Telefe
An Argentine national television network and media brand headquartered in Buenos Aires.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Telefe, short for Televisión Federal, is one of Argentina’s principal national television networks and one of the country’s most recognizable entertainment brands. Its principal station is based in the Buenos Aires area, with studios in Martínez and a transmitter at the Alas Building. The network combines free-to-air broadcasting, regional distribution, cable and satellite carriage, digital video services, news, scripted entertainment, reality programming, sports and acquired international content. It also operates or has operated regional stations and distributes Telefe Internacional outside Argentina. The network’s origins date to the licensing of Buenos Aires channel 11 in 1958. The successful applicant was Difusión Contemporánea S.A., commonly known as DiCon, an organization established by Colegio El Salvador alumni and lawyers under the leadership of Father Héctor Grandetti. After construction plans at the school were abandoned, DiCon established facilities in the San Cristóbal district. The station began broadcasting on July 21, 1961, under the name Teleonce. During its first decade it carried variety, music, comedy, news and family programming, but financial limitations made it difficult to compete with better-funded Buenos Aires broadcasters. A major shift occurred in 1970, when businessman Héctor Ricardo García took control and moved the station toward more popular programming and a stronger news identity. The channel adopted the slogan “El canal de las noticias” and improved its audience position. After the expiration of broadcasting licenses in 1973, however, the state assumed control of the news operations of several Buenos Aires stations. The channel was subsequently expropriated and administered during a prolonged state-run period that continued through the military dictatorship and the early democratic years. Color broadcasting began in 1981, while repeated attempts to transfer or privatize the station were complicated by political intervention, inflation and operational difficulties. The decisive turning point came with privatization at the end of the 1980s. Following a government bidding process, Televisión Federal S.A., a consortium associated with Editorial Atlántida and regional television interests, assumed control of Canal Once in January 1990. The Telefe brand was introduced in March of that year. Its early visual identity used Argentina’s blue-and-white national colors before evolving into the three-circle logo strongly associated with the network. Under programming executive Gustavo Yankelevich, and later Claudio Villarruel, Telefe built a broad popular schedule and achieved a sustained ratings lead. Its output included locally produced fiction, variety, comedy, news, sports and imported hits such as The Simpsons, as well as major reality and competition formats. Telefónica acquired Telefe and its owned-and-operated stations in 1999. During this period the network expanded satellite distribution across Argentina and launched an international signal for audiences abroad. Telefe maintained a long run of ratings leadership from the 1990s into the late 2000s, although it temporarily lost first place in 2010 and 2011. A management change and successful programs including Graduados and Dulce amor helped restore its leading position in 2012. Viacom acquired Telefe in 2016, bringing it into the international portfolio that later became ViacomCBS and then Paramount Global. The network continued to combine Argentine productions with global formats, imported series and locally adapted entertainment. In the 2020s, Paramount reduced parts of its regional broadcasting footprint and later explored a sale of Telefe. The network was reported as remaining under Paramount Skydance ownership after the 2025 combination of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, before the reported sale to Televisión Litoral in October 2025. Telefe’s current identity rests on its national reach, large-scale live entertainment, Argentine…
History
Telefe developed from Buenos Aires television channel 11, whose license was awarded in 1958 to Difusión Contemporánea S.A., or DiCon. The station launched on July 21, 1961, under the Teleonce name. Its early schedule consisted of music, variety, comedy, news and family programming. Limited capital and competition from stronger broadcasters constrained its performance during the 1960s. In 1970, Héctor Ricardo García acquired the station and repositioned it around popular programming and news. The channel’s news-oriented identity helped it gain audience share, but the expiration of its license in 1973 was followed by state intervention. The news departments of several Buenos Aires stations were taken over, and the station was subsequently expropriated. It operated under state administration for much of the 1970s and 1980s, including the period of military rule. Color broadcasts began in 1981, but the station faced financial stress, reduced transmission hours, inflation and repeated uncertainty over privatization. The return to private ownership came after the government opened bids for Buenos Aires stations at the end of the 1980s. Televisión Federal S.A., associated with Editorial Atlántida and a group of regional broadcasters, assumed control of Canal Once in January 1990. On March 5 of that year, the channel adopted the Telefe name. The new brand initially used Argentina’s blue and white colors and later became associated with a three-circle emblem. Under Gustavo Yankelevich, and subsequently other programming leaders, Telefe built a large-scale schedule aimed at broad national audiences. The network’s combination of local fiction, comedy, entertainment, news, sports, acquired series and international formats produced a long period of ratings strength. Telefe’s expansion accelerated after Telefónica acquired the network and its owned-and-operated stations in 1999. Satellite distribution increased its national reach, while Telefe Internacional extended the brand to viewers outside Argentina. The network also became a major producer and distributor of local adaptations and formats, including reality television and competition programming. It retained a prominent role in Argentine popular culture through programs such as The Simpsons, Gran Hermano, Casados con Hijos and locally produced drama and comedy. After a brief ratings setback in 2010 and 2011, Telefe returned to the top of the Argentine ratings in 2012 with a new management structure and successful programs including Graduados and Dulce amor. Viacom acquired the network in 2016. Following Viacom’s combination with CBS, Telefe became part of ViacomCBS and later Paramount Global, linking the Argentine operation to a broader international content and distribution business. In the 2020s, the parent group sold or restructured parts of the regional affiliate network and explored strategic alternatives for Telefe. Reference material reports a sale to Televisión Litoral in October 2025. Telefe remains defined by its national broadcast role, extensive local production, news operation, entertainment franchises and international distribution.
