Santiago Castro, the “fun hacker” who “taxed” the lack of work in television

He is considered a controversial figure. His name has been synonymous with entertainment since his entry into Ecuavisa, their participation in the media gained more importance. Santiago Castro Torresone of the panelists of the program Show business hackers, ensures that controversy is only part of his work on screen. When the cameras are turned off, he prefers not to talk about the local show, and he avoids questions about the artists.

Also known for his “strong statements” when he intervenes in the Calientitos digital space, which he launched six years ago as a Facebook page, the communicator from Guayaquil claims that few people know him and are his friends.

At 35 years old and with a large family (he has 6 brothers and sisters), the communicator from Guayaquil also reveals that he aspires to participate in production with Carolina Jaume and Mariela Viteri, as program partners, and that international television is another of his goals to gain.

“I traveled to Spain to look for contacts, I’m one of those who think you should go look for opportunities. I would like to work in Europe”, he notes.

Who really is Santiago Castro?

Santiago Castro, who is not seen on the screen, is completely different, he is the antithesis of that character, which I built when I started driving some six years ago and I did not know how my development as a presenter and commentator would go.

What I’m telling you is what people close to me say, like my mom, who says: I don’t know who I’m seeing on the screen. First, because she is my mother and knows me as a son, and then my closest people, who are not at work, because they know that I am quite a quiet person, secretive, very sentimental, I cry a lot, always worried. about my family, I’m not for partying, no, I’m for partying, I like to live in peace because television is controversial and like war every day, and I’m the exact opposite. I like to enjoy my space, my peace, to be with my loved ones and actually, when I am with my family I ask them not to ask me anything about work or entertainment. Sometimes it’s time to deal with it, because my family is clear about it, but on the street they ask you and sometimes it bothers me, but I try to understand them because they don’t know that I don’t like it.

Ecuavisa clarifies that it did not fire Carolina Jaume: “She is not an employee of the channel, she was invited to the segment”

If you say that you are very reserved and don’t go out to parties, how do you manage to learn every ‘new’ thing about the characters on the screen?

And it was a matter of time. I think people naturally like gossip and when they see something, they send it to me, they look for a channel where they can expose it, that’s how some things developed. There are also many contacts that one acquires over time and that’s what happened to me, having good sources.

When did you start working in the media?

Since 2010, it’s been 13 years, I’ve been celebrating this March.

What motivated you to become a journalist?

I loved television since I was a child, I didn’t know that I would be a journalist, I only knew that I wanted to work on television and I always preferred morning shows, because there was no show business then, I always watched them and had them as a reference. When I entered college, when I was at ITV, I asked for an opportunity to do an internship at RTS, I worked for about seven months without any money, they only gave me lunch and a taxi, and after that, they hired me. At that time, three years ago, my first salary was $350 and I was the least paid of all the reporters because I was the newest. And I didn’t complain, but I thanked them for the opportunity they gave me. Jennifer Nájera was the first to trust me on television, and I stayed there for a long time.

You didn’t want to do variety show?

No, I was always determined. I told myself: if I enter show business, I will have to learn what it is like and develop in it, never with fear. That has always characterized me, everything I do, I do without fear.

When you are asked, you always point out that you have worked on all channels in the country…

I worked on all television channels. IN ecuavisa I worked before, in RTS, in Teleamazonas, Gamavisión, TC Television, Channel One, Canela TV and even in satellite television, I worked in all of them and developed as a reporter, and through the whole process I grew into a presenter.

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When and how was Calientitos created?

Calientitos was born during bad times, because there are always good times and bad times, not everything was wonderful. One of those bad times was when the program Las mañanitas, Gamavisión, was closed, and I lost my job, I was left without liquidation, because that channel was bankrupt. I remember that I had to do taxes, I did taxes for a while, because my son was just born, he was five months old when it happened, at the end of 2017.

I saw her black there, but I continued with my enthusiasm, I wanted to continue doing the same thing I did on television, but then there was already a crisis in the media, which was closing, but I knew how to overcome it. and Calientitos was born.

I started through social media, I remember as I started getting a lot of feedback I realized that this was the way to go and from there I went through social media for a long time. Calientitos started as a Facebook page, then an Instagram page was created, then a digital program was created, at one point it was on national television in Gamavision, And six years have passed since then.

Who is currently following you in the digital program?

In Calientitos are Aura Arce, Soraya Guerrero and Paola Maya, who created show business.

How did you make that jump, from a digital platform to being part of the Hackers segment that later became a panelist program?

Television as such is a business. We arrived as guests in En Contacto, the burst segment as such stood out in the morning, which reached about 12 viewership points, and it was the director’s decision to make an independent program, which was given for the last months of last year. , time Generally, channels do not produce because it is the end of the year. I later found out that I was one of the first to be contacted to be a part of this space.

You can’t deal with news on open TV like you can in your digital space…

Yes, as it is. It was difficult for me at first, but I always had both the advice of the channel and the degree of awareness that I knew what to say and how to refer to it. It was an adjustment process. It’s clearer to me today and people have noticed. The one that comes out in Ecuavisa is one, without losing its essence, and the one that comes out at night knows that it is different news and uncensored, because you can’t run into it in the afternoon.

Since your arrival at Ecuavisa, your colleagues from digital production also appear as guests in the channel spaces. did you open the door for them to have such a welcome?

Yes, I just think it was a chain because actually when the Hackers program was over, they told me that Dietter (Hoffman), Reinaldo (Vásquez) also came, that they were doing the same thing and when the team was formed that was it what must have happened to them as well.

Although you say, television is a business, news about your relationships is often reported, at what point do you stop being a presenter to become the news of the day?

This is not new, it is not the first time that this has happened within the Ecuadorian variety show, there have been many similar situations because when we see a difficult character, such situations revolve around and not only love affairs, there were also legal situations. That happens more in show business, it doesn’t happen with news or sports anchors.

When they appeared on the screen they introduced themselves as the ‘new business owners’, now that there is no other program of this line, are they the absolute owners?

I think competition is good, first of all, because it keeps us active while we search for information, in order to get an exclusive. As part of the show, we bragged that they had already left and all that, but on a professional level, we will not be satisfied because it is a job for many who are left without a salary.

Would you mind working with Emilio Pinoargote, Lissete Cedeño or Silvana ‘La Veneno’ Torres if you joined Ecuavisa?

When I said that, it was like part of the show, but at the end of the day, I’m not the owner of the program, I’m not the producer, I’m the director (of the content) and in those situations I have to be professional and receive whoever has to come. I don’t think I would put myself on that plan. This has already happened with La Suka and Verónica Saltos, I believe that in these specific situations the real Santiago comes out, who in the end knows that it is his job and does not take complaints and objections personally.

Who would you never work with?

I’m not one of those who say that I would never work with someone, believe me, I don’t care, I believe that everyone does their job and excels independently. Not because the person next to you can feel less.

Who are your real friends in the media?

Watch out, friends count, they don’t reach even three people in the show. There is Aura Arce, Betty Mata, because first she is the one who gave me the confidence to enter ecuavisa and she knows the other Santiago and made me see my strengths and weaknesses to correct them, she worked a lot with me on a personal level; and to the other colleagues I work with in Calientitos.

If you don’t continue in pop, in which areas do you see yourself working? Would you like a solo exhibition?

Before I became a part of ‘Hacker’, I thought about making my channel travel, because I really like what Luisito Comunica is doing. Whenever I want to change something, pop always calls me. I would like to do that, travel channel. I have my program in the evening, just not, because I don’t like it. I love that the discussion exists. Another thing I would like to do, but not now but in the long run, is to present news. That would be the second phase of my career. (AND)