Xelo Montesinos, partner of Ana Rosa in Unicorn: “The afternoon is being more difficult than we expected, because we do not play with the same weapons”

The paths of Xelo Montesinos y Ana Rosa Quintana They crossed paths on Antena 3 about 30 years ago, when the mythical Taste of the on that nineties television that was coming to an end, before the offer multiplied infinitely. They have not separated since then – they jumped together into the mornings of Telecinco – on an interesting path that, coincidences of fate, has taken them back to the afternoon slot. Ana Rosa presenting TardeAR and Xelo, helmets on his head, directing the program and speaking through the earpiece to his “sister.”

But Montesinos is much more than the head of a program. She serves as CEO of Unicorn Content, the production company she founded after leaving Cuarzo. With 19% of the capital, she is a partner of Ana Rosa (51%) in the company that produces the most hours of television – 21% of the audiovisual pie last year – and the one that It monopolizes almost the entire daily schedule of Telecinco with current affairs and live programs. Pure Unicorn stamp. They also work for the regional governments – María Rey’s program120 minutestriumphs on Telemadrid-, they have made docuseries for the platforms (Dolores: The truth about the Wanninkhof Case, on HBO Max), and they plan to land on TVE. “The only group we cannot work with is our competitor, Atresmedia,” he explains, because we must remember that Unicorn is one of Mediaset’s investees (it owns 30%). In fiction, they are about to premiere El Marqués (Telecinco).

We spoke with Xelo Montesinos six months after the premiere of TardeAR, the program in which the producer has put all its efforts – “it is our little gem” – after the network canceled Sálvame just a year ago, a historic earthquake that was the beginning of the end for La Fábrica de la Tele. The relationship between the two production companies was always strained… so to speak. “I have never considered La Fábrica a rival, but rather colleagues”clarifies Montesinos. “My rival is in front, not in my own house. The rival is Antena 3 and TVE,” he adds.

This competition with the other two large chains reaches its maximum level from Monday to Friday, when TardeAR has to compete with And now Sonsoles and the soap operas of La 1. “We have been in the program for six months and it has been very hard, because of the competition and because the other two generalists do not have advertising and that also has an impact”explains Montesinos. “But there is one positive thing, despite how hard it has been to climb the mountain in the afternoon, at the commercial target level we are well above the average of general chains, between 13% and 15%. As a commercial chain, we have a very profitable audience“.

Is the afternoon challenge being more difficult than you thought?

Yes, because we don’t play with the same weapons. If you go to advertising for 15 minutes and come back, the viewer doesn’t wait. He leaves and then you don’t know if he comes back. I also didn’t know what advertising pattern my rival was going to do.

Were you surprised when Antena 3 decided not to broadcast advertising on Y Ahora Sonsoles? Does it still surprise you?

It continues to surprise me, but each one has their own business model. I worry about retaining the viewer in the best possible way, because I do have to retain them. And the viewer does not have the loyalty they had before, especially when there were two large networks. Although there is a part that is not even in the general ones, but in the themes, streaming…

And now Sonsoles leads, but TardeAR has recently managed to win several afternoons. It seems like you’re showing your head. Is the bypass possible?

In my experience, you can never know, when you least expect it, you are gone. At Sabor a ti we were leaders for a long time, but suddenly another product arrives and, before you realize it, you are down and you have to go up again. I don’t believe in him overtaking because it’s a matter of what you give. Especially being a infoshow current. You have to have the best scoops, the best collaborators, the best opinion leader and presenter… that I have. Or she has me. They are an accumulation of many things. When a program starts you have to fight for it, we have only been there for six months, and for a program to acquire soul and familiarity it needs a process and filming. In the morning, even if Ana Rosa leaves, Joaquín stays and continues winning because the machinery is greased. Here we have started with a young, new editorial team, which must be taught, and that cannot be learned in two days.

Was fighting against the memory of Sálvame more complicated than fighting against Sonsoles Ónega?

No, because since it was not immediate, there was an intermediate program [Así es la vida]… This is like everything and the Telecinco audience was used to one type of program and now it is another, neither better nor worse. They made a format of pure entertainment and pure salsa. Ours has three pillars, which are the hallmark of this production company: the VIP table, the news of complaints [sucesos] and SalseAR. It is more similar to the Sonsoles program, because the Sonsoles program is It’s already noon… which we did too. In the end people learn and leave, as this usually happens to me a lot.

