Radio Ambulante Studios With Juan Pablo Santos Working On 15 Initial Stories Adaptable Into Films And Series

Juan Pablo Santos, as Director of Strategy and IP Adaptation based in New York, will be tasked with bringing the podcasts of the company founded by Carolina Guerrero and Daniel Alarcón to film and television.

Santos, who has more than 30 years of experience in the audiovisual industry, is already working with an initial catalog of 15 stories that can be adapted into films and series.

MORE THAN 600 EPISODES PRODUCED

Carolina Guerrero noted that they have produced more than 600 episodes, “many with clear narrative arcs and characters.” She pointed out that for years, different people have wanted to adapt their stories, but the team was small and did not have the capacity to accelerate that production.

For his part, Daniel Alarcón said they are transitioning from being a journalism production company to a storytelling company. He believes that half of their 600 stories could be envisioned as films or series. He also highlighted their goal of maintaining the high audience retention seen in their podcasts in future audiovisual adaptations. Radio Ambulante’s podcasts have a 90% completion rate, compared to the industry average of around 60%.

A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR JUAN PABLO SANTOS

For Santos, joining the Radio Ambulante Studios team is “a major challenge and a very rewarding job.” He mentioned that he has known Radio Ambulante for 15 years, having attended their first fundraising event in Oakland. He praised the company’s growth, which now includes four verticals: Radio Ambulante, El hilo, Central, and The Moment (its first English-language podcast).

As an anecdote, Guerrero revealed that Santos is married to her sister, so they have known him for years. She added that he is one of their most loyal—and critical—listeners, tuning in at 5 a.m. while biking through Brooklyn.

EXPECTATIONS IN THE MARKET

Santos shared that he presented the Radio Ambulante Studios initiative at Content Americas in Miami, where he noticed that 60% of the industry was familiar with them, while the remaining 40% was not.

He revealed that they already have two deals signed and two projects currently in negotiations.

Among the projects already underway are a co-production of a fiction series with Jaguar Bite (an international production and entertainment company with offices in Colombia and Mexico), and a documentary with Blackstar Content (a Chilean production company with presence in Mexico and the U.S.).

They also recently released a new episode of their video podcast The Moment, featuring Jorge and Paola Ramos interviewing California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Santos also announced that on Tuesday, April 7, they will launch a new podcast series from Central titled Las Reinas de Queens*.

Regarding the catalog, Santos explained that they initially selected 28 stories and narrowed them down to a portfolio of 15 “strong” projects. Among the most notable are La ruta del sol, Lord Alejandro, El Penacho, and Lola Pistola.

Alarcón added that Radio Ambulante Studios’ catalog reflects the diversity of Latin America, including romances, thrillers, crime stories, heartbreak, betrayal, and scams.

RIGOROUS APPROACH

Guerrero emphasized the seriousness and rigor of the team’s fact-checking process, comparing their standards to those of The New Yorker.

She underscored the importance of partnering with producers who respect the dignity of the stories and the people involved, avoiding “sensationalism.”

Alarcón concluded by describing this new phase for the company as one filled with “optimism and possibility.”

Watch the interview with Carolina Guerrero, Daniel Alarcón, and Juan Pablo Santos on #PRODUprimetime with Ríchard Izarra