Panamericana Televisión
A Peruvian free-to-air television network and broadcaster.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Panamericana Televisión is a Peruvian free-to-air television network headquartered in Lima. It was established in 1957 by the Delgado Parker family, whose broadcasting interests had grown from radio, and it began official television transmissions on October 16, 1959, using channel 13 in Lima. The station later moved to channel 5, a change that improved its coverage and helped it build a nationwide network of affiliates and retransmission facilities. It is generally described as Peru's third-oldest television network, after TV Perú and América Televisión. The network developed from the Panamericana radio business created by the Delgado Brandt family. Genaro Delgado Parker pursued the television project after studying broadcasting technology and production practices in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Isaac Lindley, associated with the Inca Kola bottling business, provided financial backing, while Cuban media entrepreneur Goar Mestre contributed technical knowledge and links to the American television industry. The founders also created Producciones Panamericana, allowing the broadcaster to produce entertainment and fiction as well as news. During its early decades, Panamericana became one of Peru's most important television outlets. Its news service, initially associated with El Panamericano and later with 24 Horas, helped establish the channel's public profile. Entertainment and fiction were equally important. Simplemente María and Natacha reached audiences beyond Peru, while Augusto Ferrando's variety program Trampolín a la Fama became a long-running national institution. The channel also carried Peru's first satellite television transmission during the 1969 lunar landing. In the 1970s it introduced 24 Horas, which became a leading news program, and in the early 1980s it launched Buenos Días, Perú, one of the country's first morning television programs. Panamericana's private ownership was interrupted by the military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado. In November 1971, the state took control of television stations and decreed the expropriation of majority stakes in them. Panamericana was subsequently managed through government-controlled broadcasting structures, including Telecentro. The network returned to the Delgado Parker family after Fernando Belaúnde Terry's democratic government took office in 1980. During the 1980s, the broadcaster expanded its production activity, upgraded from microwave distribution to satellite transmission, acquired the Coliseo Amauta venue, and developed popular programs such as Aló Gisela. The 1990s brought both major creative successes and growing financial pressure. Nubeluz became a prominent children's program with substantial international reach, while Canela represented an effort to produce a telenovela outside Lima. The network remained a ratings leader for much of the decade and held approximately 31 percent of the national market in 1996 according to the cited historical account. However, the death of Nubeluz presenter Mónica Santa María, the collapse of a prize supplier connected with El Baúl de la Felicidad, staff departures, and rising debt weakened the business. Ernesto Schütz Landázuri acquired a controlling interest in Grupo Pantel in 1997 and invested in the network, contributing to a temporary recovery. Panamericana's most severe institutional crisis followed the exposure of the Vladivideos in 2001. The recordings implicated influential political and business figures, including Schütz, who was shown receiving a payment associated with support for Alberto Fujimori's reelection. The resulting legal and ownership conflict led to the departure of Schütz from Peru and the appointment of Genaro Delgado Parker as judicial administrator in 2003. In July of that year, competing administrators fought for control of the broadcaster's facilities in Lima. The confrontation caused extensive damage, and the network was taken off the air for eight days after its license was temporarily revoked. The signal and operations were subsequently divided between rival administrations before the network was reconnected in October 2004. The post-2004 period was marked by weak finances, unpaid obligations, legal disputes, and difficulties sustaining successful new programming. In 2009, the Peruvian tax authority SUNAT intervened after a court decision removed Delgado Parker and the company faced insolvency. A short-lived government-administered arrangement was followed by further legal action, and judges awarded control to Ernesto Schütz Freundt. Programming was temporarily disrupted during the transition, while the broadcaster's assets were inventoried and a new schedule and identity were prepared. Panamericana's insolvency process concluded in October 2009, and the company entered voluntary insolvency arrangements in 2010 to address debts. Since then, Panamericana has continued operating as a national free-to-air broadcaster. Its later development has included new transmitters, upgraded production and transmission equipment, and the launch of an ISDB-T digital high-definition signal in 2012. News, entertainment, imported series, archival programming, and locally produced shows remain central to its offer. The network's current public identity continues to be associated with the long-running Panamericana name, although its market position has been considerably more contested than during its historic periods of ratings leadership.
