Spain turns on to sex-free reality TV

Rosa Lopez has shed pounds -- and tears -- since the show began last autumn

BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) -- Rosa Lopez is a high-school dropout who used to sing at weddings. But a new television reality show has transformed her into a rising star.

"Operacion Triunfo," or "Operation Success," is breathing new life into the bargain-basement image of reality TV and trying to take the genre upscale.

"We're working on a career here, for our future. We're not getting paid to just sit around," says Lopez.

One big innovation: the "Operation Success" Music Academy. Located in an industrial park near Barcelona, the academy has 33 TV cameras trained on 16 contestants as they learn to sing and dance -- and as they take breaks in the dining hall.

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But unlike "Big Brother" and other reality shows, this program has no sex, and no cameras in the bedrooms.

"People who watch 'Big Brother' are a little bit ashamed to confess it the next day. So it's something that you watch, but it is not exactly what we can call politically correct," says Josep Maria Mainat, co-executive producer of "Operation Success."

Instead, "Operation Success" sells family values like education and hard work.

The contestants' training and performances are shown on Spanish TV, and the formula has racked up $90 million in revenue and broken audience records -- far ahead of ratings for "Big Brother."

The show is produced by Barcelona-based Gestmusic, where Mainat and co-executive producer Toni Cruz have management control and a 40 percent stake. But the majority shareholder is Dutch-based Endemol -- which created "Big Brother."

The show has 33 cameras at the music academy, from the rehearsal hall to the cafeteria -- but not the bedroom

"Operation Success" has already been a success for the contestants: All 16 have signed recording contracts, selling a combined 3 million albums. Fans wait hours to see them.

Nina Agusti is the academy's director. She and a team of voice and dance professionals train the contestants for their weekly performances. In the process, they too have become famous as star-makers.

But the work at the academy isn't easy. Rosa Lopez has shed 27 kilos, or 59 pounds, since joining last autumn, when the show began. And she has shed tears under all the pressure.

After the 16 contestants were selected from about 7,000 applicants, they were kept in the academy until Christmas, when they went home for a day and a half. The initial shut-in period was designed to keep the contestants focused on their fledgling careers -- and prevent them from seeing the increasingly rave reviews in the Spanish media about the show and themselves.

That kind of dedication -- and a big brassy singing voice -- have made Lopez, 21, the favorite among millions of Spaniards who spend money on phone calls and cell phone messages to vote for the show's contestants during the weekly show.

Lopez is among the three finalists hoping to represent Spain in the Eurovision singing contest in Estonia on May 25. By March 11, the Spanish audience will have selected their representative.

"Operation Success" will soon be spreading around the globe. The show has signed contracts with stations in seven nations -- Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Russia.

Mainat: "People who watch 'Big Brother' are a little bit ashamed to confess it the next day"

Negotiations are under way with many others; 50 stations around the world have asked about the rights to "Operation Success." In some cases, more than one station in a country is vying for the rights.

Gestmusic expects that each of the 16 original contestants -- all of whom still appear regularly on the show -- will earn a minimum of about $200,000 from their appearances and recording deals. Those who go on to bigger careers could earn a lot more.

And the opportunities will continue. The second edition of "Operation Success," to begin next autumn, has 150,000 applicants already, from which another 16 contestants will be chosen.