SBT RS

SBT RS is the Porto Alegre television station operated by Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão, the Brazilian broadcaster commonly known as SBT. The station broadcasts on channel 5 and serves the state capital and surrounding metropolitan market, while also carrying the national SBT schedule. Its facilities are located in Porto Alegre's Santa Tereza neighborhood, and its transmission infrastructure is positioned on Morro da Polícia. The station's current operation emerged from the former TV Piratini license. TV Piratini began broadcasting on December 20, 1959, as a Rede Tupi owned-and-operated station and was the first television station established in Porto Alegre and in Rio Grande do Sul. Rede Tupi's financial crisis led to the revocation of its licenses on July 18, 1980. One of the licenses, including the channel 5 authorization associated with TV Piratini, was acquired by Silvio Santos in March 1981. The new operation began broadcasting on August 26, 1981, under the name TVS Porto Alegre, shortly after the launch of the principal São Paulo station. Over time, the station became part of SBT's owned-and-operated network and adopted the SBT Rio Grande and SBT RS identities used for its regional presence. Its role combines national entertainment, news and public-affairs programming from SBT with locally produced content aimed at viewers in Rio Grande do Sul. Local programming has included Masbah!, regional editions of SBT Esportes, and local news editions placed around the network schedule. In May 2015, the culinary program Anonymus Gourmet moved from the RBS TV affiliate compound to the station. SBT Rio Grande subsequently introduced a second edition of its regional news programming on August 3, 2015, scheduled before the national SBT Brasil newscast. The station has also undergone technical modernization. On August 25, 2014, it began producing local content in high definition as part of a measure affecting five SBT owned-and-operated stations. Before that change, it carried high-definition programming supplied by the national network but did not produce all of its own local material in that format. SBT RS ended its analog transmission on March 14, 2018, in accordance with the Brazilian digital-television transition timetable for the Porto Alegre metropolitan area. Audience performance has been an important part of the station's regional strategy. In May 2016, SBT RS reported a 7 percent increase in its all-day average audience and exceeded Record RS in morning ratings. Local programming, especially Masbah!, was identified as a significant contributor to that improvement, while the two editions of the regional SBT Rio Grande schedule also outperformed the comparable Record schedule during the period described in the station's reference material. SBT RS remains a regional broadcast outlet of SBT rather than an independent national network. Its principal brand function is to localize the network's programming, advertising and journalism for Rio Grande do Sul while maintaining the broader identity and operating structure of SBT.

SBT RS traces its channel history to TV Piratini, which began broadcasting in Porto Alegre on December 20, 1959. Established by Diários Associados as a Rede Tupi owned-and-operated station, TV Piratini was the first television station in Porto Alegre and the first in Rio Grande do Sul. Its existence ended after Rede Tupi's financial crisis resulted in the revocation of the network's licenses on July 18, 1980. The channel 5 license associated with TV Piratini was among three licenses acquired by Silvio Santos in March 1981. The successor station launched on August 26, 1981, as TVS Porto Alegre, approximately one week after the launch of the principal TVS station in São Paulo. It subsequently became part of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão network and developed into SBT's owned-and-operated outlet for Porto Alegre and Rio Grande do Sul. The station's facilities are in the Santa Tereza neighborhood of Porto Alegre, while its transmission tower is located on Morro da Polícia. Its programming model combines national SBT content with regional news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle programs. The regional identity has been associated with the names SBT Rio Grande and SBT RS. In May 2015, Anonymus Gourmet moved to the station from the RBS TV affiliate compound. On August 3 of that year, the station added a second edition of SBT Rio Grande, scheduled at 7:20 p.m. before SBT Brasil. Technical changes formed another important part of the station's development. On August 25, 2014, SBT RS began producing local content in high definition under a broader upgrade covering five SBT owned-and-operated stations. Previously, the station transmitted high-definition national programming but had not fully moved its local production to high definition. The analog signal was switched off on March 14, 2018, matching the digital switchover date for the Porto Alegre metropolitan area under the Brazilian regulatory timetable. The station reported improved audience performance in May 2016. Its all-day average increased by 7 percent, and its morning performance surpassed Record RS. Masbah! was identified as the local program with the strongest growth, while the two editions of SBT Rio Grande also exceeded the comparable Record schedule during the period described. On April 16, 2018, local sports journalist Ricardo Vidarte, associated with SBT Esportes, died after suffering a heart attack. SBT RS continues to function as SBT's regional owned-and-operated television station in Rio Grande do Sul.

