Show time in hard times

Robson Tino is a man who chases his dreams, even when the odds are against him.

In the midst of the economic crisis, Tino, an immigrant from Rio de Janeiro, is taking a risk by creating the first local Brazilian/Spanish TV station in Massacusetts. With no money to invest, he pays his employees in smiles and he soon hopes his network will see cash flow in.

More than 7,000 Brazilians live in Boston. A 2007 Boston Redevelopment Authority survey shows that they own more than 150 small businesses in the greater Boston area. They contribute $24 million to the regional economy and employ more than 400 people.

But Alvaro Lima, director of research at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said unemployment rates force more and more Brazilians to leave Massachusetts for New Orleans, Georgia or back home.

Tino chooses to stay and follows his dreams.

"How can you survive in Brazil where the poor will always be poor and the rich will always be rich?" he said. "The United States is a country of opportunity. I'll try to make it. I don't care if I have to mop a floor to survive."

Tino, a man in his early 40s, migrated to Boston from Brazil in 1990. He followed his girlfriend at the time, in her quest to live the American dream. His goal was to make money here and get married later. Three years passed and Tino was still broke. His girlfriend left him and then he had to start from scratch.

"I worked as a dishwasher and landscaper," he said. "I hated these jobs."

Today, Tino works as a sales representative for Sprint. But like teenagers who start a rock band in their parents' garage, Tino chases his dream of building his own TV station.

Tino's station, Boston Television Network (BTN) will reach 1.8 million viewers in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. It is starting with just one show, a business show.. "We are going to promote Brazilian stores in three minutes segments," Tino said. "We get $6 for every segment."

Tino's main competition is TV Globo, the only Brazilian-based network that reaches viewers in the United States. But it doesn't cover the Brazilian immigrant community. Tino said he wants to fill this gap. "I want to give back to the community. I want to tell their stories. They need the information," he said.

One of Tino's potential viewers is Leo Romao, 28, who moved to Boston from Brazil last September. Romao came here alone and has no friends or relatives in the United States. He said a local Brazilian TV network will be the perfect way to connect to his new home. "I could meet other Brazilians and learn more about their lives. I will watch it more than MTV."

To start the station, Tino found a community studio he can use for free in Ashland, Mass., and five faithful employees who are willing to work without salary until the station starts making money.

Amelia Andrade will be the station's reporter. This is going to be her first job after college, but she said she doesn't mind working for free. "It doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad. You got to do what you got to do. You can't stop living. You can't stop working," she said.

Money is also not an issue for Marilia Helmke. A makeup artist from Rio de Janeiro, Helmke is going to be the host of a dating show for Brazilians. The plan was for the station to air its program in March, but some new arrangements with Comcast moved the deadline to August. Helmke is expecting with anxiety her first appearance on TV. "I don't want to go back to Brazil," she said. "I hope the economy becomes better and we'll have a better life."

Tino stays optimistic and hopes that his station will be successful soon enough. "I'm going to make it," he said. "Making money out of thin air is my specialty."

Watch BTN's teaser: