Renny Ottolina

Renaldo José Ottolina Pinto (Valencia, Venezuela; December 11, 1928 - Tanaguarenas, Distrito Federal, March 16, 1978), known as Renny Ottolina or as «The Number 1», was a Venezuelan narrator, announcer, entertainer and producer of radio and television programs, publicist, race car driver and politician. He is considered the most influential showman in history from Venezuela.

He was a pioneer in many aspects of advertising, social communication and Venezuelan television production. During his long career he was a presenter of Miss Venezuela or the 24 hours of Le Mans or musicians such as Mina, Stevie Wonder, Raphael, Tom Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Charles Aznavour, Piero or Hugo Romani. He also worked with television celebrities, including Cantinflas, Simón Díaz, Sofía Ímber and Amador Bendayán.

In 1977 Ottolina founded the political party National Integrity Movement (MIN) and ran as a candidate for the 1978 presidential elections. He died during the electoral campaign in a plane crash between Caracas and Margarita.

Biography

Early years (1928 - 1945)

Renaldo was the son of an Italian emigrant, named Francisco "Pancho" Ottolina, and the Venezuelan Ana Mercedes Pinto. A few months after his birth, in 1930, Ana Mercedes died, leaving the child in the care of his paternal grandmother. By 1934, when he was 6 years old, the family moved to Caracas. He initially studied at Colegio La Salle, then he studied at the Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús boarding school, the Liceo San José de Los Teques and the Andrés Bello high school. His study companions were the singer Héctor Murga, the journalist and writer Carlos Rangel and the musician and composer Aníbal Abreu, who years later would be the musical director of his television show.

Career in radio (1945 - 1952)

His grandmother was passionate A great interest in the art of social communication. In 1945 still with 16 years of age he ventured into the radio just after receiving his certificate of phrase that same year. He worked as a announcer at the radio station Caracas, at the corner of Pajaritos in Caracas and shortly thereafter in Radiodifusora Venezuela in the corner of Cipreses, working in the daily magazine of the «Oiganme» station. That same year begins to produce its own program called the American magazine, but this station is fired because the director did not consider that he had conditions for the radio. The possibility of entering Radio Cultura , an issuer of the businessman and communicator Gonzalo Veloz Mancera arises, producing the special nights of Orange Crush , in direct allusion (as was customary then) To the direct sponsor of this radial space. In parallel, he enters as a news editor and as a commercial narrator in Bolívar Films, by the hand of its founder, Luis Guillermo Villegas Blanco.

Beginnings on National Televisora - Channel 5 and Radio Caracas Televisión (1953 - 1958)

In 1953, he is the announcer who starts the television era in Venezuela, participating as the presenter of the National Television program. On February 16, 1955, he was hired by RCTV on February 28 to the morning program of varieties and interviews, "today" next to the figures Silvia Palatti, Laura Olivares, Lolita Sacristán, the organist Emilio Muñoz, the musical director Aníbal Abreu, the announcer of cabin Héctor Myerston, producer Jorge Citino and director Juan Lamata, who would continue years later, with another concept, various presenters. "Today" was the first program to broadcast at the morning schedule on Venezuelan television.

On June 17, 1957, the Life magazine dedicates a five -page report entitled "makes laughing and helping" stressing his work on television, that same year he would be the main presenter of the Miss Venezuela 1957. In 1958 And 1959 travels to France and participates together with Lino Fayen and the Pelón Capriles in the 24 -hour LE MANS races, under his own team, driving a Mercedes Benz vehicle, he finished both races although he did not win them.

The Renny show and media success (1958 - 1973)

On November 3, 1958, Radio Caracas Televisión is aired with the Renny show, the first season of what would be its great space on television for the next 15 years. In 1959 he travels to the United States hired by the ABC chain. He studies television production techniques and works at the New York station of said company, of which there was apparently an agreement with the CBS company to organize the Televisa station, which would be called Venevisión and of which it was its first manager; In addition to designing the emblem of the plant and preparing the first slogan "It's good, it is worth...". However, before airing, there was a disagreement between Ottoline and the company's partners since Renny wanted share participation In the company, which was denied. This incident caused Ottolina to return to Radio Caracas Televisión as an independent producer with his already accustomed space, the Renny show with varieties magazine format every day at noon and "Renny presents" from 1964, star music program broadcast the day the day Sunday.

