América TV

América TV, also known as América or by its historic call sign LS 86 TV, is an Argentine broadcast television station and one of the country's five national television networks. Its primary terrestrial service is associated with channel 2 in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, while its studios and offices are located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The network's transmitter is in Florencio Varela, south of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Its programming is distributed nationally through cable and satellite operators, owned rebroadcasting stations, and affiliated outlets. The station began broadcasting on 25 June 1966 as Tevedos. It was established by Rivadavia Televisión S.A., a company connected with radio stations and the newspaper El Mundo. Although licensed to La Plata, the station sought to reach the much larger Buenos Aires market. Its location and transmission infrastructure initially created a major competitive disadvantage: the signal was weaker in northern parts of Greater Buenos Aires than those of the established Buenos Aires stations. The resulting audience problems contributed to a low-cost programming strategy during the early 1970s, including occasional simulcasts of Canal 13 programming. The channel entered a period of state ownership after its expropriation by the Province of Buenos Aires in 1976. It became associated with the provincial Ministry of Economy in 1979 and was then generally known as Canal 2. The station introduced color broadcasting in 1980. Following Argentina's return to democratic government, the license was offered to private bidders. Radiodifusora El Carmen S.A. ultimately obtained the license and in December 1987 formed an operating partnership with publisher and broadcaster Héctor Ricardo García and Estrella Producciones. The new owners relaunched the service as Teledos. Teledos briefly achieved a substantial ratings improvement, helped by younger presenters and a strong focus on news and current affairs. Its rise was undermined by a dispute among the shareholders of El Carmen. García withdrew his programming in late 1988, leaving the channel with a severe shortage of content and limited production infrastructure. The brand reverted to Tevedos, and the company entered bankruptcy reorganization in 1989. Eduardo Eurnékian subsequently acquired the station and incorporated it into Corporación Multimedios América. Under Eurnékian, the channel was renamed América Te Ve in 1991, later became known as América 2, and moved its studios and transmitter to Palermo in 1994. The relocation improved terrestrial reception in the capital region and accompanied investment in digital television equipment. In 1995, the channel adopted the América Televisión identity, commonly shortened to América. During the 1990s Eurnékian withdrew from much of his multimedia activity. In 2000, control passed to a group associated with sports-rights entrepreneur Carlos Ávila and his family, bringing a stronger emphasis on sports and news programming. A major Argentine economic crisis in 2002 pushed the station close to bankruptcy. The Ávila family linked it with Grupo América and carried out a reorganization that allowed the broadcaster to continue operating and retain its license. In 2005, the network experienced a programming and editorial dispute after Televisión Registrada invited a guest who had been accused of bribing members of the Argentine Senate. Both Televisión Registrada and Indomables subsequently moved to Canal 13. That year, businessman Francisco de Narváez acquired a majority stake in the channel. América TV's business is centered on free-to-air programming, advertising-supported national distribution, news, entertainment, sports, talk formats, reality television, and locally produced current-affairs content. Its network footprint extends beyond the Buenos Aires metropolitan area through Grupo América stations in Mendoza and San Juan and affiliates in Junín and Tucumán. The network's p…

América TV traces its origin to the launch of Tevedos on 25 June 1966. The station operated on channel 2 in La Plata, a city close enough to Buenos Aires for the two markets to overlap. Its owners, Rivadavia Televisión S.A., attempted to use that proximity to compete for Buenos Aires viewers, but the station's transmitter in Florencio Varela produced weaker reception in northern parts of Greater Buenos Aires than the transmitters of its established rivals. Because television ratings were largely measured in the capital market, the technical limitation translated into poor audience performance. During the early 1970s, the channel reduced costs with inexpensive programming and occasional simulcasts of Canal 13. In 1976, the Province of Buenos Aires expropriated the station. It was transferred in 1979 to the provincial Ministry of Economy as a statutory enterprise and was generally branded Canal 2. The station adopted color broadcasting in 1980. After the end of military rule and the restoration of democratic government in 1983, authorities opened a process to privatize the license. Radiodifusora El Carmen S.A. won the bid, but took several years to find an operating partner with suitable technical capacity. In December 1987 it partnered with Héctor Ricardo García, publisher of Crónica, and his Estrella Producciones company. The service was relaunched as Teledos. The Teledos relaunch produced a rapid ratings improvement. The channel recruited newer presenters, emphasized news and current affairs, and used Teledos Noticias as a central program. For a short period it moved into second place, ahead of Canal 13, although it remained behind the stronger Canal 9. The improvement was not sustained. A legal and ownership dispute among El Carmen's shareholders escalated in November 1988, prompting García to withdraw his programming. With little content and no fully integrated production infrastructure, the station faced a serious operational crisis. Newscasts had to be recorded in advance and physically transported to the La Plata transmitter because the Buenos Aires facilities lacked a direct connection with the station's plant. The Tevedos name returned, but the financial position deteriorated and the company entered bankruptcy reorganization in 1989. Eduardo Eurnékian, who controlled the Cablevisión cable system and several Buenos Aires radio stations, acquired the reorganized station and placed it within Corporación Multimedios América. On 15 April 1991, the service became América Te Ve. A major infrastructure change followed in 1994, when the studios and transmitter moved to Palermo in Buenos Aires. The move improved terrestrial coverage and made the broadcaster an early major Argentine adopter of digital television equipment. In 1995, the channel adopted the América Televisión name, commonly shortened to América. Eurnékian later reduced his participation in multimedia businesses. In 2000, control of the station moved to a group associated with Carlos Ávila and his family. Ávila had built Torneos y Competencias into a major producer and rights holder in Argentine sports, and the channel consequently gave greater prominence to sports and news. The 2002 Argentine economic crisis placed the broadcaster close to bankruptcy. The Ávila family connected the station to Grupo América and implemented a reorganization that allowed it to continue operating and preserve its license, despite a challenge associated with Héctor Ricardo García. The network experienced a notable programming dispute in 2005. Televisión Registrada had invited a guest who had been charged with bribing members of the Argentine Senate. The station's news director reportedly objected to the program being broadcast; Televisión Registrada and Indomables then moved to Canal 13. Also in 2005, Francisco de Narváez acquired a majority stake in the channel. América TV currently operates as Grupo América's flagship television property in the reference material. Its facilities remain in Palermo, while the transmitter is in Florencio Varela. Outside Greater Buenos Aires, its programs are distributed nationally by cable and satellite and rebroadcast by Grupo América-owned Channel 7 Mendoza and Channel 8 San Juan, as well as affiliates including Canal 10 in Junín and América Tucumán in Tucumán. The network's editorial and commercial offer spans news, current affairs, entertainment, talk shows, sports, and reality television. Gran Hermano Argentina 2015 is identified as its first reality-show broadcast. The available material also notes related subsidiary channels in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile, but does not provide sufficient detail to establish their current ownership or operating status.

