Communication Theory ISSN 1050-3293 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Ugly Betty and the Emergence of the Latina/o Producers as Cultural Translators Juan Pi ˜ n´ on Department of Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University, NY 10003, USA A critical examination of Betty’s adaptation process sheds light on the disjuncture between global television distribution trends and national television markets’ business cultures. The process of bringing the ‘‘ugly duckling’’ format to the English-language mainstream media market can be better understood as symptomatic of the larger changes taking place within the U.S. television industry, but also as the crucial intervention of Latina/o producers with their cultural and symbolic leverage to make the project possible. In pushing the project forward, Latina/o producers’ involvement reveals how their hybrid subjectivities position them in the industry as cultural translators building a bridge to mainstream and global audiences. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2011.01389.x The international success achieved by the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, la fea (1999) reiterated the global centrality of telenovela production as a staple for distribution and consumption within the worldwide television marketplace. This accomplishment was based not only on the worldwide exportation of this telenovela, but also on the way in which the original screenplay triggered numerous attempts to localize Betty successfully for specific domestic markets (Akass & McCabe, 2006; Bret ´ on, 2007; Moran, 2009). However, a critical examination of Betty’s adaptation process in the U.S. media industry sheds light on the disjuncture between global television distribution trends and national television markets’ business cultures. The process of bringing this ‘‘ugly duckling’’ narrative to the English-language main- stream media market can be better understood as symptomatic of the larger changes taking place within the U.S. television industry. Moreover, this case study explores the inherent contradictions in the process of the United States Americanizing a Latin- American show for mainstream consumption while simultaneously Latinizing the same show to appeal to U.S. Hispanic audiences. Theories of television production deserve modification and expansion in an era of globally circulating narratives and formats that are in turn being recast for hybrid populations through hybrid genres. Corresponding author: Juan Pi˜ n´ on; e-mail: jpinon@nyu.edu 392 Communication Theory 21 (2011) 392–412  2011 International Communication Association