The year 1966 is sabbatical for the animator, who decides to dedicate him to travel with his family and tour various scenarios in the world looking for the new techniques to implement in his television space. On January 29, 1967 he presents in his space the star Tom Jones. In June for the Week magazine, he edits and publishes his judgment to Venezuelan television, text where he takes a position before the decadent television, according to him, which was seen then. In December 1967 he made a special Christmas program entitled «The smallest angel», adaptation of Renny Ottolina himself from the story of the American writer Charles Tazewell and acted by his youngest daughter Rena. Despite Renny's successes and popularity, he decided to terminate his contract in the early 70s under the excuse that he earned more money with his programs than the same members of the Board of Directors of the television channel. In January 1970 he presents Stevie Wonder in his program. In November 1970 he drove from the Municipal Theater of Caracas, the Children's Festival. In 1971, Renny decides to take advantage of that year to reinvent himself and dedicate him to his family. He would return to the show in 1972, this time within the Venezuelan television chain program.

In October 1972, Ottolol Nora Suárez. This documentary was the: Churún Merú, was made in the Salto Ángel being the first Venezuelan expedition to reach the foot of that place. Also, it appeared as the image for television commercials of brands such as Magefesa, Colgate, Cubitos Knorr, Mavesa, Viasa, Dorsay stores and Margarita tuna.

Retiro forzoso y regreso a la radio (1973 - 1977)

In 1973 interview in his noon program to the most important presidential candidates and with real triumph options. His influence was such that some Venezuelan politicians affirmed that the answers given in their interview by the opposition candidate Carlos Andrés Pérez in relation to the answers given by the government party candidate of that time, Lorenzo Fernández made Pérez convince the voters for win these elections.

At the end of that year there is an agreement between the three private television stations of that time: RCTV, Venevisión and CVTV, known as "the meeting of the three apostles" where they decide to eliminate the figure of independent producer, forcing Those who exerted this function that in order to have television progestations should be part of the payrolls of those channels; Which implied that the income obtained by independent producers, product of the sale of advertising guidelines, would become net for channels. Ottolina refuses to be part of the payroll of a private channel because it would lose its independence of creativity and express their thoughts clearly and free, so the contract is not renewed in CVTV and no other station tried to make its services, reason reason, reason By which the last program of the series "Renny presents" and on December 31, 1973, the last program of the series "The Renny Show" is broadcast on December 30, 1973, marking the forced retirement of the television of the « Number 1 ».

In early 1974, the Venezuelan television network was bought by the Venezuelan State and the position of president of that company was offered to Ottolina, but declined to it when he asked to have absolute independence of the guidelines dictated by the Ministry of Information and Tourism, in charge of the company and President Carlos Andrés Pérez denied that request. However, he achieved that year a contract with the company Venevisión and presented what would be his true television -final space, "The Water Planet."

Renny became the main critic of the Government of Carlos Andrés Pérez, whom he came to be unable to govern, despite being in another era in favor of him. The reprisals by the government did not wait and the program was canceled. In 1977 Renny resumed his work on the radio by Oswaldo Yépez and his capital radio stations circuit with his space "Renny on her radio." That space began in July and was taken from the air in December 1977.

Beginnings in politics and death (1977 - 1978)

In 1978 Renny announced "Venezuela awake" last radio space that would lead, this from the Airport Radio studios, a program that would have until the time of his death. The same year, he founded the Political Party National Integrity Movement (MIN) and launched as a candidate for the 1978 presidential elections.