History
Panamericana Televisión grew out of the Delgado Brandt family's radio interests in Peru. The family had operated radio stations since 1937, and Genaro Delgado Parker established Empresa Radiodifusora Panamericana in 1953, the company behind Radio Panamericana. He later pursued a television venture with his brothers Héctor and Manuel. Financial support came from Isaac Lindley, while Cuban television entrepreneur Goar Mestre assisted with technical expertise and industry connections. Panamericana Televisión was established in 1957, alongside Producciones Panamericana. Test transmissions began in July 1959, and official programming commenced on October 16 of that year from Lima's channel 13. The station adopted elements of Radio Panamericana's identity, including its musical signature. In 1965 it moved to channel 5 and expanded beyond Lima through affiliate stations and retransmitters. Its early schedule combined news, variety, drama, and imported programming. El Panamericano became a recognizable news service, while Simplemente María and Natacha demonstrated the commercial potential of Peruvian fiction abroad. Trampolín a la Fama, hosted by Augusto Ferrando from 1966, remained on air for approximately three decades. The military government's 1971 intervention in the broadcasting sector interrupted private control. The state assumed control of television stations and imposed majority expropriation. Panamericana was managed through public broadcasting entities, with Telecentro coordinating operations alongside América Televisión. During this period, 24 Horas was launched and became the network's principal news program. Preparations for color television began in the late 1970s, including experimental coverage of the 1978 World Cup. Color broadcasting was implemented nationally by 1980. After Fernando Belaúnde Terry returned to office, Panamericana was restored to Genaro and Héctor Delgado Parker on July 28, 1980. The network resumed private development, launching Buenos Días, Perú in 1981 and rebuilding its drama production capacity in 1983. It also acquired the Coliseo Amauta in Lima for major events and program production. The 1980s brought popular formats including Aló Gisela, hosted by Gisela Valcárcel, and a shift from microwave distribution to satellite transmission in 1989. That year, the Lindley family sold its remaining interest to the Delgado Parker family, followed by a reorganization that placed Héctor and Manuel in operational roles. In the 1990s, Panamericana continued to produce popular entertainment and fiction. Nubeluz became a major children's franchise, while Canela was produced in Arequipa rather than Lima, demonstrating an effort to decentralize production. The broadcaster was a ratings leader for much of the decade and reportedly held about 31 percent of the national market in 1996. Its position weakened after the death of Nubeluz presenter Mónica Santa María, the failure of a prize-supply arrangement associated with El Baúl de la Felicidad, and the movement of prominent television personalities to competing channels. Ernesto Schütz Landázuri acquired majority control of Grupo Pantel in 1997 and invested in the network, producing a temporary improvement in competitiveness. Panamericana remained highly competitive between 2000 and 2003, supported by imported programming and local productions such as Mil oficios. Its corporate stability, however, collapsed during Peru's wider political crisis. The Vladivideos exposed payments and influence arrangements involving political and business figures. Ernesto Schütz Landázuri was shown receiving money in a context connected with political support, while Genaro Delgado Parker appeared in material related to the proposed sale of Tele 2000 to BellSouth. Schütz left Peru, and Genaro Delgado Parker was appointed judicial administrator of Panamericana in February 2003. The competing claims to control produced a violent confrontation at the network's Lima headquarters in July 2003. Furniture and equipment were damaged, fire extinguishers were used during the struggle, and paint was thrown inside the premises. The station was subsequently off the air for eight days after its license was temporarily revoked. Court decisions later divided operational responsibilities between the rival administrations before ultimately favoring Delgado Parker's side. In October 2004, the network was reconnected and relaunched. The legal victory did not resolve Panamericana's financial problems. The network accumulated debts to workers, the state, and other creditors, limiting its ability to purchase programming or develop successful productions. In December 2008, a court decision removed Delgado Parker, although interim legal measures prolonged the transition. SUNAT later placed the company's physical and intellectual property up for auction, without finding a buyer. In May 2009 Delgado Parker left control, and SUNAT formally intervened on June 1. Alberto Cabello was appointed financial administrator but resigned shortly afterward. Employees then maintained programming while the legal status of the broadcaster was contested. A judicial decision in June 2009 awarded control to Ernesto Schütz Freundt. The transition caused temporary programming disruption, including a period dominated by cartoons and non-commercial landscape footage while assets were inventoried and a new schedule prepared. The insolvency process concluded on October 16, 2009, the network's fiftieth anniversary. Panamericana subsequently entered voluntary insolvency arrangements in 2010. Later development focused on technical modernization, including new transmitters and equipment and an ISDB-T digital high-definition signal launched in 2012. The broadcaster remains active as a Peruvian free-to-air network, with news, entertainment, imported programming, and locally produced shows forming its principal offer.
