TV São Francisco
A TV Globo-affiliated television station serving Juazeiro, Bahia, and surrounding areas in Brazil's São Francisco Valley.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
TV São Francisco is a Brazilian television station licensed to Juazeiro, in the state of Bahia, and affiliated with TV Globo. It is owned by Rede Bahia and forms part of Rede Bahia de Televisão, a statewide group whose stations distribute Globo programming while also producing regional journalism and other local content. The station's service area is centered on Juazeiro and the northern region of Bahia, with its signal and audience also extending into the neighboring city of Petrolina, Pernambuco, across the São Francisco River. The station began broadcasting on December 1, 1990, under the name TV Norte. Its launch was a significant broadcasting event for Juazeiro and northern Bahia because it was the first television station inaugurated in the city and the wider northern part of the state. The opening ceremony took place on the Juazeiro waterfront and received national exposure through a live appearance on Rede Globo's entertainment program Domingão do Faustão. The station's first locally produced program followed on December 2, 1990: a documentary about the São Francisco River presented by journalist Cláudia Carvalho. Local news production began in June 1991 with the first regional edition of BATV. On October 4, 2001, TV Norte adopted the name TV São Francisco. The rebrand linked the station more directly to the river that defines the geography, economy, and cultural identity of the region. The launch was marked by a live edition of Bahia Meio Dia presented from a flatboat near Ilha do Fogo, between Juazeiro and Petrolina, featuring tributes and musical performances. During the following years, the station expanded its journalism portfolio. It added the first part of Jornal da Manhã in 2002, introduced the Saturday thematic journalism program Tema in 2003, and operated a branch office in Irecê from 2004. It also produced regional agricultural and rural reporting through Norte Rural and supplied reports and live contributions to broader Rede Bahia and Rede Globo newscasts. A new headquarters opened in Juazeiro on January 12, 2015. The facility brought updated equipment, a new studio and set, and local high-definition production. It was described as the first station in Bahia's interior and among Rede Bahia's interior stations to produce local programming in HD. Later in 2015, however, the station reduced its locally produced midday journalism and stopped producing local blocks within Bahia Meio Dia, while retaining local editions of Jornal da Manhã and BATV for a period. In May 2019, Rede Bahia announced a broader cost-cutting restructuring that ended regular production of the station's local editions of Jornal da Manhã and BATV. Those slots were replaced by versions produced by TV Bahia in Salvador. TV São Francisco continued to make Bahia Agora updates, live interventions, and reports for network programs. Further administrative and technical reductions followed in September 2020, including the transfer of master-control coordination to Salvador and greater automation of local commercial insertion. The station resumed a local midday news edition in October 2022, following an announcement on September 15 that local newscast production would return after a three-year interruption. The revived Bahia Meio Dia local edition debuted on October 18, anchored by Joyce Guirra. TV São Francisco has also participated in educational broadcasting: its digital subchannel 7.2, branded TV Escola Juazeiro, was activated on November 3, 2021, to carry classes from the Juazeiro municipal education network. Technically, the station launched digital television on May 14, 2014. Its digital call sign changed from the analog-era ZYA 304 to ZYQ 801. The analog VHF channel 7 signal was shut down on January 9, 2019, under Brazil's federally coordinated analog-to-digital transition. Digital transmission continued on UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 7. The station's facilities are in the Maringá district of Juazeiro on Avenida Antônio Carlos Magalhães, while its transmitter is in the Palhinhas district of Petrolina, Pernambuco. Its current role combines the distribution of TV Globo programming with a more focused regional news operation serving communities along the São Francisco Valley.
History
TV São Francisco is a regional Brazilian television station based in Juazeiro, Bahia. It operates as a TV Globo affiliate within Rede Bahia de Televisão, the Rede Bahia network serving the state. The station's facilities are located on Avenida Antônio Carlos Magalhães in Juazeiro's Maringá district, while its transmitter is located in Petrolina, Pernambuco, in the Palhinhas district. This configuration reflects the station's cross-river service area around Juazeiro and Petrolina and its broader role in the São Francisco Valley. The station launched on December 1, 1990, under the name TV Norte. Its inauguration made it the first television station in Juazeiro and northern Bahia and the third Rede Bahia station to begin operations in the interior of the state. The public launch occurred on the Juazeiro waterfront and was featured nationally through a live segment on Rede Globo's Domingão do Faustão, with actor Marcos Frota participating. On the following day, TV Norte aired its first locally produced program, a documentary about the São Francisco River hosted by journalist Cláudia Carvalho. In June 1991, it began local news production with the regional edition of BATV 1ª Edição. On October 4, 2001, TV Norte was renamed TV São Francisco. The new name emphasized the river's central role in the region and was introduced with a special edition of Bahia Meio Dia broadcast from a flatboat near Ilha do Fogo, between Juazeiro and Petrolina. The station expanded its local journalism during the 2000s. It added the first segment of Jornal da Manhã in 2002, launched the thematic reporting program Tema in 2003, and opened an Irecê branch office in May 2004. Tema ran on Saturdays after Jornal Hoje until June 2005, when it was replaced by TV Bahia's sports program Bahia Esporte. The station also produced Norte Rural, a program focused on agriculture and rural life in the São Francisco Valley. On January 12, 2015, TV São Francisco inaugurated a new Juazeiro headquarters. The site introduced more modern equipment, a new studio and set, and local high-definition production. It was identified as the first station in the interior of Bahia, and one of Rede Bahia's interior stations, to broadcast locally produced programming in HD. Later that year, the station reduced its local midday news output and stopped producing local blocks for Bahia Meio Dia, while continuing local editions of Jornal da Manhã and BATV for a time. A wider restructuring followed in 2019. On May 6, Rede Bahia announced the suspension of the station's regular local newscast production as part of a cost-reduction program. Sixteen employees were laid off, and the local portions of Jornal da Manhã and BATV were replaced by editions produced by TV Bahia in Salvador. TV São Francisco continued to produce short Bahia Agora updates, live appearances, and reports for Rede Bahia and Rede Globo news programs. On September 28, 2020, another nine employees were dismissed from administrative, technical, and master-control functions. Master-control coordination was transferred to Salvador and local commercial insertion was increasingly automated. The station's local journalism returned in 2022. After an announcement on September 15, TV São Francisco relaunched a local edition of Bahia Meio Dia on October 18, anchored by Joyce Guirra. The restart restored a regular local midday news presence after approximately three years without locally produced editions of the station's principal news programs. TV São Francisco also underwent Brazil's national transition from analog to digital television. It inaugurated its digital signal on May 14, 2014, changing its call sign from ZYA 304 to ZYQ 801. The analog VHF channel 7 signal was shut down on January 9, 2019. Its digital transmission continued on UHF channel 28 with virtual channel 7. On November 3, 2021, the station activated digital subchannel 7.2, branded TV Escola Juazeiro, to transmit classes produced for the Juazeiro municipal education network. The station therefore combines network television distribution, regional reporting, digital broadcasting, and a limited educational-service role.
