WSTE-DT

WSTE-DT is a full-power Spanish-language digital television station licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico, and operating on virtual channel 7. The station is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision and serves the Puerto Rican television market through a distributed transmission network designed to provide broad island-wide coverage. Its principal studios are in Guaynabo, while transmitter facilities are located at Cerro Maravilla in Ponce, Cerro La Marquesa in Aguas Buenas, Cerro Canta Gallo in Aguada, near Highway 22 in Arecibo, and Monte del Estado in San Germán. The station began broadcasting on February 2, 1958, as WRIK-TV. Founded by Alfredo Ramírez de Arellano, it was the first television station established in Ponce and the fourth television station to sign on in Puerto Rico. In its first period it operated as a Spanish-language independent station, combining local news, films, cartoons, soap operas, and variety programming. Early facilities included studios in Ponce and a transmitter that was later moved to the Hotel Ponce Intercontinental and then to Cerro Maravilla. In 1969, United Artists acquired a controlling interest and relaunched the station as Rikavisión. This era expanded its production capacity through color-equipped studios in Ponce and San Juan. Rikavisión produced or carried a range of variety, music, children's, dramatic, and comedy programs, including locally produced shows featuring Puerto Rican performers. The station's history was also linked to the 1978 Cerro Maravilla incident, in which two pro-independence activists were killed by police after being intercepted at the station's transmitter site. The event became a major subject of public controversy and subsequent investigations in Puerto Rico. Producer Tommy Muñiz acquired the station in 1979. Its call sign changed to WLUZ-TV and its public identity became Teleluz. Programming during this period included children's television and live professional boxing broadcasts. Financial difficulties later led to a sale to Malrite Communications Group. Following the transition to the SuperSiete identity in 1987, the station emphasized entertainment, American syndicated sitcoms, movies, cartoons, local variety programs, game shows, and short news updates. Programs associated with this period included El Show de Burbujita y Bolillo, No te Duermas, La Hora de Oro, and several locally produced comedy and family programs. Ownership and affiliation arrangements changed repeatedly during the 1990s and 2000s. After Malrite acquired other Puerto Rican stations, WSTE was sold to Siete Grande Television, Inc., which used identities including El Nuevo SuperSiete and Tele-Isla. The station also carried or rebroadcast programming associated with WLII-TV, although overlapping distribution arrangements created regulatory issues concerning the duplication of network coverage. Univision Communications announced its acquisition of WSTE in 2007, and the transaction received Federal Communications Commission approval later that year. The call sign became WSTE-DT in June 2009. WSTE-DT completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009. Its post-transition digital operation used channel 7, and its coverage strategy evolved from an earlier network of booster facilities to a five-site distributed transmission system. The station retained the Teleisla identity for many years, expanded its schedule to around-the-clock broadcasting in 2016, and added programming such as Hablando de Salud during overnight hours. In late 2025, TelevisaUnivision announced that Univision and selected UniMás programming would move from WLII-DT to WSTE-DT. The new schedule began on December 30, 2025, although the Teleisla on-air identity initially remained. In March 2026, the station was announced and then formally relaunched as Univision Puerto Rico. The revised service added national programming and newscasts from the Univision and N+ ecosystem, while continuing to operate without a separate local news operation. WSTE-DT therefore represents both a long-running Ponce television institution and TelevisaUnivision's current Puerto Rico broadcast outlet.

WSTE-DT signed on February 2, 1958, as WRIK-TV, the first television station in Ponce and the fourth in Puerto Rico. It was established by Alfredo Ramírez de Arellano as a Spanish-language independent station. Its early schedule combined local news, films, cartoons, soap operas, and variety programs. The station initially operated from Ponce facilities and moved its transmitter several times, eventually establishing an important site at Cerro Maravilla. United Artists acquired a controlling interest in 1969 and introduced the Rikavisión identity. The company upgraded the station's facilities and supported production in both Ponce and San Juan. Rikavisión carried a mixture of local productions and acquired programs, including variety, music, children's, comedy, and dramatic shows. Local broadcasting remained central to the station's identity. In 1978, the Cerro Maravilla transmitter site became the setting for a politically significant and tragic incident. Two pro-independence activists attempting to damage the transmitter infrastructure were intercepted by police and subsequently killed while in police custody. The incident generated sustained controversy, investigations, and debate regarding police conduct and political repression in Puerto Rico. Tommy Muñiz acquired the station in 1979. It became WLUZ-TV and adopted the Teleluz name. The station carried children's programming and locally produced live boxing, including bouts involving Puerto Rican fighters. Financial problems led to a later sale to Malrite Communications Group. Under the SuperSiete identity, introduced in the late 1980s, WSTE emphasized popular entertainment, American sitcoms, movies, cartoons, locally produced variety, comedy, game shows, and short-form news updates. The station also became associated with programs such as No te Duermas and El Show de Burbujita y Bolillo. Malrite sold WSTE to Siete Grande Television, Inc. in the early 1990s. The station used the El Nuevo SuperSiete identity and later the Tele-Isla name. During this period it carried programming linked to WLII-TV and participated in complicated island-wide distribution arrangements. After WLII affiliated with WORA-TV in 1995, the Federal Communications Commission objected to overlapping rebroadcast arrangements involving multiple stations. WLII subsequently dropped WSTE and WNJX-TV from the relevant coverage structure. Univision Communications announced the purchase of WSTE in 2007, and the FCC approved the transaction that October. The station adopted the WSTE-DT call sign in June 2009 and shut down its analog signal on June 12 of that year. Its digital operation continued on channel 7. The station modernized its transmission architecture, moving from a network of analog booster facilities to a five-site distributed digital system intended to cover Puerto Rico broadly. The Teleisla brand continued through the 2010s and 2020s. WSTE-DT introduced updated visual identities, expanded its broadcast day, began carriage on Dish Network in 2012, and reached a 24-hour schedule in 2016. In December 2025, TelevisaUnivision shifted Univision and selected UniMás programming from WLII-DT to WSTE-DT. The station formally adopted the Univision Puerto Rico identity in March 2026 and began carrying national Univision programming and newscasts, while remaining a TelevisaUnivision-owned station without an independently produced local news department.