• 2018

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  SBT RS shuts down its analog signal in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area during Brazil's digital television transition.

• 2015

  Regional schedule expands

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Anonymus Gourmet moves to the station and a second edition of SBT Rio Grande is introduced.

• 2014

  Local high-definition production begins

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  SBT RS starts producing local content in high definition as part of a multi-station technical upgrade.

• 1981

  TVS Porto Alegre launches

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Silvio Santos acquires the channel 5 license in March, and TVS Porto Alegre begins broadcasting on August 26.

• 1980

  Rede Tupi licenses are revoked

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  The Brazilian government revokes Rede Tupi's licenses following the network's financial crisis, ending TV Piratini's operation.

• 1959

  TV Piratini begins broadcasting

  [1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  TV Piratini launches on channel 5 in Porto Alegre as a Rede Tupi owned-and-operated station and becomes the first television station in Rio Grande do Sul.

A regional, free-to-air SBT station combining nationally distributed programming with locally produced journalism, entertainment and commercial content for viewers in Porto Alegre and Rio Grande do Sul.

• Regional television news · 2015

  SBT Rio Grande

  A regional news programming block serving Rio Grande do Sul. The station expanded it to a second daily edition in August 2015, placing the additional edition before the national SBT Brasil newscast and strengthening the local component of the station's schedule.

• Local entertainment and lifestyle television

  Masbah!

  A locally produced entertainment and lifestyle program associated with SBT RS. It was identified as the station's strongest source of local-program audience growth during the audience improvement reported in May 2016.

• Culinary television

  Anonymus Gourmet

  A regional culinary program that moved to SBT RS in May 2015 from the RBS TV affiliate compound, adding a recognized local food and lifestyle format to the station's programming portfolio.

• Regional sports television

  SBT Esportes

  A sports-news format carried in a local edition by SBT RS. The station's history records the participation of sports journalist Ricardo Vidarte, who died in 2018.

• 2018

  Complete the digital television transitionStrategy

  Background

  Brazil's national digital switchover timetable set March 14, 2018 as the analog shutdown date for the Porto Alegre metropolitan area.

  Action taken

  SBT RS discontinued its analog transmission and continued as a digital television station.

  Aftermath

  The station completed the transition to digital broadcasting in its principal metropolitan service area.

  Source

• 2015

  Expand the regional programming scheduleStrategy

  Background

  SBT RS sought to strengthen its local identity and regional relevance within the Porto Alegre market.

  Action taken

  The station brought Anonymus Gourmet into its facilities and added a second daily edition of SBT Rio Grande before the national SBT Brasil newscast.

  Aftermath

  The expanded regional schedule was followed by reported audience improvement in 2016.

  Source

• 2014

  Move local production to high definitionStrategy

  Background

  SBT was upgrading the technical capabilities of several owned-and-operated stations, while SBT RS had previously carried high-definition network content without producing all of its local material in that format.

  Action taken

  The station began producing local programming in high definition on August 25, 2014.

  Aftermath

  The change modernized the station's local production operation and preceded the later shutdown of its analog signal.

  Source

• 2018

  SBT RS completes analog television shutdown[1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Regulation

  The station ended analog transmission as part of the scheduled digital-television transition in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area.

• 2016

  SBT RS reports audience growth[1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station recorded a reported 7 percent increase in its all-day average audience and exceeded Record RS in morning ratings, with local programming cited as a contributor.

• 2015

  Anonymus Gourmet moves to SBT RS[1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The regional culinary program moved from the RBS TV affiliate compound to SBT RS, expanding the station's locally produced programming.

• 2015

  SBT Rio Grande adds a second local edition[1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  A second edition of the regional SBT Rio Grande program began airing before the national SBT Brasil newscast.

• 2014

  SBT RS begins local high-definition production[1]SBT RSen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station began producing local content in high definition as part of a technical upgrade involving five SBT owned-and-operated stations.

1. 1SBT RSen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SBT Rio Grande official websitesbt.com.br