- 2022
Local midday news returns
[1]A local Bahia Meio Dia edition returns on October 18 after a three-year interruption.
- 2021
TV Escola Juazeiro launches
[1]Digital subchannel 7.2 begins carrying educational programming from Juazeiro's municipal education network.
- 2019
Analog transmission ends
[1]The analog VHF channel 7 signal is shut down on January 9 as part of Brazil's digital transition.
- 2015
New headquarters opens
[1]A new Juazeiro facility enables more modern operations and local HD production.
- 2014
Digital signal launches
[1]The station begins digital television transmission on May 14.
- 2004
Irecê branch opens
[1]TV São Francisco establishes a branch office in Irecê.
- 2003
Tema premieres
[1]The station launches Tema, a Saturday journalism program organized around a different subject in each edition.
- 2002
Jornal da Manhã local production expands
[1]The station adds the first part of a local Jornal da Manhã broadcast.
- 2001
Rebrand to TV São Francisco
[1]TV Norte adopts its current name in a ceremony centered on the São Francisco River.
- 1991
Local BATV edition launches
[1]The station begins producing the local edition of BATV 1ª Edição.
Products and positioning
A regional free-to-air broadcaster combining TV Globo affiliation with local journalism and community-oriented programming for Juazeiro, northern Bahia, and the São Francisco Valley.
Local television news · 1990
Bahia Meio Dia
The station's local midday news edition, relaunched in October 2022 after a three-year suspension of regular local newscast production. The program covers news and events relevant to Juazeiro, northern Bahia, and the São Francisco Valley and is anchored by Joyce Guirra.
Television news · 1991
BATV
A regional news franchise that was among TV São Francisco's early local productions. The station formerly produced local BATV editions, although the local version was later discontinued during the restructuring of its newsroom.
Television news · 2002
Jornal da Manhã
A morning news franchise for which TV São Francisco added local production in 2002. Its local edition was later discontinued when Rede Bahia centralized regular news production in Salvador.
Agricultural journalism
Norte Rural
A former regional journalism program focused on agriculture, agribusiness, and rural communities in the São Francisco Valley.
Educational digital television · 2021
TV Escola Juazeiro
The branding used for digital subchannel 7.2, activated in 2021 to transmit classes and educational content from the Juazeiro municipal education network.
Brand decisions
2022
Return of local Bahia Meio DiaProduct launchBackground
Regular local newscast production had been interrupted since 2019 following Rede Bahia's cost-reduction measures.
Action taken
The station announced the resumption of local newscast production and premiered a local Bahia Meio Dia edition on October 18.
Aftermath
TV São Francisco restored a regular local midday news presence in its service area.
2021
Launch of TV Escola JuazeiroProduct launchBackground
The Juazeiro municipal education network sought a digital broadcasting channel for educational classes.
Action taken
TV São Francisco activated subchannel 7.2 under the TV Escola Juazeiro brand on November 3.
Aftermath
The station added an educational public-service use to its digital television platform.
2019
Centralization of regular local news productionStrategyBackground
Rede Bahia cited cost reductions when announcing the interruption of TV São Francisco's regular local newscast production.
Action taken
Local editions of Jornal da Manhã and BATV were removed, and the station rebroadcast editions produced by TV Bahia in Salvador while retaining short updates and reporting contributions.
Aftermath
The station's regular local news operation was reduced for approximately three years before a local Bahia Meio Dia edition returned in 2022.
2014
Migration to digital televisionOtherBackground
Brazil's national transition from analog to digital broadcasting required local stations to introduce digital transmission and later discontinue analog signals.
Action taken
TV São Francisco launched its digital signal on May 14, changed its call sign to ZYQ 801, and continued digital transmission on UHF channel 28 with virtual channel 7.
Aftermath
The analog VHF channel 7 signal was switched off on January 9, 2019.
2001
Rebrand from TV Norte to TV São FranciscoStrategyBackground
The original TV Norte identity was replaced as the station sought a name more closely associated with the São Francisco River and the communities in its service region.
Action taken
The station adopted TV São Francisco and marked the change with a live Bahia Meio Dia broadcast from a flatboat near Ilha do Fogo.
Aftermath
The river-oriented name became the station's continuing public identity.
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