• 2015

  Gran Hermano Argentina 2015 broadcast

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The network broadcast its first reality-show edition according to the cited reference material.

• 2005

  Majority stake acquired by Francisco de Narváez

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  Francisco de Narváez acquired a majority interest in the channel.

• 2002

  Post-crisis reorganization

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station was reorganized through its connection with Grupo América after approaching bankruptcy.

• 2000

  Control associated with Carlos Ávila's group

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  Ownership moved to a group controlled by Carlos Ávila and his family.

• 1995

  América Televisión identity adopted

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel adopted the América Televisión name, later commonly shortened to América.

• 1994

  Facilities move to Palermo

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The studios and transmitter moved to Buenos Aires, improving metropolitan reception.

• 1991

  América Te Ve branding introduced

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted the América Te Ve name.

• 1989

  Acquisition by Eduardo Eurnékian

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  After bankruptcy reorganization, the station became part of Corporación Multimedios América.

• 1987

  Teledos relaunch

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  A new private operating partnership relaunched the service as Teledos.

• 1980

  Color broadcasting begins

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted color television broadcasting.

• 1976

  Expropriation by the Province of Buenos Aires

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station entered provincial state ownership.

• 1966

  Tevedos begins broadcasting

  [1]América TVen.wikipedia.org

  Channel 2 in La Plata launched on 25 June under Rivadavia Televisión S.A.

A national Argentine open-television network combining news, current affairs, entertainment, sports, talk programming, and reality formats. Its brand is closely associated with Grupo América and with distribution beyond Buenos Aires through owned stations and affiliates.

• Broadcast television network · 1966

  América TV terrestrial network

  The core free-to-air television service associated with channel 2 in La Plata and the Buenos Aires metropolitan market. It carries the network's national schedule of news, current affairs, entertainment, talk, sports, and reality programming.

• Pay-TV distribution

  National cable and satellite feed

  América TV programming is distributed outside Greater Buenos Aires through cable and satellite operators, extending the network's schedule to viewers across Argentina beyond the limits of its terrestrial signal.

• Television news · 1987

  Teledos Noticias

  The flagship news identity used during the late-1980s Teledos period. Its emphasis on news and current affairs contributed to the channel's short-lived ratings recovery after the 1987 relaunch.

• Television entertainment and current affairs

  Televisión Registrada

  A program associated with América TV during the 2000s. It became involved in a 2005 programming dispute after an episode included a guest who had been charged with bribing Argentine senators, after which the program moved to Canal 13.

• Television talk and entertainment

  Indomables

  An entertainment and talk-format program that aired on América TV before moving to Canal 13 in the context of the 2005 dispute involving Televisión Registrada.

• Reality television · 2015

  Gran Hermano Argentina 2015

  The Argentine edition of the Big Brother reality format broadcast by América TV in 2015. The cited reference identifies it as the network's first reality show.

• 2005

  Editorial dispute over Televisión RegistradaOther

  Background

  Televisión Registrada invited a guest who had been charged with bribing members of the Argentine Senate.

  Action taken

  The station's news director reportedly refused to permit the episode to air. Televisión Registrada and Indomables subsequently transferred to Canal 13.

  Aftermath

  The dispute caused the departure of two prominent programs from América TV, but the cited material does not establish any formal legal finding against the channel.

  Source

• 2002

  Reorganization through Grupo AméricaStrategy

  Background

  Argentina's economic crisis brought the channel close to bankruptcy and put its operating continuity and license at risk.

  Action taken

  The Ávila family connected América with Grupo América and reorganized the station.

  Aftermath

  The broadcaster emerged from the crisis able to continue operating and retain its license.

  Source

• 1994

  Relocation of studios and transmitterStrategy

  Background

  The station's original technical position made it difficult to reach northern parts of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.

  Action taken

  The channel moved its studios and transmitter to Palermo and invested in digital television equipment.

  Aftermath

  The move improved terrestrial reception and strengthened the channel's position in the capital-region market.

  Source

• 1987

  Relaunch as Teledos with a news-led scheduleStrategy

  Background

  The privatized channel had suffered from weak reception, low ratings, and years of financial and operational difficulty.

  Action taken

  The new operating partnership adopted the Teledos name and emphasized newer presenters, news, and current-affairs programming, including Teledos Noticias.

  Aftermath

  The channel briefly climbed to second place in the ratings before shareholder conflict and the withdrawal of Héctor Ricardo García's programming triggered a severe crisis.

  Source

1. 1América TVen.wikipedia.org