Canal Orbe 21
A Catholic television station of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, broadcasting from Argentina on digital channel 21.2.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Canal Orbe 21 is a Catholic television station based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its call sign is LRL 456 TV, and its terrestrial digital service is carried on channel 21.2. The station is operated by the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and combines religious broadcasting with general-interest programming, including public affairs, entertainment, children's content, cultural material, and live or recorded coverage of Catholic events. The station's origins lie in a broadcasting authorization issued by Argentina's Federal Broadcasting Committee, or COMFER. In 2000, authorization was granted for a television service originally designated for channel 66 and associated with the Franciscan order. The allocation was changed to channel 21 in 2001. Although the initial authorization involved the Franciscans, the construction and operation of the service were subsequently assigned to the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires under a 2004 agreement. The archdiocese already had television-production experience through a production center established in 1986. Canal 21 began test transmissions in January 2006. Its transmitter was located at the Inmaculada Concepción Seminary in Villa Devoto, while its studios were initially housed on the tenth floor of an archdiocesan building at Rivadavia 413. Full service began in July 2007. The station later moved into the former Argentina Sono Film studios. Commercial broadcaster Telefe provided important operational support, including paying the station's rent after the move and initially planning for the service to share space on Telefe's digital television multiplex. The final digital arrangement placed the service at 21.2, in 720p resolution and with a reported bitrate of 6.5 Mbit/s, on a multiplex shared with Editorial Perfil's Alfa TV. The station became particularly associated with the media legacy of Jorge Bergoglio, then archbishop and cardinal of Buenos Aires and later Pope Francis. In 2013, following Bergoglio's election as pope, the Vatican Television Center reached an agreement giving Canal 21 access to archival material concerning him. One of Bergoglio's earlier programs, Biblia, diálogo vigente, in which he appeared with a rabbi and a Protestant minister, received an honorary Martín Fierro Award in 2013. The channel adopted the name Orbe 21 on December 12, 2014. Orbe 21's programming model is deliberately broader than a purely devotional channel. Bergoglio reportedly instructed its first general director, Julio Rimoldi, to position the station between conventional commercial television and traditional religious broadcasting. In practice, approximately two-thirds of its output has been produced in-house, with the schedule combining Catholic masses, papal events, apostolic visits, and liturgical conferences with news, discussion, entertainment, and children's programs. The channel has also achieved distribution beyond Argentina. It was added to Movistar+'s service in several Spanish-speaking markets, including Spain, after a conversation between Pope Francis and Telefónica president César Alierta. In 2015, Argentina's Federal Authority for Audiovisual Communication Services awarded the Catholic Church twelve additional television stations intended to rebroadcast Orbe 21 programming with locally produced inserts. The arrangement was conditional on the participating dioceses being able to sustain the stations financially. This created a potential diocesan-repeater model rather than transforming Orbe 21 into a conventional national commercial network. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate corporate ownership structure, stock-market listing, or a comprehensive current management roster.
History
Canal Orbe 21 developed from Argentina's expansion of religious broadcasting authorizations in the 2000s. COMFER approved a television concession in 2000, originally associated with channel 66 and the Franciscan order. The concession was revised in 2001 to use channel 21. A 2004 agreement placed construction and operation under the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, which had already maintained a television production center since 1986. This institutional background gave the station both a religious owner and an existing production base. The service tested its signal in January 2006 from the Inmaculada Concepción Seminary in Villa Devoto. Its first studios were located in an archdiocesan building at Rivadavia 413. Regular service began in July 2007. The station subsequently moved to the former Argentina Sono Film studios. Telefe assisted the operation by paying rent at the new facility and by initially planning to accommodate Canal 21 on its digital multiplex. The final technical configuration placed the station on digital channel 21.2, sharing the multiplex with Alfa TV and transmitting in 720p. Its editorial identity was shaped in part by Jorge Bergoglio, then the archbishop of Buenos Aires. Julio Rimoldi served as the first general director. Bergoglio's guidance emphasized a channel that would sit between mass-market television and narrowly devotional programming. As a result, the station combined Catholic worship and institutional coverage with public affairs, entertainment, children's programming, and other general-interest content. Reference material indicates that roughly two-thirds of the schedule was produced internally. The station's profile grew after Bergoglio became Pope Francis in 2013. The Vatican Television Center granted Canal 21 access to archival material relating to him, while Biblia, diálogo vigente, a program in which Bergoglio participated alongside a rabbi and a Protestant minister, received an honorary Martín Fierro Award. On December 12, 2014, the station formally adopted the Orbe 21 name. During the same period it secured distribution on Movistar+ in multiple Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain. In 2015, Argentina's Federal Authority for Audiovisual Communication Services awarded twelve further television stations to the Catholic Church. These were intended as possible local repeaters for Orbe 21, with local content inserted by dioceses able to support the associated costs. The initiative suggested a federated distribution model linking the Buenos Aires station with diocesan broadcasters. Available reference material does not document the eventual operating status of all proposed repeaters, nor does it provide a current list of executives or a separate commercial corporate structure.
