Televisión Nacional de Chile facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Televisión Nacional de Chile
Programming

TVN headquarters in Santiago.
Type	Free-to-air public service broadcaster
Country	Chile
Headquarters	Bellavista 0990 Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile
Language(s)	Spanish
Picture format	1080i HDTV (downscaled to 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Sister channels	NTV TVN 3 TV Chile Canal 24 Horas
History
Founded	January 31, 1969 (1969-01-31)
Launched	18 September 1969 (1969-09-18)
Founder	Eduardo Frei Montalva
Availability

Terrestrial
Digital VHF	Listings may vary

Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) is a major TV channel in Chile. It's a public service broadcaster, meaning it serves the public, not just for profit. President Eduardo Frei Montalva started it, and it began broadcasting across the country on September 18, 1969.

Over the years, TVN has grown a lot. It's now one of the most important TV broadcasters in Chile and South America. A law from 1970 says that TVN must be public, independent, and fair. Its main goal is to show Chilean culture, support democracy, human rights, and care for the environment.

TVN has often been the first to use new technology in Chile. It was the first TV network to reach the whole country. It also led the way with satellite broadcasts, color TV, stereo sound, and high-definition TV. Many of its TV shows have been very popular. Its news teams have also been vital during big events, like the 2010 earthquake.

The main offices of TVN are in Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The channel has 638 staff members. There are also nine other TV centers across Chile. A special board of directors, including people chosen by the President and the staff, runs the company.

TVN is the only TV company in Chile owned by the public. It competes with private channels. It earns money mainly by selling advertising, which has been its funding method since the beginning.

Discovering TVN's Past

Television started in Chile with a law in 1958. This law helped organize the first three TV channels, which were owned by universities. These were private channels.

The Chilean government wanted its own TV channel. This became a big goal for President Eduardo Frei Montalva in the 1960s. He believed a public TV station could reach everyone in Chile, even in distant areas. So, TVN was created on January 31, 1969. It used the country's main communication network to send out its first test broadcasts.

How TVN Grew in the Early Years (1968–1969)

Starting the First Stations

Main Chilean cities where TVN channels were installed between 1968 and 1974

The very first TVN station opened in Arica on channel 7. This happened on December 12, 1968. President Eduardo Frei Montalva officially opened it. This station mostly showed programs from Santiago.

Then, on February 1, 1969, channel 6 in Punta Arenas started broadcasting. The day before, January 31, is considered TVN's official birthday.

Expanding Across Chile

On May 21, 1969, Talca began receiving TVN broadcasts. On July 15, 1969, channel 6 in Antofagasta officially opened. It made some local shows and also received programs from Santiago.

Finally, on September 18, 1969, TVN in Santiago started broadcasting on channel 7. This was on Chile's Independence Day. This Santiago channel became the main station. It still broadcasts live national events. Before this, it had shown test broadcasts of the Davis Cup, the President's message, and even the moon landing!

Building the National Network (1969–1973)

First Studios and Regular Shows

TVN began its regular broadcasts in Santiago on September 18, 1969. It reached six of Chile's provinces. The channel had over twelve hours of shows every day.

Its first studios were in a rented house in Santiago. Later, they moved to a new, permanent building in Providencia, which opened on August 20, 1970.

Reaching More Cities

TVN quickly expanded to more cities. In May 1970, it reached Iquique. In July, it came to Calama and Chuquicamata. By August, it was in Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto Montt, and Ancud.

Later, it expanded to Coyhaique in 1971, La Serena and Coquimbo in 1972, and Castro in 1973. By then, TVN was a major news source. A law in 1970 officially made it a "public" station.

TVN's Role in Politics

Originally, TVN was meant to be a fair and independent channel. Its goal was to "inform, entertain, and bring culture to Chilean families." However, later governments, including President Salvador Allende's and then the military government, used the channel to share their political ideas.

TVN During the Military Government (1973–1990)

Temporary Closure and Reopening

On September 11, 1973, after a big political change, TVN stopped broadcasting for three days. The military also raided its offices and destroyed many old video recordings.

During this time, another channel, Canal 13, was allowed to use TVN's national network. When TVN reopened, it became the official channel for the new military government. Its news was tightly controlled.

The Arrival of Color Television

An old color-television camera used by Televisión Nacional, made by Panasonic

TVN made the first test color broadcast in Chile on February 6, 1978. This was during the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. At first, a law stopped people from importing color TVs. But this law was removed on April 10, 1978. After that, color TV broadcasts officially began in Chile, using the NTSC system.

Many of TVN's shows were already ready for color. This allowed for cool special effects. It amazed children at the time and set a new standard for TV shows in Chile.

Growth and Changes

Throughout the 1980s, TVN grew with new shows and technology. It became the first Chilean TV network to broadcast by satellite. It also launched a second channel in 1987 and an international service in 1989.

However, its news program, 60 Minutos, was criticized for not being fair. This made people trust the channel less. As Chile moved towards democracy, TVN needed to change. New leaders planned many reforms for the company.

Returning to Democracy and New Rules (1990–2000)

When democracy returned to Chile in the 1990s, President Patricio Aylwin introduced a new TV law in 1992. This law made TVN an independent company. It said that a board of directors, chosen by the President, the Senate, and the staff, would manage TVN.

This new law aimed to make TVN fair and independent from the government. It also meant TVN had to fund itself, without getting money from the government. The second channel, Canal 9, was sold and became a private channel called Mega.