But we wanted to go one step further, especially knowing that politics had no place in the afternoon. We have tried it a couple of times and it has no power, and the people who want it have already identified where to find it and go, for example, to Everything is a lie, by Risto. They wanted some more entertainment and, to do something new, we created the VIP table with very powerful faces that talk about life. From a piece of news, we generate a debate. And in the end, they end up talking about themselves, like a gathering of friends. The formula has worked, even though it took six months. But what we have done is insist. Because at first it was difficult, people didn’t finish buying it – the public said, what is Susana Díaz doing, with Mario Vaquerizo and Marina Rivers? -, but in the end at home we all have very different people and our VIP table is a representation of that people.

When you said “people learn and leave”, were you referring to Sonsoles Ónega?

No no. In addition, Sonsoles was hired by Mediaset. And I understand it, because I have also gone places.

I don’t know if there is a bit of resentment left with Sonsoles’ departure because she, although she had a long career as a journalist and reporter, grew up as a presenter with you, in Unicorn.

I meant in general. Not only did Sonsoles leave, but then the program director and collaborators left… I am constantly looking for talent. Suddenly someone stands out and what you do is promote them and give them more coverage. But I’m talking about editors, reporters, collaborators and presenters. And it is legal for each one to decide where to grow, within the production company or outside. They can say, ‘look, I’ve been offered this.’ And if I can’t offer it to you, then I understand. This is so and discovering talent is a source of pride.

Television is customary and TardeAR, in addition to resembling Y Ahora Sonsoles, has a structure that has not changed since day one. Because? Is that a deliberate decision?

Yes. From my experience, you can’t lose your temper. If you do, the newsroom loses them and that goes over the screen. The first one who had to get used to it was Ana Rosa, who came from a different, radical sphere, where the tension of day-to-day life generated a lot of tension. I like to see her smile, have fun and enjoy it… Furthermore, I believe that her process has gone at the same time as that of the viewer.

Are you going to continue directing TardeAR?

I’m forming teams. It has to be consolidated and it has to be a powerful team. And in six months the progress that the editorial team has had has been very great. I like to have experience and youth. Talent and disposition.

Ana Rosa is in top shape, but she is the same age as Piqueras when she left. Is the issue of retirement in the air within the production company?

She says this many times. How many gentlemen are there in the Ibex who are 75 years old? That as a businesswoman. And as a host, as long as she’s having a good time, she’ll continue. Maybe one day she says that she can’t stand us and… in that case she plays a lot of distraction, but she enjoys it a lot. I have never asked him. I have been working with her since 1997 and she continues with the same strength, but not only on the screen. She has the same strength and enthusiasm. She always goes out for everything, she doesn’t get tired.

Unicorn is the main producer of those owned by Mediaset. After what happened with La Fábrica, do you think you have removed a rival?

They have never been rivals but companions. The television game is another thing: collaborators come in, leave, say… regardless of whether we agree more or less with a piece of news, but as happens with everything. If they think differently in your own program, how can it not happen in different production companies? Each one has its own way of business and editorial line, but I have never considered La Fábrica a rival. My rival is in front, not in my own house. The rival is Antena 3 and TVE, which in their case make soap operas and it is more difficult, because it is not the same product.

What is the relationship with Quartz [la productora que en su día creó Ana Rosa]?

Good, I left colleagues there and the relationship is good.

Quartz has made a documentary with Rodolfo Sancho. Did you try it?

We tried to talk to him when everything came out, like the rest of the journalists in Spain, because we would have been happy to do an interview with him, a documentary, whatever. But we stayed at that because he didn’t want to talk.

How do you rate the start of Tiempo al tiempo, Unicorn’s latest release?

We’ve only been there for two weeks and it’s a radical change on the afternoon of Four. It took us four years to go from 2% to 5% with Cuatro a día. Now we are doing a traditional program, without controversy, debate or politics. Being above 3% is an achievement. In two weeks, I see it positive.

Life without filters returns to Telecinco. Do you have any more projects at Mediaset?

For now this.

In addition to wanting to get into TVE, you also present projects to streaming operators. Now that the platforms are playing at being generalist networks and making live programs, like OT, any day they ask you for a magazine show…

I do believe that the next step is direct. The only thing is that this represents a very powerful investment and a loyalty that the generalist has but the platform does not. For this reason, what will last the most in the general event is the live broadcast and the big events, from football or a large format, such as Survivors.