- 2015
Proposed diocesan repeater network
[1]Twelve additional licenses were awarded to the Catholic Church for stations that could rebroadcast Orbe 21 content with local inserts.
- 2014
Rebrand to Orbe 21
[1]The station adopted the name Orbe 21 on December 12.
- 2013
Vatican archive agreement
[1]The Vatican Television Center allowed Canal 21 access to archival material concerning Jorge Bergoglio, shortly after his election as Pope Francis.
- 2007
Full service launches
[1]Regular broadcasting began in July.
- 2006
Test broadcasting begins
[1]Canal 21 began experimental transmissions from Villa Devoto.
- 2004
Archdiocese assumes construction and operation
[1]An agreement made the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires responsible for building and operating the service.
- 2001
Concession modified to channel 21
[1]The broadcasting concession was amended to specify channel 21.
- 2000
Initial television authorization
[1]COMFER authorized a television station originally designated for channel 66 and associated with the Franciscan order.
- 1986
Archdiocesan television production center established
[1]The Archdiocese of Buenos Aires maintained a television production center before the later launch of Canal 21.
Products and positioning
A Catholic broadcaster with a general-interest programming mix, designed to reach audiences beyond conventional parish or devotional television while retaining strong links to the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and the wider Catholic media system.
Television station · 2007
Orbe 21 digital television service
The station's principal offering is its digital terrestrial television service in Buenos Aires. It broadcasts on channel 21.2 in 720p and carries a mixed schedule of Catholic programming and general-interest content. The service includes masses, papal events, apostolic visits, liturgical conferences, public affairs, entertainment, and children's programs.
Pay television distribution · 2014
Orbe 21 international distribution
Orbe 21 has also been distributed through Movistar+ in several Spanish-speaking markets, including Spain. This extends the station's reach beyond its Buenos Aires terrestrial footprint while retaining its Catholic and Spanish-language programming identity.
Religious discussion program
Biblia, diálogo vigente
A program associated with Jorge Bergoglio that presented biblical and religious discussion through dialogue among a Catholic participant, a rabbi, and a Protestant minister. It later received an honorary Martín Fierro Award.
Brand decisions
2015
Develop a diocesan repeater modelStrategyBackground
The Catholic Church sought to extend the station's programming to additional diocesan markets.
Action taken
The federal audiovisual authority awarded twelve television stations intended to rebroadcast Orbe 21 content with local insertions where dioceses could finance operations.
Aftermath
The arrangement created the possibility of a distributed Catholic television network, although the final operating status of every proposed repeater is not established in the available material.
2014
Rebrand as Orbe 21StrategyBackground
The station was seeking a broader identity and wider Spanish-language distribution.
Action taken
Canal 21 adopted the Orbe 21 name on December 12, 2014.
Aftermath
The new identity was used alongside expanded carriage through Movistar+ in Spanish-speaking markets.
2007
Launch full broadcasting serviceProduct launchBackground
The station had conducted test transmissions since January 2006.
Action taken
Canal 21 commenced regular full-service television broadcasting in July 2007.
Aftermath
The station established its continuing Buenos Aires broadcasting operation and mixed Catholic/general-interest schedule.
2004
Place construction and operation under the Archdiocese of Buenos AiresStrategyBackground
Although the original concession was associated with the Franciscan order, the project required an operating institution with production infrastructure.
Action taken
An agreement assigned construction and operation to the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires.
Aftermath
The archdiocese developed the service using its existing television-production capacity.
2001
Move the concession from channel 66 to channel 21StrategyBackground
The original authorization had designated a television service for channel 66.
Action taken
COMFER modified the concession to specify channel 21.
Aftermath
The later station was identified with channel 21 and ultimately operated digitally on 21.2.
Sources2 sources
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