El Trece
 |
| File:El Trece logo.png | |
| Type | Broadcast Television Network |
|---|---|
| Branding | El Trece |
| Country | |
| Availability | National |
| Owner | Grupo Clarín |
Launch date | October 1, 1960 |
Official website | www.eltrecetv.com |
El Trece (The Thirteen, officially translated Channel 13) is an Argentine television network and the flagship station of the same network, located in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.
History
LS85 TV, Canal 13 Buenos Aires began broadcasting in 1960. The station was licensed to Proartel S.A., owned by Cuban Goar Mestre.The TV License was provided by Ricardo H. Pueyrredon (because Goar Mestre wasn't Argentinian and unable to do so), the United States network CBS and the Time Life company. By the mid-1960s, Editorial Atlántida bought CBS and Time-Life stocks, and the station started to compete strongly with the other two privately owned broadcasting channels of Buenos Aires.
In those years the station produced some of Argentine television's greatest ever hits: shows such as Viendo a Biondi, a humor show centered on Pepe Biondi's characters; La Familia Falcón, with the renowned Argentine actor Pedro Quartucci, La Tuerca, a humor show based on sketches, and the great success of Telecataplúm, starring an innovative group of Uruguayan comedians.
In 1974, Juan Domingo Perón's government nationalized Canal 13 along with the other two private-owned stations of Buenos Aires, with the aim of carrying out a European-style media policy, where television was monopolized (or almost) by the state. During the National Reorganization Process (the latest dictatorship in the country, from 1976 to 1982), the station was administrated by the Navy. This situation lasted until 1983, when democratic rule was re-established. The station, however, remained under public administration until 1989. In that time, Matrimonios y algo más, a weekly sitcom directed by Hugo Moser and starred by Hugo Arana and Gianni Lunadei among other great Argentine actors, is widely remembered by the audiences.
In 1991, after privatization, Canal 13 went to Arte Radiotelevisivo Argentino S.A. (Artear), whose major shareholder is the company that publishes the daily newspaper "Clarín". Since then, the station has remained second on ratings in Buenos Aires, occasionally rising to first place. In the ´90s the station attracted young audiences with popular weekly sitcoms such as Ruleta Rusa, La banda del Golden Rocket and Clave de Sol. This shows are still on air in Volver, a cable station owned by the same company which broadcast Argentine TV classics.
Since 1996 the station works in association with the production company Pol-Ka, owned by the actor Adrián Suar, who became programming manager of the station in 2002.
Pol-Ka produces diverse fictional shows for the station, being notable in recent years Gasoleros, Campeones, Son Amores, Padre Coraje and Sos mi vida, among others. In 2006, in a polemic move, Canal 13 hired popular anchorman Marcelo Tinelli to produce his shows at the station. Tinelli is one of the most iconic figure in Argentina's television and host the number 1 show in the country for more than 18 years. His hiring caused some controversy and former Canal 13 star Mario Pergolini left the station together with his longtime sidekicks Juan Di Natale and Eduardo de la Puente (the show CQC went to Telefe). Suar and Tinelli switched the middle to upper class profile of Canal 13, aiming to a broader audience. They successfully aired programs such as Showmatch and the local version of Dancing with the Stars, Bailando por un sueño.
Canal 13 hosts some of the most popular TV stars and journalists in Argentina such as Santo Biasatti, Enrique Macaya Márquez, Marcelo Bonelli, Maria Laura Santillán and the late Jorge Guinzburg. It's flagship nightly television news program is Telenoche. It is the number 1 news program in Argentina.
The channel always had two Pol-ka fictions on air, a daily series and a weekly one. Since 2006, Showmatch, Tinelli show, is aired four days a week. The channel is number 1 in weekdays prime-time but overall loses to Telefe, which is the Number 1 station in the country since 1990. Ideas del Sur, Tinelli production company, is responsible for the afternoon fiction. Other production company that works exclusively for the channel is Pensado para Televisión.
The channel suffered a huge crisis in 2005 when the battle between Susana Giménez in Telefe and Marcelo Tinelli in Canal 9 ended up hurting the channel's primetime rating. This situation was reverted by hiring Argentina's biggest celebrity, Diego Maradona, to host a huge variety show once a week. In 2006, the channel hired Marcelo Tinelli.
Iconic Canal 13 fiction shows (all produced by Pol-ka) includes Son Amores, Gasoleros, Campeones, Vulnerables, Valientes, Poli-ladrón, Son de Fierro, Locas de Amor, Soy Gitano, Padre Coraje among others. Pol-ka shows are critically acclaimed and received many awards.
Other huge ratings in the channel includes Policia en Accion, TVR and Futbol de Primera.
Programs made for Canal 13 are broadcast throughout Argentina by other local TV stations.
Digital Terrestrial Television
Canal 13 is the only major network in Argentina which has not yet launched its signal through the TDT system. The other networks are operating on channels 23 (TV Publica), 34 (Telefe), 35 (Canal 9) and 36 (América TV).
Affiliated stations
- Channel 3 - Rosario
- Channel 12 - Córdoba
- Channel 6 - Bariloche
- Channel 10 - Tucumán
- Channel 9 - Paraná
- Channel 7 - Mendoza
- Channel 10 - Río Negro
- Channel 12 - Misiones
- Channel 10 - Mar del Plata
- Channel 9 - Resistencia