Luis Ortiz - Executive | Made in America
The following is the transcript of an interview between Sergio Muñoz and Luis Ortiz
Author’s Footnote: This interview turned out different than what I usually do in my prosperity series. I made the exception because of how important it is. However, I may have a different opinion as to why this is important than the normal person. I was contacted by a publicist to interview Luis Ortiz, Managing Director of Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB). Having spent thirty years on the periphery of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), I showed my ignorance when I realized that I didn’t know what the LPB was. So, I asked Luis to explain it to me…..
Sergio: Luis, help me understand the LPB again, pls
Luis: PBS has a national schedule that pulls content from 350 stations. All of them benefit from the CPB which is federal funding. 28 years ago, Edward James Olmos and others got together to try to make sure that Latino voices were shown on that platform. Olmos is still our Chairman. The LPB became the main producer of Latino content that shows on PBS. It makes sure that we are represented in media and that we are supported as a filmmaking community. We are a part of the National Multicultural Alliance, five distinct national organizations, that includes voices from the Black community, the Asian community, the Pacific Islander community and the Native community.
Sergio: Ok, so how does it work? I have written a feature length film called Pass the Tortillas, and I am a Mexican, how do I get access to LPB?
Luis: We have open call initiatives where folks can apply for funding. We help with development, production, post-production. Typically, we get 100 proposals every year and of those, we choose approximately 10%. We provide editorial feedback, we support with treatments and we provide fellowships. I oversee the initiatives as the managing director.
Sergio: Is that how David Alvarado got onto PBS with American Pachuco?
Luis: Yes, American Pachuco started with us in partnership with American Masters. We came together and provided funds to start the project. We knew of David because he made several documentaries for NOVA which is the science strand, and this was his first adventure into telling a Latino story. It was perfect for us to support. We also knew Luis Valdez’s work and so it was a perfect opportunity. David put together a treatment that excited everybody.
Sergio: Where do you see Latinos in that universe of PBS popularity, folks like Carl Sagan, Ken Burns, Mr Rogers…….
Luis: Well, the system supports them because they have a built-in audience, as with any platform, PBS acknowledges that audiences are changing and Latinos are becoming a bigger demo and PBS wants to tell stories that represent America. Ken Burns has his own production company and he fundraises on his own and he raises funds. He has a great track record that allows him to do that. When he started he was a filmmaker that needed PBS at the start of the career. We have a lot of those types in our community. Several years back, we did the first series on Latinos, a six-hour series called Latino Americans. We also recently just did Latino Historia with John Leguizamo. We brought it to PBS. The beauty is that you don’t have to pay for it. You can watch it online without paying.
Sergio: Ok, I received six shorts for the VOCES series that is broadcasting during this season. Are they being released in the same way?
Luis: They are released digitally through the PBS.org and the PBS app but also on our newly launched YouTube channel which benefits from Google metrics. The series started on Sept. 23 and then we released a new short every Wednesday until Nov. 04. They live on PBS for three years after that.
Sergio: That sounds awesome. When is the next open call?
Luis: We are working with a skeleton budget because of the pause in federal funding with this current administration. So, we work now on a case by case basis. We meet with filmmakers as they come to us. Let’s see how things go after the midterms to see if they restore funding. We are constantly trying to raise funds at a time like this. We hope to continue to find new ways to support Latino filmmakers.
#Intelatin #Media #USHBC #PBS #LPB #VOCES
Sergio C. Muñoz is a Mexican banker writing on Latina/o Prosperity. His work has been featured in the US Hispanic Business Council; Caló, the Los Angeles Times, the OC Register, PBS, NPR, WNYC, Revista - Harvard Review of Latin America, Studio 360, Latino Leaders Magazine, Poder Hispanic, Sopitas, Animal Político & ¿México Cómo Vamos?
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