XHTRES-TDT
A Mexico City television station that served at different times as the flagship outlet for Cadena Tres, Excélsior TV, and Heraldo Televisión.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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History
The station's origins date to a 1964 concession issued for a proposed UHF facility on channel 16, then identified as XHTC-TV. The concession was granted to Compañía Internacional de Radio y Televisión and its controlling shareholder, Roberto Nájera Martínez. The facility was not constructed, principally because of financing problems. In 1989, Nájera transferred his shares to Raúl Aréchiga Espinoza, who was expected to arrange financing and manage the station's construction and operation. A concession renewal in 1989 coincided with a spectrum reassignment that moved the proposed service to channel 28. The callsign became XHRAE-TV, corresponding to Aréchiga's initials. By the end of the renewal period in 1999, the station still had not entered regular operation. To prevent the concession from being reclaimed, Aréchiga placed the station on the air in November 1999 with a limited schedule centered on music videos. The launch did not resolve the ownership or regulatory problems. Nájera argued that his interest had effectively been rented rather than transferred and claimed that he remained the rightful owner. Government officials, including the head of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation, questioned whether Aréchiga had complied with the concession conditions and considered revocation. The dispute became entangled with wider regulatory issues involving other Mexican television frequencies, including channel 40. Aréchiga challenged the government's position in court and in correspondence with Mexico's president. In January 2005, a judge found that Aréchiga had not breached the concession requirements and directed the SCT to endorse a renewal. The renewal was granted in April 2005, retroactive to November 1999, although it initially extended only to May 2006. A further fifteen-year renewal followed in May 2006. During this period, the station relaunched with a new logo and the slogan “Canal para todos,” and entered programming arrangements involving the Lumiere cinema chain and PCTV. Aréchiga's ability to continue operating the station was affected by the grounding of his airline, Aero California, in April 2006. With the airline crisis demanding his attention and the concession renewal approaching, he sought a buyer. Grupo Empresarial Ángeles, through Administradora Arcángel, reached an agreement to acquire the station in July 2006. The transaction was approved by Mexico's Federal Competition Commission in August, accompanied by a penalty for late notification. The new owner relaunched the station on May 28, 2007, as Cadena Tres. It developed general-interest programming and newscasts, distributed the signal through cable systems, and used affiliates in selected parts of Mexico. The project was designed to become a third major private television network alongside Televisa and TV Azteca. Expansion was difficult because of the competitive structure of Mexican broadcasting and restrictions associated with the country's telecommunications framework. In 2009, the station adopted the XHTRES-TV callsign. Mexico's 2013 telecommunications reforms created a route for new nationwide commercial television networks. In March 2015, Cadena Tres I received a concession for one of the new national networks, with XHTRES designated as the Mexico City flagship. Grupo Imagen subsequently changed direction. In October 2015 it removed Cadena Tres from the station and replaced it with Excélsior TV, concentrating its resources on the network that became Imagen Televisión in 2016. Excélsior TV had begun in 2013 as a news service associated with the Grupo Imagen-owned newspaper Excélsior. On XHTRES it provided primarily continuous news, alongside political discussion, entertainment coverage, paid programming, and other material. The station also carried Imagen Radio programming on a secondary digital channel between 2013 and 2018. That simulcast ended after the company could not reconcile electoral advertising schedules assigned to the radio and television services. In late January 2020, reports indicated that Excélsior TV would leave XHTRES and that the frequency would be leased to El Heraldo de México. The arrangement was confirmed on February 1, and Heraldo Televisión began broadcasting on the station on February 10. XHTRES moved to virtual channel 10 in Mexico City. The available reference records Heraldo Televisión programming on the station through May 6, 2022. Later operating arrangements are not established in the supplied material.
- 2020
Heraldo Televisión launches
[1]Heraldo Televisión began using XHTRES, and the station moved to virtual channel 10.
- 2018
Imagen Radio secondary stream ends
[1]The secondary digital simulcast of Imagen Radio was discontinued.
- 2015
Cadena Tres receives national concession
[1]Cadena Tres I was awarded a concession for a nationwide independent television network.
- 2015
Analog signal discontinued
[1]The station ended analog broadcasting in Mexico City's digital transition.
- 2013
Excélsior TV begins carriage
[1]Excélsior TV began using the station as a major distribution outlet.
- 2009
Callsign becomes XHTRES-TV
[1]The callsign was changed to reflect the station's network identity.
- 2007
Cadena Tres relaunch
[1]The station relaunched as the flagship outlet of Cadena Tres.
- 2006
Grupo Empresarial Ángeles acquires the station
[1]Administradora Arcángel acquired the station after the concession received a longer renewal.
- 2005
Judicial ruling supports concession renewal
[1]A court ruled in favor of Aréchiga's position and ordered the authorities to endorse the renewal.
- 1999
Station begins limited transmission
[1]XHRAE-TV went on the air with a basic music-video schedule as its concession period approached expiration.
