Televisión Nacional de Chile Red Austral
Televisión Nacional de Chile's regional television station serving Chile's Magallanes Region.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Televisión Nacional de Chile Red Austral, commonly known as TVN Red Austral, is the regional television operation of Chile's public broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile in the Magallanes Region at the country's southern tip. Its principal base is in Punta Arenas, and its service has historically extended through a network of transmitters and relay facilities covering other parts of Magallanes, including Puerto Natales, Cerro Sombrero, Puerto Williams, Cullen, Posesión, Morro Chico, Dorotea and Cameron, as well as Chilean Antarctic territory. The station began broadcasting on February 1, 1969, several months before TVN commenced regular broadcasting from Santiago. Its launch was an important step in TVN's regionalization because it established a locally based television service in an area that had previously been able to receive some Argentine signals under favorable reception conditions. The original Punta Arenas service operated on channel 6, with studios on Croacia Street, then known as Yugoslavia Street, and a transmitting antenna on Mount Fenton, also called Mirador. Manuel Zuleta was the first director. The inauguration was attended by President Eduardo Frei Montalva and Magallanes regional intendant Mateo Martinic. TVN Red Austral's core function has been to combine national network programming with locally produced news, public-affairs material, cultural coverage and advertising. Its principal local news service, 24 Horas Red Austral, developed from the earlier program Telediario, which ran from 1969 to 1990. Local opt-outs allow the regional operation to replace or supplement national programming, particularly with newscasts and locally relevant announcements. This model gives viewers in Magallanes a service adapted to the region's geography, communities and public concerns while retaining access to TVN's national schedule. During the 1970s and 1980s, the station expanded both its transmission footprint and its production capacity. A new Punta Arenas facility was constructed between 1974 and 1976 and formally inaugurated in 1977. Local production increased substantially in the middle of the 1970s, including coverage of the Festival Folklórico de la Patagonia. The station also produced live outside broadcasts, beginning with the national-day special 18 en el Seis in 1974. In 1978, the Punta Arenas earth station created a satellite connection with TVN's national network. At first, the link carried a limited live news segment from Santiago while much of the remaining network schedule arrived on tape; from 1983, most programming from Santiago was received live. For a period from May 1989 to April 1990, the operation also maintained a second service known as Canal 13. It was designed in the style of TVN's second Santiago channel, Canal 9, and carried cultural, sports and local programming. TVN Red Austral was notable within the TVN system for producing its own programming for many years, including magazine and children's formats. Some of its historical material later reached a national audience through the 2009 anniversary program TVN 40 Años: Tu historia es mi historia, including coverage of the 1984 Puntarenazo. The regional station has also served as a training and professional base for journalists, presenters, camera operators and production staff associated with Magallanes broadcasting. Among the people connected with its news and production history were Patricio Mladinic Centurione, Alfredo Roni Caridi, Caupolicán Sanhueza, Artemio Gutiérrez, Juan Martinic, Carlos Bianchi Chelech, Abel Esquivel Querci, José Calisto, Gazi Jalil Trebotic, Patricia Stambuk, John Skirving, Patricio Caldichoury Ríos and Juan Ursic Leal. These individuals held different presentation, reporting, technical or management roles; they should not all be treated as corporate executives. The station's identity remains closely tied to territorial coverage. Its relay network and satellite facilities were developed to connect dispersed settlements and remote locations, including Puerto Williams and the Teniente Marsh Base in Antarctica. The available reference material describes a later relocation of the Punta Arenas headquarters following the sale of the former site to construction company Salfa for 90,000 monetary units. The move placed the station in the third floor of the 21 de Mayo with Bellavista building, which is rented to the University of Magallanes, while audiovisual archives were transferred to Santiago for digitization and preservation through an alliance involving the Cineteca of the University of Chile. The date supplied for this development is February 6, 2026.
History
TVN Red Austral was inaugurated in Punta Arenas on February 1, 1969, as Televisión Nacional de Chile's regional service for the Magallanes Region. The launch preceded TVN's regular broadcasting from Santiago and represented the beginning of the network's regionalization process. The original station used channel 6, operated from studios on Croacia Street and transmitted from Mount Fenton. Its first director was Manuel Zuleta. Before the service opened, some television owners in Punta Arenas had received Argentine broadcasts, particularly channel 2 from La Plata, through long-distance reception. The regional network expanded rapidly. A relay at Cerro Sombrero began on September 16, 1970, followed by Puerto Natales on December 7, 1972. Cullen 1, Cullen 2 and Posesión were added on December 15, 1975, and Puerto Williams on April 15, 1979. Later additions included Morro Chico, Dorotea and Cameron. Satellite and earth-station infrastructure eventually extended the operation's links to Puerto Williams, the Teniente Marsh Base in Chilean Antarctica and the national TVN network. Local production became more important in the mid-1970s. On September 18, 1974, the station aired 18 en el Seis, its first live outside broadcast. On August 17, 1975, it broadcast the final day of the seventh Festival Folklórico de la Patagonia, an event that brought personnel and equipment from Santiago and was subsequently recorded for later national distribution. A new 1,120-square-metre facility was constructed between 1974 and 1976 on a 15,000-square-metre site. The studios were delivered on February 27, 1976, and the building was officially inaugurated on February 1, 1977. A Punta Arenas earth station became operational on May 26, 1978. Initially, it provided only a short daily live news connection with Santiago, while much of the national schedule was delivered on tape delay. From February 1983, most programming from Santiago was received live. Earth stations were later established at Puerto Williams and the Teniente Marsh Base in 1985 and 1986, while the Punta Arenas satellite station began operating in 1989. Between May 9, 1989, and April 22, 1990, TVN Red Austral operated a second channel called Canal 13. The service was modeled on TVN's second Santiago channel, Canal 9, and emphasized cultural, sports and local programming. The regional station was also distinctive because it continued to produce its own magazine and children's programs at a time when most TVN regional operations had more limited production roles. Its historical work included coverage of the 1984 Puntarenazo, later highlighted nationally in TVN's fortieth-anniversary programming in 2009. Regional news has remained the station's central public-service role. Telediario was the name used for its early local news service from 1969 until 1990. It was succeeded by 24 Horas Red Austral, which has continued as the principal local-news identity associated with the operation. Presenters and contributors over the years included Patricio Mladinic Centurione, Alfredo Roni Caridi, Caupolicán Sanhueza, Artemio Gutiérrez, Juan Martinic, Carlos Bianchi Chelech, Abel Esquivel Querci, José Calisto, Gazi Jalil Trebotic, Patricia Stambuk, John Skirving, Patricio Caldichoury Ríos and Juan Ursic Leal. Ursic combined technical and management work, later becoming station director. The station's history is consequently one of technical expansion, regional integration and local editorial production. It connects a dispersed southern territory to TVN's national service while preserving a distinct Magallanes perspective. The supplied reference material reports that in February 2026 the former Punta Arenas headquarters was vacated after being sold to Salfa for 90,000 monetary units. The operation moved to the third floor of the 21 de Mayo with Bellavista building, and its audiovisual archives were sent to Santiago for digitization and preservation through a collaboration involving the Cineteca of the University of Chile.
