic, and Backstage. Each channel fixates on a niche intersectional audience within Fuse’s Gen Z demographic.
Fuse is also invested in linear and SVOD channels. Of course, the first of the linear channels would be Fuse TV, which is also a host to the previously named FAST channels among the premiere content on Fuse Tv. While the second linear channel is geared toward the music industry, Fuse Music. The channel promotes artists, music events, and podcast creators by reviewing the content, creating a playlist, compiling information for the brand’s magazine, and updating music news on the Fuse Music site.
The sole SVOD channel that Fuse hones in on would be Fuse+ with its subscription-locked content as an extension to the original FuseTv. The Fuse+ original programming would include Upcycling Nation, Sex Sells, Like A Girl, and Generation StartUp would be among the vast lineup. Across Fuse’s channels, the media produced has permitted the company to win awards from Peabody, and Emmys, to NAACP and GLAAD.
Currently, Fuse is also holding operations in the U.K., Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Canada. This global reach can amplify the exposure of the culturally diverse narratives that Fuse is committed to. Especially as a Latino-owned entertainment organization, this would be influential to the Latinos across the diaspora who are looking to work in the industry. All of which is more impactful when considering the future potential for Latino media in general. Fuse as a whole is a building block to the global expansion of diverse media as well and holds historical context in diversifying entertainment. There is great potential for other highly prolific Latino corporations that have yet to globalize to take on the market.