- 2012
Digital terrestrial television launch
[1]Panamericana introduced an ISDB-T high-definition digital signal.
- 2009
Insolvency and control transition
[1]SUNAT intervention and subsequent court action transferred operational control during a major insolvency crisis.
- 2004
Network reconnection
[1]The divided network was reconnected and relaunched with new equipment and branding.
- 2003
Judicial administration and facility conflict
[1]Genaro Delgado Parker took judicial control amid an ownership dispute that culminated in a violent confrontation.
- 1997
Change in control of Grupo Pantel
[1]Ernesto Schütz Landázuri acquired a majority interest and invested in the broadcaster.
- 1990
Nubeluz becomes a major franchise
[1]The children's program became one of the network's strongest domestic and international successes.
- 1989
Satellite distribution upgrade
[1]The network replaced its microwave distribution system with satellite transmission.
- 1981
Buenos Días, Perú launches
[1]Panamericana introduced one of Peru's first morning television programs.
- 1980
Return to private ownership and national color broadcasting
[1]The network returned to the Delgado Parker family and completed the transition to color broadcasting.
- 1973
24 Horas launches
[1]The newscast became Panamericana's flagship news program during the Telecentro period.
Products and positioning
A long-established Peruvian national broadcaster combining free-to-air news, entertainment, locally produced programming, imported series, and broad terrestrial distribution.
News program · 1973
24 Horas
A flagship Panamericana news program launched in 1973 during the state-managed Telecentro period. It replaced El Panamericano as the network's principal news identity and became one of the country's most recognized television newscasts.
Variety and talent show · 1966
Trampolín a la Fama
A popular variety program hosted by Augusto Ferrando. Introduced in 1966, it remained on the air for roughly thirty years and became closely associated with Panamericana's mass-market entertainment identity.
Children's programming · 1990
Nubeluz
A children's entertainment program hosted by Almendra Gomelsky and Mónica Santa María. It became one of Panamericana's most successful productions and was distributed to audiences outside Peru before ending in the 1990s.
Talk and variety show · 1987
Aló Gisela
A program hosted by Gisela Valcárcel after she moved from Risas y Salsas into her own show. It ran for approximately five years and helped establish Valcárcel as a major Peruvian television personality.
Morning television · 1981
Buenos Días, Perú
A morning program launched in 1981. Its introduction expanded Panamericana's daily news and entertainment schedule and is associated with the early development of morning television in Peru.
Telenovela
Natacha
A Peruvian telenovela associated with Panamericana's early fiction-production era. Alongside Simplemente María, it demonstrated the network's ability to create serial drama with appeal in other Latin American markets.
Telenovela · 1995
Canela
A 1995 Panamericana production notable for being filmed and produced entirely outside Lima, in Arequipa. It represented an effort to broaden the geographic base of Peruvian television production.
Broadcast transmission · 2012
Digital terrestrial television service
Panamericana introduced an ISDB-T digital high-definition signal in 2012, complementing its longstanding analog free-to-air network and modernizing its terrestrial distribution infrastructure.
Controversies
2003
Violent struggle for control of the network
Rival administrators attempted to control Panamericana's principal Lima facilities. The confrontation involved thrown furniture, fire extinguishers, and paint, and the broadcaster was subsequently off the air for eight days after its license was temporarily revoked.
