Joe Ramos: We are planning to produce specific programs for WAPA América in 2011
(Maribel Ramos-Weiner). WAPA Américas move to the WAPA TV facilities in Puerto Rico ({see related info;http://www.produ.com/hispanictv/index.html?Noti=143 }), translates into several positive aspects, Joe Ramos, President of WAPA-TV, explains to PRODU: There will be no more interruptions in programming, the signal quality will be much superior to what we had in Springfield, and having everything here allows us to create special promotions for WAPA América and integrate graphics that we could not before because of having a middleman.Ramos pointed out they have built a state-of-the-art uplink. Here in Puerto Rico, we have the best equipment in the world to uplink our signal. They are provided by NCR, he added.As part of the move of the signal, they will have new programs and a renewed graphics package for the channel that was introduced with a jingle earlier this month.We are hoping distribution will improve. We just launched in San Francisco and Sacramento in California, and in Denver, Colorado (Comcast). We estimate WAPA Américas penetration will grow 3.5 to 5 million Hispanic households in the next two years, indicated Ramos.Ramos also said that within 12 to 18 months WAPA América will launch a feed in high definition (WAPA Puerto Rico already airs in HD).In regard to advertising sales, Ramos is hopeful 2011 will be a strong year. We are planning to produce specific programs for WAPA América in 2011. There is much interest from Hispanic producers in the U.S. to use WAPA América as a distribution outlet for their productions, he added.{To see WAPA América´s new jingle click here;www.produ.tv/popup.html?noti=4459&ID=50208&link=av/WapaAmerica-0810/WapaAmerica.mp4}
