Canal 13 Concepción

Canal 13 Concepción was the regional television operation of Chilean broadcaster Canal 13 in the Concepción and Talcahuano area. Known locally for much of its history as Canal 5, it was established after a community fundraising effort in 1972–1973 to finance a repeater antenna and extend Canal 13's reach into the Biobío region. Its first official broadcast took place on February 8, 1973, beginning with a Road Runner cartoon. The station initially operated in a legally uncertain environment because the extension of a university-affiliated television concession beyond its traditional jurisdiction was disputed. That uncertainty was reduced when Chile's National Television Council ruled on March 1, 1973 that the expansion was compatible with the legal framework then in force. The early operation used facilities connected with the Archdiocese of Concepción, while its transmission plant was installed at Talcahuano's Sports Palace. It later developed a more substantial technical base, including a transmitter and antenna on Centinela Hill. A 1,000-watt transmitter and 32-metre antenna were inaugurated there in 1975, and the transmitter was upgraded to a 5-kilowatt Japanese-built unit in 1982. In July 1986 the station moved into a purpose-built facility at the intersection of Ongolmo and Las Heras streets in Concepción. The building included a studio, newsroom and press facilities, control rooms, offices, workshops and technical infrastructure. At that point the operation employed 23 permanent and 10 temporary workers. For much of its first period, Canal 5 retransmitted programs from Canal 13 in Santiago, initially with approximately a one-week delay. Its schedule included entertainment programs, cartoons, films, series, cultural programming and Chilean and Brazilian telenovelas. During the 1980s, selected programming and news began to arrive live from Santiago through microwave links, while other programs continued to be delayed until the network eventually moved toward a fully live national feed. Local advertising and regional programming remained important exceptions. The station's strongest local identity came from its news and information output. Telecinco served as the regional news service and was widely regarded as more representative of local audiences than some national alternatives. It was followed at various times by regional weather coverage under the Teletiempo Regional name. Other locally associated programs included the cultural series Campanil Universitario, the debate program Réplica Concepción, the children's program El rincón del Tío Álvaro, the talk show Buenas Tardes and the Telebingo game segment organized with the Concepción Lions Club. The original local signal ended on November 13, 1996, when the operation joined Canal 13's national signal full time. Canal 13 later restored a local presence in August 2004 with Teletrece Concepción, followed by Teletarde Concepción and El Tiempo Concepción. In July 2014 the network announced that the regional operation would close, but local protests led it to reverse the decision and continue broadcasting. The afternoon local newscast did not return, leaving the principal regional edition as the main local television news product. By May 2019, Canal 13 had stopped broadcasting the Concepción local newscast on its terrestrial signal and reduced the local operation substantially. Some personnel continued producing material for digital outlets and T13 Móvil, while national editions of Teletrece could still include live reports from the region. Thus, the station's traditional open-broadcast identity ended, although its regional newsgathering function survived in a limited online and network-linked form.

