The Box: MediaCo Holding Acquires Estrella Media, Expanding to Spanish Audiences Nationwide

Peter Igho

Africa: Peter Igho, creator of “Cock Crow at Dawn” and pioneer in the growth of Nollywood, sat down for an exclusive interview with The Nollywood Reporter. For over three decades, he created some of Nigeria’s most iconic entertainment classics. In the interview, Igho said his strategy for a great story was choosing characters that Nigerians could identify with. For instance, in “Cock Crow at Dawn,” Igho strategically chose the main character Bello to have problems that are “what Nigerians experience in their own lives.” Igho always wanted his viewers to understand the emotions of the characters he created. Igho also revealed he likes to use names of “the people around,” especially names you cannot place within a single tribal context. In his storylines, he uses names from any part of the country, so the audience cannot tag the characters with a certain tribal link. Nigerian actor and director Jide Kosoko said Igho inspired and supported many generations of people in the Industry and “opened the path for Nollywood to grow.” Now, Igho is retired, yet his time is barely spent relaxing. He continues to write scripts, consults young talents, and is an active golfer. In his down time, he is enjoying family time he missed during his tenure as Nigerian Television Authority’s executive producer. When asked why he leaves such little time to leisure, Igho had a character-defining response.

 “He who rests, because he’s retired, will grow rusty,” said Igho.

Netflix has unveiled two new Nigerian original series as part of a slate of projects for women filmmakers in the country and other parts of Africa. The first, is “Baby Farm” executive produced by Mo Abudu, which tells the story of Adanna, a young pregnant woman who entrusts her unborn twins to a high-profile NGO, only to discover she’s become a prisoner of an evil baby farm. The second series is “Postcards,” from director and producer Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, which follows four conflicted Nigerians in India who embark on a journey of self-love and discovery.

Sayani Gupta - Prodip Guha

Asia: Indian Actress Sayani Gupta has signed with Crimson Media and The SB Initiative for worldwide representation. Gupta is known for her role as Damini in Prime Video’s “Four More Shots Please,” the first series out of India with an all-female protagonist line-up. The series is dubbed as “the desi ‘Sex and the City” by the Indian press. The show follows four young women in millennial Mumbai. Gupta has won multiple awards for her acting, including the Lion Award and the NETPAC Award. She is currently producing and starring in international horror thriller, “Tongue,” which is in the final stages of development with Create Entertainment. The film is scheduled to shoot later this year.

In late March, Amazon unveiled a slate of almost 70 Indian series and films to be released in 2024, including 27 new series, five returning shows, eight original movies, and a slew of licensed films. This is Prime Video’s largest release in India to date. The announcement was made at the Prime Video Presents India showcase, attended by executives including Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video & MGM Studios; Kelly Day, VP of Prime Video international; and Sushant Sreeram, country director India. Hopkins said that, outside of the United States, more people have signed up for Prime Video in India than anywhere else in the world.

Latin America: MediaCo Holding Inc. has acquired all of Estrella Media’s network, content, digital, and commercial operations. Among the Estrella Media brands joining MediaCo are the EstrellaTV network and its linear and digital video content business, along with its digital channels. The transaction closed on April 17 and terms were not revealed. MediaCo operates urban radio stations Hot 97 and WBLS 107.5 in New York City. The transaction will allow MediaCo to reach the audiences of Estrella Media’s market-leading Regional Mexican radio stations including “Que Buena Los Angeles,” home of the “Don Cheto Al Aire” nationally syndicated morning radio show; “La Raza” in Houston and Dallas; and “El Norte” in Houston. The combined footprint of MediaCo positions it as a leading radio content provider for Spanish and Urban music in terrestrial radio and audio streaming. As part of the transaction, Estrella Media will continue to own and operate its local radio and television stations, while MediaCo provides the programming and content to which their audiences have grown accustomed.

“We believe this combination is the first step in building a unique multicultural media company that will reach diverse U.S. audiences wherever they choose to consume content and create value for marketers working to reach these important audiences,” said the MediaCo Holding statement.

PBS International is looking to expand its activity in Latin America and has promoted Sabrina Hall Aguirre to become sales manager for the region. Aguirre will be focused on selling factual and children’s programming to buyers across the region. This comes as PBS Distribution plans to release its debut line-up of local language content tailored for the Latin American market, “Lyla in the Loop,” “A.I. Revolution,” and “Fly with Me.”