2001
Vladivideos and alleged political influence
The exposure of secretly recorded videos involving Vladimiro Montesinos created a major crisis for Panamericana. Ernesto Schütz Landázuri appeared receiving money in a context linked to support for Alberto Fujimori's reelection, while Genaro Delgado Parker was shown seeking government support in connection with the proposed sale of Tele 2000. The disclosures led to legal disputes, Schütz's departure from Peru, and a change in the network's administration.
Brand decisions
2012
Launch ISDB-T digital signalProduct launchBackground
The broadcaster pursued technical modernization after years of ownership and financial instability.
Action taken
Panamericana launched a digital high-definition terrestrial signal using the ISDB-T standard.
Aftermath
The launch expanded the network's digital distribution capability and complemented new transmitters and other equipment upgrades.
2009
Enter insolvency administrationOtherBackground
Panamericana faced substantial obligations to employees, the state, and other creditors, alongside unresolved ownership litigation.
Action taken
SUNAT intervened in June, followed by a court decision awarding control to Ernesto Schütz Freundt and the preparation of an insolvency process.
Aftermath
Programming was temporarily disrupted, the network changed control, and the insolvency process concluded in October 2009. Voluntary insolvency arrangements followed in 2010.
2004
Reconnect and relaunch the networkOtherBackground
After approximately eleven months of competing administrative control, court decisions favored the Delgado Parker side in the facility dispute.
Action taken
Panamericana reconnected its divided network on October 28 with new equipment and a revised logo.
Aftermath
The relaunch restored unified transmission, but financial and management problems continued.
2003
Judicial administration of PanamericanaStrategyBackground
The Vladivideos and the flight of controlling shareholder Ernesto Schütz Landázuri produced an ownership and governance vacuum.
Action taken
Genaro Delgado Parker sought and obtained appointment as judicial administrator on February 24, 2003.
Aftermath
The appointment triggered competing claims to the network's facilities and contributed to the 2003 interruption and later division of operations.
1989
Upgrade national distribution to satelliteStrategyBackground
Panamericana needed a more capable distribution system to consolidate programming across Peru.
Action taken
The network replaced its microwave link with satellite transmission.
Aftermath
The upgrade strengthened the technical basis of national broadcasting and preceded a broader reorganization of the group.
1965
Move the Lima service to channel 5StrategyBackground
The original channel 13 service had limited reach compared with the network's national ambitions.
Action taken
Panamericana moved its Lima transmission to channel 5 and developed a larger affiliate and retransmitter network.
Aftermath
The change improved signal reach and supported the network's development as a nationwide broadcaster.
Recent events
- 2012
Panamericana launches digital high-definition transmission[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The network introduced an ISDB-T digital television signal using a new digital terrestrial transmission channel.
- 2009
SUNAT intervenes in Panamericana's insolvency crisis[1]
Bankruptcy · Regulation · Leadership change
The Peruvian tax authority took control after court and creditor actions, creating a short-lived administrative arrangement and further legal uncertainty.
- 2004
Panamericana network is reconnected[1]
Product generation
Following prolonged legal and administrative division, the network's operations were reconnected and relaunched with new equipment and a new logo.
- 1997
Ernesto Schütz Landázuri acquires control of Grupo Pantel[1]
M&A · Leadership change
A change in control brought new investment to Panamericana and was followed by a period of ratings recovery.
- 1990
Nubeluz becomes a major international television success[1]
Product launch
The children's program became one of Panamericana's most successful formats and reached audiences outside Peru.
- 1980
Panamericana returns to private ownership[1]
Other
The station was returned to Genaro and Héctor Delgado Parker after the restoration of democratic government.
- 1971
State expropriation of Peruvian television stations[1]
Regulation
The military government took control of television stations and expropriated majority stakes, interrupting Panamericana's private ownership.
- 1969
Panamericana carries Peru's first satellite television broadcast[1]
Other
The network broadcast the lunar landing through the first satellite transmission in Peruvian television history.
- 1965
Panamericana moves to channel 5[1]
Other
The network changed its Lima frequency and expanded its reach through affiliates and retransmission facilities.
- 1959
Panamericana Televisión begins official broadcasts[1]
Other
The station formally began broadcasting from Lima on channel 13 after earlier test transmissions.
Sources2 sources
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