Canal 13's presence in Concepción emerged from a regional campaign to finance a repeater antenna. Residents of Concepción and Talcahuano purchased cooperation bonds during 1972 and 1973, enabling the extension to begin broadcasting on February 8, 1973. The first broadcast was a Road Runner cartoon. The operation was initially identified locally as Channel 5 or Canal 5 and was connected to Canal 13's Santiago network. The extension immediately encountered a regulatory dispute. The government of Salvador Allende considered the broadcast unauthorized because the university concession system did not clearly permit national coverage beyond the relevant jurisdiction. On March 1, 1973, however, the National Television Council determined that the expansion to other provinces fell within the legal framework then applicable. The first studios were installed at the Concepción Archbishopric, while the transmission plant operated from Talcahuano's Sports Palace. Sandra Garretón Pettinelli became the first continuity announcer to appear on screen on March 8, 1973. In March 1973 the signal suffered interference associated with equipment at the Directorate of Electrical and Gas Services on Freire Street. On March 21, a group associated with the nationalist organization Patria y Libertad entered the premises in an attempt to take the equipment. Jorge Henríquez González was surprised, gagged and strangled during the incident. A subsequent investigation implicated Canal 13 director Raúl Hasbún as an alleged intellectual author of the operation. This episode remains the most serious controversy associated with the station and requires careful distinction between allegations, investigation and adjudicated findings. The technical infrastructure expanded during the following decade. On September 16, 1975 the station inaugurated a 1,000-watt transmitter and 32-metre antenna on Centinela Hill in Talcahuano. The transmitter was replaced on December 16, 1982 with a 5-kilowatt Japanese-built device. On July 30, 1986 the station moved to its own building at Ongolmo and Las Heras streets in Concepción. Designed by Eduardo San Martín, Patricio Wenborne and Enrique Browne, the facility included a 90-square-metre studio, press room, laboratory, workshops, control rooms, offices, a cafeteria, announcer facilities and a generator. For many years the station carried Canal 13 Santiago programs on delay, including Sábados Gigantes, Noche de Gigantes, Almorzando en el trece, fiction, films, cartoons and telenovelas. Beginning in 1982, some programming and the Teletarde news service were carried live through microwave links. Sports broadcasts had already received live treatment, while much entertainment and cultural material remained delayed until the network progressively moved to a fully live feed. Local advertising, the Telecinco newscast and regional weather output retained a local role. Telecinco, broadcast from 1973 until November 1996, was the station's best-known local news program. Its regional focus made it particularly significant to audiences in Concepción and the Province of Arauco. Teletiempo Regional provided local weather information, and Telebingo, organized with the Concepción Lions Club, became a notable community-oriented microprogram during the 1980s. Other programs included Buenas Tardes, Campanil Universitario, El rincón del Tío Álvaro and Réplica Concepción. The original local signal ceased on November 13, 1996, when the station adopted Canal 13's national signal full time. Canal 13 reactivated a local service in August 2004 under the Teletrece Concepción name. Teletarde Concepción followed in 2005, alongside local weather output under El Tiempo Concepción. The network subsequently reduced several regional operations elsewhere, and the Concepción service itself faced closure in 2014. Protests by local residents persuaded Canal 13 to keep the signal operating, but the afternoon newscast was not restored. The final major contraction occurred in May 2019. Canal 13 ended the Concepción local newscast on open television and dismissed part of the station's workforce. A limited regional content operation remained for social networks and T13 Móvil, and national Teletrece editions could still connect live with journalists in the area. The traditional terrestrial station therefore ceased functioning as a standalone local broadcast service, leaving a reduced digital and network-linked regional presence.

• 2019

  Open-signal local news ends

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  The local television newscast was discontinued in May, with some regional content continuing through digital outlets and T13 Móvil.

• 2014

  Closure plan reversed

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  Public protests led Canal 13 to retain the regional signal after announcing its planned closure.

• 2004

  Local news service relaunched

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  Canal 13 restored a local Concepción service with Teletrece Concepción.

• 1996

  Original local signal discontinued

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  The Canal 5 local signal ended on November 13 and was replaced by Canal 13's national feed.

• 1986

  Move to purpose-built headquarters

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  The station moved into its own facility at Ongolmo and Las Heras streets in Concepción.

• 1982

  Transmission power increased

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  The original transmitter was replaced by a 5-kilowatt Japanese-built unit.

• 1975

  Centinela Hill transmitter inaugurated

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  A 1,000-watt transmitter and 32-metre antenna were installed at Centinela Hill in Talcahuano.

• 1973

  Community-backed launch

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  After a fundraising campaign to finance a repeater antenna, Canal 13's Concepción extension began broadcasting on February 8. It was locally known as Canal 5.

• 1973

  Regulatory validation

  [1]Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org

  The National Television Council ruled on March 1 that the extension of Channel 13 to additional provinces complied with the legal framework then in force.

