SMG Multicultural & LatAm: We’re migrating to the digital era

During the opening talks at the 12th Annual Hispanic TV Summit in New York, Mónica Gadsby, CEO of SMG Multicultural & Latin America, when asked about the current state of the industry, said: “We’re migrating to the digital era.” Dave Hayes, Executive Editor of B&C, moderated the conversation.She indicated that the market growth has decelerated and increments are no longer double-digit, which is not negative, but rather points to the maturing of the ad sales market. She said the market has risen to a size where the days of 30% growth are pretty much over, “but we still have growth in the high single digits.”She pointed out that the recent TV upfront showed the market is moving from an upfront to a scattered model.She says the technology allows the industry to be more precise and it’s necessary for agencies and programmers to adapt to the new conditions, something that will take some time. Gadsby added that after 30 years in the media industry, this change is stimulating even if it means having to learn algorithms instead of ratings. “Old models break and new models need to be invented. I find this exciting and it keeps me motivated,” she said.Gadsby praised the work being done by Telemundo and Univisión, which have embraced this change and are adapting to the new times, like FOX and Discovery, developing new channels, digital platforms and programming genres.