Among the different ways of digesting a defeat, there is a first taxonomy: accept the truth or deny it. The first case allows you to act with elegance and give way to the winner or raise a bloodless fist pretending that everything has not been said. And it can be understood. Whoever opts for the second has also lost the battle against reality. Something like this has happened in the farewell of Ana Rosa Quintana from the morning slot after 19 years at the helm of a program with her own name as a brand.
The Ana Rosa Program ceased to be the undisputed leader of morning television thirteen months ago. And so it has been all that period of time uninterruptedly. The figures are stubborn: at the end of this course, the average share is 17.8% for Aruser@s and 15.5% for AR. This is a fact. His nemesis, unintentionally and playing with very different weapons and philosophy, has been the program directed and presented by Alfonso Arús on LaSexta, which ends its fifth season with numbers so overwhelming that trying to answer them with any premise other than "congratulations" is laughable.
The day that Aruser@s broadcasts the last program of his fifth season as king of the mornings, Alfonso Arús responds to La Vanguardia.
I bet you are happy with this achievement.
Of course! I will always be able to tell my grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, that we were leaders in television mornings. My dream. Something that I never got on the radio, despite the many seasons in which I tried in front of the 'mornings'.
Which is the reason? Have you changed your proposal?
Absolutely not. Since 1983 I have always been based on the same thing: infotainment. Pure and hard news in the key of humor and curiosities, or fun content that oxygenates the most serious topics. And always without dramatizing or disrespect.
However, the deposed queen of the mornings, Ana Rosa Quintana, said yesterday that your program is not current.
Unclear. We are the NODE, or a documentary by La 2 (laughs). We are the program that offers the largest number of current news by far every morning. And without ever having to rectify information. What's more: we have forced the classic magazines to get their act together and break the closed rundowns that they prepared the day before, based on the issues that had previously given them an audience.
You talk about classics, classic programs.
That's the truth. The last great innovator of the mornings was María Teresa Campos. Before, Hermida and Pepe Navarro. Nobody has invented anything since María Teresa Campos. Zero. Moving the political gathering that was broadcast at 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. is not innovating. The same happens with events or the heart. La Campos was the last great creator. And with a unique irony and smile. Now, a program can be very well done, very well technically outlined, but not have invented anything. One thing does not remove the other.
It's true, now politics goes to 9 o'clock. What do you think caused the change?
Because they all copy the model of the radio. With one difference: in radio consumption, 9 o'clock is prime time. On TV there are much fewer viewers than at 12 noon. It is a time of little consumption but of a lot of ego. The only one who knew how to see it is García Ferreras. Definitely the smartest. And the only one that has invented a format.
Curiously, at 9 a.m. Aruser@s is the leader.
Yes. And with a difference of 2.3 points from the main competitor, Telecinco. They lead later, when our program is no longer broadcast and pulling the morbidity of events, Isa P, the colorín... They do it very well, it must be recognized. But when it comes to editorials and topics that, theoretically, give prestige, well, of course. Thus, it makes a lot of sense that in September Ana Rosa goes on to do the afternoons.
You coincide in time but she says you play in another league. This was justified yesterday in an interview granted to El Plural.
I suppose it will be true: we are in the Champions League and they are in the Europa League (laughs).
But to understand each other, what does it mean to "play in another league"?
No, seriously now, what nonsense: the league is the same. We all play in the same competition, only we do it with a much lower budget, and with less resources. Our competitors have infinitely greater resources. Without going any further, all the information services at your disposal. On the other hand, I have Paula del Fraile and I won't change her for anyone. Is the best.
Do you feel dizzy?
Absolutely. I am in a magnificent chain that moves between 6-7% share, always above its competitor. A coherent chain, defined and faithful to a model. But you have no obligation to be a leader.
What is its coherence?
Among many other things in always betting on their products until the end. In five years that I have been with it, I have never seen it cancel a program early. He has always respected professionals and their products, regardless of the audience. They never get nervous. This is why I laugh when they say that LaSexta eliminated Aruser@s Weekend. You have to understand very little about television to reach this absurd conclusion. And more in the case of the producer (Aruba) that good cheer gives her every morning.
How do you see the next season?
Well difficult, as always. We are going out to have fun, as usual. Although the strip is very competitive and, this next year, more. I highly value prime time; I know what I'm talking about because I've been doing it for many years. But there you compete against movies, reality shows, edited, recorded programs... You can give added value to direct. On the other hand, at our time, we are all live: LaSexta, Antena3, La 1, Telecinco… The competition is fierce. And we do not enter into curiosity, drama, or controversy, factors that guarantee an audience. But we have the best weapon: the blessed humor.
One last pill before you go on vacation?
Yes. That our program lasts four hours, not two. And that is usually the leader in the entire strip. I think that the Emeritus Queen is not very clear.
