Antenna Sud

Antenna Sud is an Italian regional television brand operating in the Apulia (Puglia) region, with additional coverage in Basilicata. It is a brand of Canale 85 S.r.l., a company controlled by the Gruppo Editoriale Distante of entrepreneur Domenico Distante. The legal headquarters is in Francavilla Fontana, in the province of Brindisi, where the administrative and management offices of Canale 85 S.r.l. are located, along with the television studios of the corresponding channel Antenna Sud Extra (DTT channel 92). The main Antenna Sud - Bari service broadcasts on digital terrestrial channel 14 and has its studios in Bari, at viale Europa 22. It was registered as a journalistic publication on 9 May 1980 with the Court of Bari. Over the years the broadcaster was affiliated with the Odeon TV and INN circuits. Various difficulties led to insolvency and decline, with periodic auctions that went unsold. In 2016 Domenico Distante bought the channel for 1.35 million euros, marking a turning point. Antenna Sud Extra was created from the ashes of TRCB (Tele Radio Città Bianca, DTT 85); the new editorial initiative was registered with the Court of Brindisi on 31 March 2016. Teleregione Color was acquired in 2024 and operates on DTT channel 77. Canale 85 S.r.l. thus serves as the legal holding entity for three editorial outlets: Antenna Sud (DTT 14, Bari), a first-level broadcaster covering Apulia and Basilicata; Antenna Sud Extra (DTT 85, formerly Canale 85, Francavilla Fontana), a second-level broadcaster covering the provinces of Bari, BAT and Brindisi; and Teleregione Color (DTT 77, Barletta), a first-level broadcaster covering Apulia and Basilicata. The group also operated Radio Antenna Sud on 98.9 MHz in the past; the radio station was taken over and shut down on 1 May 2016, briefly reactivated, and then sold at auction for 185,000 euros to a third-party company linked to a Bari parliamentarian. Radio Antenna Sud closed on 20 January 2017, ceding the 98.9 frequency to Radio Manbassa. On 22 June 2022 Radio Antenna Sud reopened, inheriting frequencies from Radio 85, part of the Gruppo Editoriale Distante, with Giovanni Cannalire as editor-in-chief. The radio station broadcasts in FM on 93.5 MHz for Francavilla Fontana, 94.4 MHz for Brindisi, and 88.6 MHz for Taranto, plus DAB+ on 223.936 MHz (Ch. 12A, Mux C.R. DAB Puglia). Antenna Sud is noted as the only regional broadcaster in Italy to have correspondents in Rome covering national politics for both its TV and radio outlets.

Antenna Sud was registered as a journalistic publication on 9 May 1980 with the Court of Bari, establishing its roots as a regional broadcaster in Apulia. Over the years it was affiliated with the Odeon TV and INN circuits. The broadcaster faced various difficulties that led to insolvency and decline, with periodic auctions that failed to attract buyers. In 2016, entrepreneur Domenico Distante acquired the channel for 1.35 million euros, marking a turning point. Antenna Sud Extra was created from the ashes of TRCB (Tele Radio Città Bianca, DTT 85); the new editorial initiative was registered with the Court of Brindisi on 31 March 2016. The group also operated Radio Antenna Sud on 98.9 MHz; the radio station was taken over and shut down on 1 May 2016, briefly reactivated in September 2016 with a silent monophonic carrier without RDS, then returned to regular broadcasting after moving its transmission tower from Bari (viale Unità di Italia) to viale Quinto Ennio. With the auction sale of the television station, the radio channel was sold for 185,000 euros to a third-party company linked to a Bari parliamentarian. Radio Antenna Sud closed on 20 January 2017, ceding the 98.9 frequency to Radio Manbassa. On 22 June 2022, Radio Antenna Sud reopened, inheriting frequencies from Radio 85, part of the Gruppo Editoriale Distante, with Giovanni Cannalire as editor-in-chief. The radio station's headquarters is in the heart of the town center, between piazza Umberto I and via Regina Elena. It broadcasts in FM on 93.5 MHz for Francavilla Fontana, 94.4 MHz for Brindisi, and 88.6 MHz for Taranto, plus DAB+ on 223.936 MHz (Ch. 12A, Mux C.R. DAB Puglia). In 2024, Teleregione Color was acquired, operating on DTT channel 77. Canale 85 S.r.l. now serves as the legal holding entity for three editorial outlets: Antenna Sud (DTT 14, Bari), Antenna Sud Extra (DTT 85, Francavilla Fontana), and Teleregione Color (DTT 77, Barletta). Antenna Sud is noted as the only regional broadcaster in Italy to have correspondents in Rome covering national politics for both its TV and radio outlets.

• 2024

  Teleregione Color acquired, operating on DTT channel 77.

• 2022

  Radio Antenna Sud reopens on 22 June, inheriting frequencies from Radio 85.

• 2017

  Radio Antenna Sud closes on 20 January, ceding 98.9 MHz to Radio Manbassa.

• 2016

  Domenico Distante acquires the channel for 1.35 million euros.

• 2016

  Antenna Sud Extra registered with the Court of Brindisi on 31 March.

• 2016

  Radio Antenna Sud taken over and shut down on 1 May; briefly reactivated in September.

• 1980

  Registered as a journalistic publication with the Court of Bari on 9 May.

Regional broadcaster serving Apulia and Basilicata with local news, politics and talk programming.

• Antenna Sud (DTT 14)

  First-level broadcaster covering Apulia and Basilicata.

• Antenna Sud Extra (DTT 85/92)

  Second-level broadcaster covering the provinces of Bari, BAT and Brindisi.

• Teleregione Color (DTT 77)

  First-level broadcaster covering Apulia and Basilicata.

• Radio Antenna Sud

  Radio station broadcasting on FM and DAB+ in Apulia.

1. 1Antenna Sud official websiteantennasud.com
2. 2Antenna Sud - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
3. 3Antenna Sud - Wikidatawikidata.org