She has spent her entire life dedicated to entertainment on television and the main entertainment programs on TVE depend on her. Toñi Prieto has been linked to the public channel since 1977, and although her name is often left in the shadows, her work is fundamental when it comes to finding formats that resonate with the audience. A few days ago she visited Pamplona to participate in the congress Whither goest thou? and we take the opportunity to chat with her and analyze great programs that have been successful on television.
It has witnessed the last years of television history. Has it evolved a lot in the last 40 years?
A lot, especially in the way of consuming television. Before, the whole family would gather in front of the television and share the programs that were being made at the time. Now, with social networks and all the devices in a house, it is very difficult to gather the whole family on the sofa. But I think there are still formats that can achieve it.
For example?
One of them is Masterchef. It is a format that children, parents and grandparents curiously see. It has that virtue of being able to concentrate the whole family. It also happens with Triumph operationbut maybe less.
¿Masterchef Was it a before and after in gastronomy programs?
Yes, and I hang the medal as public television. We did an important feat when we launched this gastronomy program. In other chains, other types of formats were made about cooking, but none like this one. We were brave, the producer did a phenomenal job and the truth is that we managed to dazzle and make the public participate in gastronomy, something unthinkable. When it comes to a music program, for example, you can see the qualities of the contestant, how she sings, but when talking about gastronomy, you cannot try the dish from home, you have to trust what you see.
“Eurovision is a format that has very vehement fans”
In fact, it is much more than a gastronomy program, it is also a reality.
Yes, you see the personal situations of the contestants, how far they are capable of going, how they work under pressure…
What is the viewer looking for today? Is it more demanding now than before?
I think so. Before there were only La 1 and La 2, and the viewer had no other options where to search or compare. There were no televisions as we understand them now. Satisfying the viewer is now more difficult due to the offer that exists. It’s getting harder and harder to get your attention to watch a certain show.
How does the existence of so many platforms affect public television?
We have a premise that perhaps other channels do not have, which is to educate and entertain, and as a public service we try to provide programming that does not expel anyone, that is, let’s say, 360 or more realistic. We have other parameters and we are going in another line, but I believe that we are all compatible. We are looking for a type of programming that perhaps we would not do as the private ones do, there are certain lines that we do not cross.
What characteristics must a program have to succeed on television?
The fundamental characteristic is authenticity. That there is a truth in a format, that is, that there is nothing imposed or prepared, is essential for the format to reach everyone. The viewer likes to see other people laugh, suffer, enjoy… Another characteristic is that the format in question makes you participate. You cannot be a mere spectator, you have to make you participate or empathize with what you are seeing on the air.
What are, in your opinion, the programs that will always be part of the history of television?
There is a program that I think marked a milestone at the time and it was wonderful: One two Three. Everything Chico did was magical, like Nighttime Stories. I was lucky to work with him on El semáforo and he was a genius. He did know what the viewer wanted and he was a transgressor. Currently there are also formats, both on Spanish Television and on other channels, which seem very large to me. For me, anyone who brings the whole family together at any given time is wonderful.
¿One two Three would it fit today?
After a few years we started it up again and it no longer had the impact it had at the time. The key was that it had many phases: a cultural part that made you participate as a spectator, it had many sets, and some gifts that at that time were fantastic. Today they would be worth nothing, but then the purchasing power that existed in Spain was not what it is now, and when they suddenly gave you a car, an apartment or a collection of electrical appliances, it was quite an event. He made anyone who was watching him want to compete.
Analyzing other large formats that have succeeded on television such as Triumph operationWhat is the secret of your success?
From my point of view, it is a contest in which they also receive training. In OT there is the possibility of entering an academy where they are trained, that is, you are giving options to many young people who want to carve out a future in music. You start from some qualities to sing, but just like in other contests you act and leave, in this format you can grow, evolve, and that is transmitted to the viewer.
In addition, it was a mass phenomenon, something that no longer happens on television.
Curiously, although we had a large audience, where we really discovered how televisions had changed so far was in the non-linear audience, that is, in social networks and in the channel we had. There was a follow-up, especially by young people, of what the contestants of OT during the rest of the day. They were spectators of their evolution as singers, but also of their coexistence, of what they were like, how they argued, how they ate… I think that we Spaniards are a bit of gossip and we also like to see that more everyday part. In OT there is naturalness, true, and that is seen and broadcast on the air.
Is TVE planning to recover this format?
Not at the moment, it is a format that comes and goes and I believe that it should not be done every year, it should rest. It is always there and can always be retrieved. In addition, it is an expensive format and you have to measure a lot when it can be launched. The same does not happen with Mastechef, it happens to us that we are linking one to the other and it does not show any wear.
“The ‘Masterchef’ program has the virtue of being able to bring the whole family together”
His name is also linked to Eurovision, one of the oldest programs and with very high audiences. Why do you still like it so much?
Fundamentally because it is a competition between countries and national pride always wants to be measured. That is also why there are always so many controversies around this format. It’s hard to please everyone because there is no magic formula to win. Spain has been in the queue for many, sometimes we have done better and other times worse, but great artists have always gone. This is something that happens in more countries, for example in Germany and the United Kingdom, but nevertheless the crises that occur here do not occur there. They continue to participate with pride and nothing happens. You have to be patient.
This year the results have been good.
We’ve been very good with Chanel, but similar proposals had also been made before, for example with Soraya, which for whatever reason they didn’t like at the time. I always say that this is a long-term job, today it can be white, tomorrow it can be black and you can’t give up because of that. We have a great platform that is the Benidorm Fest, which we have reactivated and it is working very well.
Why is Eurovision always in the spotlight? It is a format that everyone wants to comment on.
Eurovision, I don’t know why, it’s a format that has many very vehement fans and when it comes to defending their positions they make more noise than others, and I think it shouldn’t be so much or not so little. I like everything in its proper measure. You have to find the balance.
When there is criticism, which there has been, and many, how does it affect the entire work team behind it?
It’s hard, honestly, for the part that has touched me, because I was part of the team. When I see that they make comments saying that we had not done our job well, it hurts me. I am very empathetic with artists and it annoys me a lot. Any of the singers who have participated have left their skin to go out and play their role. They have put all their effort, all their energy, but are they less of an artist because their performance has not worked? Of course not. They are still just as good. Chanel is wonderful and a very complete person, but she is not more of an artist than Pastora Soler, Miki or Amaia and Alfred because she has been better in the ranking. In this aspect, people are not very objective, if they are well positioned they say that it has been done well and if they are bad they criticize it.
Lastly, what entertainment projects will arrive on TVE in 2023?
Right now we are in the middle of the approval process. Looking to the future, we will continue to bet on the big music and entertainment formats, contests, magazines… Everything is invented on television, we don’t have a magic wand, but we are going to try to launch projects that are interesting for the wide audience.