A locally rooted regional television service combining Canal 13 network programming with news, weather, advertising and community-oriented content for Concepción, Talcahuano and surrounding areas.

• Regional television news · 1973

  Telecinco

  The station's principal local news program from 1973 to 1996. It focused on Concepción, Talcahuano and nearby communities and became associated with stronger regional identification than nationally oriented news programs.

• Regional television news · 2004

  Teletrece Concepción

  The local news service launched when Canal 13 reactivated its Concepción operation in 2004. It supplied regional reporting during scheduled local disconnections from the national Canal 13 signal and remained the principal local edition until 2019.

• Afternoon regional news · 2005

  Teletarde Concepción

  An afternoon local news edition associated with the post-2004 regional service. It ran from 2005 and was not restored after the 2014 closure controversy.

• Regional weather · 1978

  Teletiempo Regional

  A regional weather segment that followed local news during the station's earlier period. It was also associated with sponsorship from Lan Chile and provided area-specific forecasts.

• Game-show microprogram · 1980

  Telebingo

  A daily local lottery and game segment produced during the 1980s in cooperation with the Concepción Lions Club. Numbers from cards sold through kiosks in the intercommunal area were drawn on air.

• Regional weather · 2005

  El Tiempo Concepción

  The weather component of the relaunched local service, providing forecasts for Concepción and its surrounding region until the terrestrial local operation was discontinued.

• 1973

  Death during attempted seizure of interference equipment

  A March 1973 raid connected with interference-related equipment resulted in the death of Jorge Henríquez González. A later investigation implicated Canal 13 director Raúl Hasbún as an alleged intellectual author. The available reference summarizes an investigation and allegation, not a complete judicial disposition.

  Source

Read more

• 1972Repeater antenna fundraising campaign

  Concepción · Talcahuano

  Residents were asked to purchase cooperation bonds to help finance the infrastructure required to bring Canal 13 programming to the area.

  Outcome. The campaign enabled the regional extension to begin broadcasting in February 1973.

  Source

• 2019

  End local terrestrial news productionStrategy

  Background

  Canal 13 reduced its regional broadcast structure and shifted some content activity toward digital distribution.

  Action taken

  The Concepción local newscast was removed from the open signal, part of the local staff was dismissed, and remaining regional production moved mainly to social networks and T13 Móvil.

  Aftermath

  The standalone regional television service effectively ended, while national news retained the ability to make live links with the area.

  Source

• 2014

  Reverse planned regional closureStrategy

  Background

  Canal 13 announced that the Concepción operation would close, prompting protests and mobilization by local residents.

  Action taken

  The broadcaster retained the regional signal but did not restore Teletarde Concepción.

  Aftermath

  The main regional news edition continued until the broader reduction of the operation in 2019.

  Source

• 2004

  Reintroduce local news programmingStrategy

  Background

  Canal 13 sought to re-establish a regional presence after the 1996 move to a full national feed.

  Action taken

  The broadcaster launched Teletrece Concepción and later added other local services.

  Aftermath

  The operation again provided regional news and advertising through scheduled local programming windows.

  Source

• 1996

  Move to the national Canal 13 signalStrategy

  Background

  After more than two decades of regional broadcasting and delayed network retransmission, Canal 13 reorganized its distribution model.

  Action taken

  The local Canal 5 signal was discontinued on November 13 and the area joined the national signal full time.

  Aftermath

  The original standalone local broadcast identity ended, although Canal 13 later restored regional news output.

  Source

• 1982

  Replace the regional transmitterGeneration change

  Background

  The station sought greater transmission capacity after operating with a lower-powered transmitter at Centinela Hill.

  Action taken

  Canal 13 Concepción installed a Japanese-built 5-kilowatt transmitter.

  Aftermath

  The upgrade increased the technical capacity and reach of the regional service.

  Source

1. 1Canal 13 Concepciónen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Canal 13 official website13.cl