Following the reflection of children’s content producer Jan-Willem Bult, who said in a recent interview with Diario Libre that “the quality of children’s media in a country reflects the quality of that country”, Dominican television has a daily proposal that shows the interest in offering this segment of the public a quality proposal through TopiTok, which is broadcast by Radio Televisión Dominicana.
The initiative of Iván Ruiz, general director of the state-owned television station, took shape after he captured children from different social strata in the segment ‘Pequeños grandes talentos’ which he develops in the Show del Mediodía on Color Visión.
These children were brought to Radio Television Dominicana when Ruiz was appointed as the head of the station.
Freddy Ogando, an experienced television producer, together with a team integrated by Carlos Cordero, Yesenia Vargas, Isabel Piccini, Clara Luz Lozano and Frank Delgado, offer from Monday to Friday, from four to five in the afternoon, a content led by twelve children.
Betting on values
Ogando shared details of the production that is broadcast live and has repetition in other schedules on Channel 4.
“It is a children’s program that is based on the fundamental elements for the education of boys and girls, in which values are the protagonist. This is a creation of Mr. Iván Ruiz, our general director of RTVD,” he said.
TopiTok had its genesis in the Topi Topi program led for many years by Iamdra Fermín, and directed by Blanquita Hernández, but its name was created by Iván Ruiz inspired by Tik-Tok.
“Topi Topi had fun and education. Today we offer an advanced format in TopiTok for which we captured, through casting, its protagonists. I believe that what we are doing in the TopiTok program and in Dominican television on Channel 4, with the help of our director Mr. Iván Ruiz, will remain in history”, reflected Ogando in an interview with Diario Libre.
About the production
Producing a daily and live content is a great challenge not only for the producer, but also for those who accompany him and those who give the face. But the most complicated thing is managing the schedule of the little ones so that their participation does not affect their educational formation.
“Every day we look for the children in their homes and they receive all the attention they need so that they can play their roles in the program. We work day by day with educational and entertaining topics. We have children who have no experience in conducting television programs,” he said.
The concept of the production is set in a park where they have fun and are educated. “We have twelve talents that are going to stand out in Dominican television and abroad. For example, we say goodbye to Keren Montero, who won Dominicana’s Got Talent and is leaving us to go to the United States to study at Berklee’, said Ogando.
The children study music, theater and composition. They are trained in private and state institutes such as the Academia de Formación Artística Amaury Sánchez and the Escuela Elemental Elila Mena, as well as in languages.
Segments
TopiTok is composed of different sections: Como un Niño TV, Notitok, El club de la gramática, Los topirtos, Tbdatos, Ta bien ahí, Chistecitok, 4 Cosas que no sabías, Juegos Tradicionales, El veo veo, El Laboritok, Aitor en el Cine, Un TopiTokers desde fuera, among others.Every Friday, at the same time, they offer a summary of the production that has been screened, and on Saturdays from 8 to 12 noon they have a TopiTok marathon.
Lives its children’s stage
The production team is careful that the kids don’t stop being kids. “The program welcomes little ones from 6 to 12 years old, however, Keren was 18, but she has already started a new stage in her artistic life,” said the producer.
He added: “We have been pondering the possibility of making a program for young people over twelve years old and continue with the content for children. In this way we would be promoting new television talent and developing content for that market,” Ogando reflected.
TopiTok began on May 4 last year. It debuted with the programming presented by Iván Ruiz when he took over the reins of Radio Televisión Dominicana.
Source: Diariolibre.com