Products and positioning
A Mexico City broadcast outlet used as a flagship or principal distribution platform by several Mexican television networks, including the general-interest Cadena Tres service and the news-focused Excélsior TV and Heraldo Televisión services.
Television network · 2007
Cadena Tres
A general-interest Mexican television network launched on the station in 2007. Cadena Tres combined original programming, news, and entertainment and sought to become a third major private national broadcaster. Its distribution expanded through cable operators and selected local affiliates, but the service was removed from XHTRES in 2015 as Grupo Imagen redirected investment toward Imagen Televisión.
News television network · 2013
Excélsior TV
A news-oriented television service associated with the Excélsior newspaper and Grupo Imagen. It focused on national news and also carried political discussion, entertainment coverage, paid programming, and related content. It used XHTRES as a principal outlet from 2013 and replaced Cadena Tres programming on the station in 2015.
Digital television subchannel · 2013
Imagen Radio simulcast
A secondary digital stream that carried Imagen Radio programming, sometimes with video elements. The simulcast operated on changing subchannel assignments from 2013 until it was discontinued in February 2018 because of conflicts involving electoral advertising schedules.
News television network · 2020
Heraldo Televisión
A television service associated with El Heraldo de México. It began using XHTRES in February 2020 under an arrangement that replaced Excélsior TV programming on the station. The supplied reference material records its carriage through May 6, 2022.
Brand decisions
2020
Lease or program the station for Heraldo TelevisiónStrategyBackground
Excélsior TV was expected to leave XHTRES, and El Heraldo de México sought a television outlet for a new service.
Action taken
An agreement was confirmed in February 2020, after which Heraldo Televisión launched on XHTRES and the station moved to virtual channel 10.
Aftermath
Heraldo Televisión programming remained associated with the station through May 6, 2022, according to the supplied reference.
2018
End the Imagen Radio simulcastOtherBackground
Electoral advertising schedules assigned to the radio and television services created conflicts for the secondary digital stream.
Action taken
Grupo Imagen discontinued the Imagen Radio simulcast on the station's secondary subchannel.
Aftermath
The subchannel no longer carried the radio simulcast; no replacement service is specified in the reference material.
2015
Replace Cadena Tres with Excélsior TVStrategyBackground
Although Cadena Tres had received a concession for a new nationwide network, Grupo Imagen decided to concentrate its resources on the future Imagen Televisión operation.
Action taken
Cadena Tres programming was removed from XHTRES and replaced by Excélsior TV.
Aftermath
XHTRES became a principal outlet for the Grupo Imagen news service while the company prepared Imagen Televisión for its 2016 launch.
2007
Relaunch as Cadena TresStrategyBackground
After acquiring the station, Grupo Empresarial Ángeles sought to build a commercially viable general-interest television network capable of competing with Mexico's dominant private broadcasters.
Action taken
The station was relaunched with Cadena Tres branding, new programming, newscasts, cable distribution, and selected local affiliates.
Aftermath
The network expanded its reach but did not remain on the station after Grupo Imagen changed its strategy in 2015.
Recent events
- 2020
Heraldo Televisión launches on XHTRES[1]
Product launch
Under an agreement involving El Heraldo de México, Heraldo Televisión began using XHTRES, which also moved to virtual channel 10 in Mexico City.
- 2018
Imagen Radio simulcast ends[1]
Regulation
The station ended a secondary digital stream carrying Imagen Radio programming after conflicts involving the allocation of electoral advertising schedules.
- 2015
Cadena Tres receives a nationwide network concession[1]
Regulation
Cadena Tres I, S.A. de C.V. received one of the nationwide independent television concessions created under Mexico's telecommunications reforms.
- 2015
Cadena Tres programming is replaced by Excélsior TV[1]
Product launch
Grupo Imagen removed Cadena Tres from the station and shifted its attention toward the network that later became Imagen Televisión. Excélsior TV became the principal service carried by the outlet.
- 2015
Analog transmission ends in Mexico City[1]
Regulation · Other
XHTRES and other Mexico City television stations ended analog transmissions as part of Mexico's digital television transition.
- 2009
Callsign changes to XHTRES-TV[1]
Other
The station adopted the XHTRES-TV callsign, matching its role in the Cadena Tres network.
- 2007
XHRAE-TV relaunches as Cadena Tres[1]
Product launch
The new owner relaunched the Mexico City station under the Cadena Tres identity, with original general-interest programs and newscasts.
- 2006
Grupo Empresarial Ángeles acquires the station[1]
M&A · Regulation
Administradora Arcángel, affiliated with Grupo Empresarial Ángeles, agreed to acquire the station. Mexico's competition authority approved the transaction in August, while imposing a fine for late notification.
- 2005
Court orders renewal of the station concession[1]
Regulation · Lawsuit
A judge ruled that Raúl Aréchiga Espinoza had not violated the concession terms and ordered the communications authority to endorse its renewal.
Sources1 sources
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