- 2016
Viacom acquisition
[1]Viacom won the bid to acquire the network.
- 2012
Ratings leadership regained
[1]Telefe returned to first place after successful programming and a management change.
- 1999
Telefónica ownership begins
[1]Telefónica acquired Telefe and its owned-and-operated stations; Telefe Internacional was also launched.
- 1991
The Simpsons joins the schedule
[1]Telefe began broadcasting the American animated series in Argentina.
- 1990
Telefe brand launched
[1]Following privatization, Canal Once adopted the Telefe name on March 5.
- 1981
Color broadcasting introduced
[1]The station began color television transmissions on May 6.
- 1970
Popular-programming repositioning
[1]Héctor Ricardo García took control and emphasized news and mass-market programming.
- 1961
Teleonce begins broadcasting
[1]The station launched from San Cristóbal in Buenos Aires on July 21.
- 1958
Channel 11 license awarded
[1]Difusión Contemporánea S.A. won the Buenos Aires license for channel 11.
Products and positioning
Mass-market Argentine national television network combining locally produced entertainment, news, fiction, reality formats, sports and selected international programming.
National television network · 1990
Telefe broadcast network
Telefe’s core service is a national Argentine television network distributed through terrestrial transmission, cable and satellite systems. It combines locally produced entertainment, scripted fiction, reality formats, sports, news and acquired programming. Regional affiliates and owned stations extend the signal beyond Buenos Aires, while digital services provide additional access to selected content.
Television news · 1990
Telefe Noticias
Telefe Noticias is the network’s principal news brand. It forms part of Telefe’s daily news output and supports the channel’s long-standing role as a national broadcaster. The wider news portfolio has included programs such as El Noticiero de la Gente, Buen Telefe, Staff and traffic-focused coverage.
Reality television · 2001
Gran Hermano
Gran Hermano is Telefe’s Argentine version of the Big Brother reality format. The program uses an enclosed-house competition structure, live or near-live coverage and audience participation. It has been one of the network’s most important recurring reality properties and a significant source of appointment viewing.
Comedy · 2005
Casados con Hijos
Casados con Hijos is an Argentine adaptation of the sitcom Married... with Children. Its domestic adaptation, family-centered comedy and repeated broadcasts made it one of Telefe’s durable entertainment properties. The program has remained part of the channel’s recognizable comedy catalogue even when presented as reruns.
Variety and music · 2017
La Peña de Morfi
La Peña de Morfi is a Telefe variety program combining live or studio music, interviews, food, comedy and broader weekend entertainment. Its format reflects the network’s emphasis on locally produced programs that bring together popular culture, performance and conversation.
International television distribution · 1999
Telefe Internacional
Telefe Internacional is the network’s international signal and distribution proposition for audiences outside Argentina. It has been made available across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, extending Telefe’s Argentine news and entertainment brand to expatriate and Spanish-speaking audiences.
Brand decisions
2016
Join Viacom’s international portfolioM&ABackground
Telefe was offered in a competitive acquisition process after its Telefónica ownership period.
Action taken
Viacom won the bid to acquire the network.
Aftermath
Telefe became part of Viacom’s multinational television and content business and later the ViacomCBS and Paramount Global groups.
1999
Expand under TelefónicaM&ABackground
Telefónica acquired Telefe and its owned-and-operated stations during a period of increasing consolidation and satellite distribution in Argentine television.
Action taken
Telefe was integrated into Telefónica’s media interests and launched an international signal.
Aftermath
The network expanded its national distribution and developed a larger international footprint.
1990
Rebrand Canal Once as TelefeStrategyBackground
After privatization and the transfer of control to Televisión Federal, the station needed a new identity distinct from its state-managed Canal Once period.
Action taken
The channel adopted the Telefe name and introduced a new visual identity, initially based on Argentina’s blue-and-white colors.
Aftermath
The rebrand established the identity under which the station developed into a national network and major Argentine media brand.
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