On March 16, 1978, while traveling to a meeting of entrepreneurs that was going to be held in the city Porlamar, Nueva Esparta state, the Cessna 310 plane crashed near the Naiguatá peak. In the plane in addition to Renny Ottolina herself were traveling alongside him, his campaign manager Ciro Medina, Luis Duque and César Oropeza. In the incident all the occupants of it died. The authorities took a week to locate the bodies, since it was thought that the plane had crashed into the sea.

Personal life

Renny married in the parish of La Candelaria, in Caracas, on August 25, 1953 with Reneé Lozada, a young medical student. Se habrían conocido 16 meses antes, en mayo de 1952, en una fiesta en el Club Los Cortijos. Four children will be born from that marital union: Rina, born on May 15, 1954, Rhona Carolina, born on September 15, 1955, Ronny, born on November 12, 1957 (deceased a few days from a congenital hydrocephalus) and Rena Fernanda, born on August 13, 1962. On November 20, 1969, her two older daughters Rina and Rhona were kidnapped for 12 hours in Caracas, causing a great media impact.

Political life

Renny Ottolina's political thought was inspired by the basis of nationalism and Bolivarian thought, which he disseminated through the media. For this reason he insisted on the "duty to rescue the figure of Simón Bolívar" and defended that the Venezuelan currency could not carrying his eponym since for him "it means that every day his name loses importance." On the other hand, Ottolina was a staunch defender of meritocracy against partisanship, and of pragmatism against the dogmatism of political parties.

Economically, he supported Venezuela becoming an eminently agricultural country and insisted on economic planning in corporations with technical experts. On the other hand, his perspective on equality was the following: «I don't like it. equalize downwards: I want to equalize upwards." He declared himself an anti-communist.

His vision of Venezuela was that it was going through a worrying social deterioration, mainly due to the different governments, which did not focus enough on promoting the progress and civil development of Venezuelan society; This was frequently noted in things such as excessive alcohol consumption, growing racism towards foreign communities, non-compliance with the law, and underdevelopment. However, Ottolina defended that Venezuela has enough historical heritage to lead itself: "I resent the fact that a foreign leader tells me as a Venezuelan what the path is."

In 1977, taking into account the power of convocation that he had due to his media and television work, he decided to run as a presidential candidate for the 1978 presidential elections. For this, on July 16, 1977, together with Gonzalo Pérez Hernández, Alfredo Anzola and Joaquín Silveira founded the National Integrity Movement (MIN) party. Renny Ottolina's announcement regarding his candidacy caused shock among the Venezuelan population. On the one hand, his audience welcomed this decision as “hopeful,” and soon his aspiration gained the necessary strength to move forward.

During his political campaign, together with his then legal advisor Joaquín Silveira, he used to read Simón Bolívar's thoughts daily and broke them down to make known the ideals of the Liberator. He constantly used television to raise awareness to care for the country and love the ideals of the Liberator. After her attack, Ottolina never competed for the presidency with the other candidates. After Ottolina's death, her party, the MIN, decided to withdraw from the elections and did not support any candidate. While the other political parties that supported Renny before his death - URD, Popular Democratic Force (FDP) and OPINA - decided to support the candidacy of Luis Herrera Campins, with him finally being the winner of the elections.

Legacy

Currently Renny Ottolina is remembered as one of the most important public figures on Venezuelan television, appreciated for his charisma, creativity and quality as a producer. His thoughts as an exemplary citizen, politician and nationalist have had a notable impact on contemporary Venezuelan culture. Many of Renny's then visions about the future of Venezuela have been correct, which is why he is currently remembered by a large part of the Venezuelan population as "a man ahead of his time."

In 1972 he released the documentary Churún Merú, a before and after on Venezuelan television as it was the first Venezuelan expedition to reach the foot of Angel Falls in the Canaima National Park. This in turn was the first Venezuelan program to be filmed entirely. in color. In recognition of Renny Ottolina, since 1998, December 11 was decreed as National Announcer's Day, to recognize those professionals who, making appropriate use of their voice, have the exemplary work of directing microphones ethically. and truthfulness.