• 2026

  Univision Puerto Rico branding becomes official

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  Teleisla branding is retired and the station becomes Univision Puerto Rico, with national Univision and N+ programming.

• 2016

  Broadcast schedule expands to 24 hours

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  The station adds overnight programming and begins operating around the clock.

• 2009

  Digital broadcasting begins

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  WSTE shuts down its analog transmission and continues as WSTE-DT on digital channel 7.

• 2007

  Univision acquisition is approved

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC approves Univision Communications' purchase of WSTE from Siete Grande Television.

• 1995

  FCC objects to overlapping rebroadcast arrangements

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  Programming distribution involving WLII, WSTE, WNJX-TV, WSUR-TV, and WORA-TV produces an FCC conflict over overlapping coverage.

• 1987

  SuperSiete identity is introduced

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the SuperSiete brand and changes its call letters to WSTE.

• 1979

  Teleluz period begins

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  Tommy Muñiz acquires the station, which becomes WLUZ-TV and operates under the Teleluz brand.

• 1978

  Cerro Maravilla incident

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  A confrontation at the station's Cerro Maravilla transmitter site results in the deaths of two pro-independence activists in police custody.

• 1969

  Rikavisión launches

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  United Artists acquires a controlling interest and introduces the Rikavisión identity with expanded color production facilities.

• 1958

  WRIK-TV signs on

  [1]WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org

  WRIK-TV begins broadcasting from Ponce as the first television station established in the city and the fourth in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico's Spanish-language broadcast outlet for TelevisaUnivision programming, combining a historic local television identity with island-wide digital distribution.

• Digital television station · 1958

  WSTE-DT channel 7

  The station's primary over-the-air digital service, licensed to Ponce and broadcast on virtual channel 7. Its five-site distributed transmission system is designed to provide coverage throughout Puerto Rico.

• Spanish-language television network outlet · 2026

  Univision Puerto Rico

  The station's current public identity and programming service. It carries Univision programming, selected UniMás content, and national news programs including Noticiero N+ Univision and Primer Impacto.

• Television station brand · 2009

  Teleisla

  The long-running identity used by WSTE-DT before its 2026 transition to Univision Puerto Rico. During this period the station carried entertainment, syndicated, health, and network-related programming.

• Television station brand · 1987

  SuperSiete

  A station identity used from the late 1980s into the 2000s. SuperSiete focused on popular entertainment, American sitcoms, movies, cartoons, local variety programs, game shows, and concise news segments.

• 1978

  Cerro Maravilla incident

  Two pro-independence activists went to the Cerro Maravilla transmitter site intending to damage the station's tower. Police intercepted them and they were later killed while in police custody. The incident became one of Puerto Rico's most controversial political and law-enforcement episodes, although the station itself was the location of the confrontation rather than the alleged perpetrator.

  Source

Read more

• 2026

  Adopt the Univision Puerto Rico identityStrategy

  Background

  After the network programming shift, TelevisaUnivision aligned the station's public identity with its national Univision service.

  Action taken

  The Teleisla name and logo were retired in March 2026 and replaced by Univision Puerto Rico branding, alongside the addition of N+ and Univision news programming.

  Aftermath

  The station became a direct Puerto Rico outlet for the Univision schedule while continuing to rely on national programming rather than a separate local news operation.

  Source

• 2025

  Move Univision programming to WSTE-DTStrategy

  Background

  TelevisaUnivision announced the end of its affiliation arrangement with WLII-DT, creating an opening for its Puerto Rico programming to move to the station it owned.

  Action taken

  Univision and selected UniMás programming began airing exclusively on WSTE-DT on December 30, 2025.

  Aftermath

  WSTE became TelevisaUnivision's principal broadcast outlet for this programming in Puerto Rico, although the Teleisla identity initially remained on air.

  Source

• 2009

  Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  The United States full-power television market was moving to digital transmission under a federal transition mandate.

  Action taken

  WSTE ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, adopted the WSTE-DT call sign, and continued digital operations on channel 7.

  Aftermath

  The station replaced its earlier booster-based analog coverage model with a five-site distributed digital transmission system.

  Source

• 1987

  Rebrand as SuperSiete and expand island coverageStrategy

  Background

  Following ownership changes and financial difficulties, the station sought a stronger mass-market identity and broader technical reach.

  Action taken

  The station adopted the SuperSiete identity, changed its call letters to WSTE, and rearranged transmitter facilities to improve coverage across Puerto Rico.

  Aftermath

  The new identity supported a period centered on entertainment, local productions, syndicated programs, and island-wide distribution.

  Source

1. 1WSTE-DTen.wikipedia.org