- 2026
Reported headquarters relocation and archive preservation project
[1]The supplied reference reports the sale of the former headquarters, relocation within Punta Arenas and transfer of audiovisual archives to Santiago for digitization and preservation.
- 2009
Historical regional material featured in TVN anniversary programming
[1]TVN 40 Años: Tu historia es mi historia brought selected TVN Red Austral material, including Puntarenazo coverage, to a national audience.
- 1990
Canal 13 service ended
[1]The temporary second channel ceased operations on April 22.
- 1989
Second channel and satellite expansion
[1]A second service, Canal 13, began operating in May, and the Punta Arenas satellite station became operational later in the year.
- 1983
Most Santiago programming began arriving live
[1]The station shifted from mainly delayed network programming to receiving most programming from Santiago live.
- 1978
Satellite link with national TVN network established
[1]The Punta Arenas earth station enabled satellite communication with TVN's national network.
- 1977
New Punta Arenas studios officially inaugurated
[1]The station's purpose-built facility was officially inaugurated on February 1.
- 1975
Local production expanded
[1]The station increased local production and televised the final day of the seventh Festival Folklórico de la Patagonia.
- 1974
First live outside broadcast
[1]The station aired 18 en el Seis for Chile's national day, its first live outside broadcast.
- 1972
Puerto Natales relay added
[1]TVN Red Austral extended its signal to Puerto Natales on channel 10.
Products and positioning
A public-service regional television operation focused on local news, territorial coverage and community relevance in the geographically remote Magallanes Region, while distributing programming from Televisión Nacional de Chile.
Regional news program · 1990
24 Horas Red Austral
The principal local-news service associated with TVN Red Austral. It succeeded Telediario, which operated from the station's launch until 1990, and provides regional reporting for audiences in Magallanes through TVN's local programming opt-outs.
Regional news program · 1969
Telediario
The station's original local-news identity, broadcast from 1969 to 1990. It established the news-centered role that later continued under the 24 Horas Red Austral name.
Temporary second television channel · 1989
Canal 13
A second TVN Red Austral service that operated from May 1989 to April 1990. It was styled after TVN's second Santiago channel, Canal 9, and carried cultural, sports and local programming.
Television production · 1974
Regional programming and outside broadcasts
TVN Red Austral has produced and transmitted locally focused magazine, children's, cultural, sports and event programming. Notable examples include the 18 en el Seis national-day broadcast and coverage of the Festival Folklórico de la Patagonia.
Brand decisions
2026
Relocate the Punta Arenas headquarters and preserve the audiovisual archiveStrategyBackground
The supplied reference reports that TVN Red Austral's former Punta Arenas headquarters was sold and that the station needed to move its operations and safeguard its historical audiovisual materials.
Action taken
The station reportedly moved to the third floor of the 21 de Mayo with Bellavista building, while its archives were transferred to Santiago for digitization through an alliance involving the Cineteca of the University of Chile.
Aftermath
The move preserved the station's operational presence in Punta Arenas while placing its archival materials into a digitization and preservation process.
Reported sale price of former headquarters. 90,000 monetary units (2026)
1989
Launch a temporary second service, Canal 13Product launchBackground
TVN Red Austral had developed distinctive local production capabilities and sought an additional channel for cultural, sports and local material.
Action taken
The regional operation launched Canal 13, modeled on TVN's second Santiago channel, Canal 9.
Aftermath
The second service operated for less than a year and ended on April 22, 1990.
1978
Connect the regional station to TVN's national network by satelliteStrategyBackground
Magallanes required a more reliable connection to programming and news produced in Santiago than tape delivery could provide.
Action taken
TVN placed a Punta Arenas earth station into operation, initially providing a limited daily live link and later supporting broader live network programming.
Aftermath
The satellite connection improved the integration of the regional service with TVN's national schedule and supported later infrastructure expansion.
Recent events
- 2026
Former Punta Arenas headquarters sold and station relocated[1]
Other
Reference material reports that the former headquarters began being vacated after a sale to construction company Salfa, with the station moving to another Punta Arenas building and its archives transferred to Santiago for digitization and preservation.
- 1969
TVN Red Austral began broadcasting in Punta Arenas[1]
Other
The regional service inaugurated channel 6 in Punta Arenas on February 1, establishing TVN's first regional unit and beginning its Magallanes broadcasting operation.
Sources2 sources
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