‘Idol’ goes regional with search for Latin star

MIAMI - The “American Idol” franchise will go pan-regional for the first time in its history with the launch of “Latin American Idol.”

The show, set to air this summer, marks the first time the “Idol” brand, which has 33 versions under its belt, leaves the confines of a single country in an effort to find a regional idol.

“Latin American Idol” will host auditions in four countries and will be open to contestants from throughout Mexico and Central and South America.

Apart from its regional scope, there are no major differences between this “Idol” and its previous incarnations. There are no immediate plans to air “Latin American Idol” in the United States.

The show is a co-production of Sony Entertainment Television, a subscription cable service that will air the series throughout Latin America, and FremantleMedia, which also produces other versions of “Idol.” The two companies have signed a five-year agreement.

“Latin American Idol” will be a separate production from the Brazilian version of the program, which begins airing April 5 in that country.

“We are looking for a Latin idol to conquer the world,” says Flavia Da Matta, executive producer of “Latin American Idol.”

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Da Matta is expecting 4,000 people, ages 18-30, to show up for each audition in Mexico City (April 22-23); Caracas, Venezuela (April 29-30); Bogota, Colombia (May 5-6); and Buenos Aires (May 16-17).

Ten finalists will be selected to compete against one another in studios in Buenos Aires. The winner will receive a recording contract from Sony BMG.

Speaking during a conference call from Venezuela, SPE Networks Latin America vice president and co-general manager Sergio Pizzolante Pizzolante and Da Matta say that the search for judges has been going on for “four to five months.” No further information was available.

Sources say three to four judges will be selected and that singer Jon Secada is among those being seriously considered.

Within the industry, there is certainly much curiosity circling around “Latin American Idol,” particularly because of its geographic scope.

“It’s tremendous that people from countries that may not be so affluent will have the possibility to participate,” says Luana Pagani, Sony BMG senior VP of global marketing, Latin.

Music reality shows are nothing new in the Spanish-speaking world. In the past five years, literally dozens of reality programs targeting Hispanics have launched in Spain, Latin America and the United States. Some, like Spain’s “Operacion Triunfo” and Argentina’s “Popstars,” have not only been ratings phenomenons, but have also transformed the recording industry landscape of their respective countries with strings of top-selling albums.

But there have also been plenty of flops. In the United States, Latin music reality shows have neither garnered impressive ratings nor launched a significant recording artist. The failures are often blamed on the diversity of the U.S. Latin audience, and that, some say, could be an obstacle for “Latin American Idol” as well.

“It’s not that easy to do something across Latin America,” one executive says.

Pizzolante says the blend of local programming with regional scope makes “Latin American Idol” an ideal show with which to expand into the region.

“Latin American Idol” will initially air twice per week, then will increase in frequency during finals.

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