More Progress for TVN

With its new structure, TVN achieved many things. It created new regional TV centers. It launched its online service, TVN.cl, in 1998. It also did its first test broadcast in high definition in 1999. The Santiago headquarters were also completely renovated.

Reaching More Viewers (2000–2015)

TVN welcomed the new millennium with a special show called 2000 Hoy. It showed live celebrations from around the world. Many shows became very popular, like the TV series Romané, which had huge ratings. TVN also broadcast the Sydney Olympics that year.

In 2000, there was a controversy about a program called La CIA en Chile. This led to the resignation of the executive director, René Cortázar. Despite this, TVN was doing very well financially at the time.

What's on TVN?

President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and First Lady Marta Larraechea in October 2009, invited to the morning programme Buenos días a todos.

TVN creates many of its own shows. It also works with other production companies. Since it started, it has shown news, dramas, foreign shows, and sports events.

Every weekday, the channel starts with the news show 24 AM. Then, a long morning show takes up most of the morning. In the afternoon, there are two main news programs: 24tarde and 24 horas central. 24 horas central is the main evening news.

Soap operas and TV series are often shown in the afternoon. Since 2004, TVN has also shown soap operas at night. Other shows like Rojo are also popular. After the main news, there's the weather forecast, TV Tiempo, followed by more shows or dramas. The late-night news, Medianoche, comes on after that. On weekends, you can find cultural, children's, or political discussion shows.

TVN's news is called 24 horas since 1990. It has several editions each day. All the news shows are part of the 24-hour news channel, Canal 24 Horas. This news channel can break into TVN's regular programming during emergencies, like earthquakes, to give live updates.

Special TVN Shows

The fundraising event Teletón in 2016.

TVN broadcasts several special events each year. These include presidential debates and general elections. It also shows special messages from the President.

One very important event is the Teletón. This is a big fundraising event for children with disabilities. It happens every year, usually at the end of the year. TVN has been part of it since 1978, broadcasting for 27 hours along with other channels. TVN also covers the New Year's fireworks and music show in Valparaíso.

TVN has been the official channel for the Viña del Mar International Song Festival many times. It also broadcasts the Festival del Huaso de Olmué and the Fiesta de la Independencia de Talca.

For sports, TVN has shown the Summer Olympic Games and some Winter Olympics. It has also broadcast the FIFA World Cup, the Copa América, and the Santiago Marathon.

Every year on September 19, TVN broadcasts the Great Military Parade of Chile from O'Higgins Park in Santiago. This parade gets very high ratings, especially on TVN, which produces the TV coverage.

TVN's Services

The regional television centre in La Serena, Coquimbo Region.

TVN has a main channel that reaches 98% of the Chilean population. It sends its signal by satellite to many smaller stations. It also has nine regional channels with their own production centers.

Other services include:

An international channel called TV Chile.
A news channel called Canal 24 Horas.
Its internet version, 24Play.
Many online websites.
A music label called TVN Records.

Name		Type	Area	Creation date	Description
TVN		Free to air TV channel	Chile	18 September 1969; 55 years ago (1969-09-18)	General programming. Main channel.
NTV		Free to air TV channel	Chile	8 August 2021; 3 years ago (2021-08-08)	Educational and cultural programming.
TVN 3		Free to air TV channel	Chile	26 July 2023; 22 months ago (2023-07-26)	Shows from the archives.
TV Chile		Cable TV channel	Worldwide	10 March 1989; 36 years ago (1989-03-10)	International TV channel.
Canal 24 Horas		Cable TV channel	Worldwide	4 March 2009; 16 years ago (2009-03-04)	News TV channel.
24 Play		Internet TV channel	Worldwide	1 July 2017; 7 years ago (2017-07-01)	News TV channel. Same as Canal 24 Horas for online.
TVN Play		Streaming	Worldwide	1 September 2016; 8 years ago (2016-09-01)	Streaming service for people outside Chile.
TVN Play		Streaming	Chile	5 July 2021; 3 years ago (2021-07-05)	Free streaming service for people in Chile.
Regional Network
TVN Regiones	Red Antofagasta	Free to air TV channel	Antofagasta	11 April 1996; 29 years ago (1996-04-11)	General programming.
	Red Atacama	Free to air TV channel	Atacama	1992; 33 years ago (1992)	General programming.
	Red Coquimbo	Free to air TV channel	Coquimbo	28 June 1993; 31 years ago (1993-06-28)	General programming.
	Red Valparaíso	Free to air TV channel	Valparaíso	15 August 1991; 33 years ago (1991-08-15)	General programming.
	Red O'Higgins	Free to air TV channel	O'Higgins	June 1993; 32 years ago (1993-06)	General programming.
	Red Maule	Free to air TV channel	Maule	5 February 1991; 34 years ago (1991-02-05)	General programming.
	Red Biobío	Free to air TV channel	Ñuble and Biobío	3 July 1990; 34 years ago (1990-07-03)	General programming.
	Red Araucanía	Free to air TV channel	Araucanía	1991; 34 years ago (1991)	General programming.
	Red Austral	Free to air TV channel	Magallanes	1 February 1969; 56 years ago (1969-02-01)	General programming.

Regional TVN Channels

TVN has special channels for different regions of Chile:

TVN Red Antofagasta (Antofagasta Region).
TVN Red Atacama (Atacama Region).
TVN Red Coquimbo (Coquimbo Region).
TVN Red Valparaíso (Valparaíso Region).
TVN Red O'Higgins (O'Higgins Region).
TVN Red Maule (Maule Region).
TVN Red Biobío (Bío Bío Region and Ñuble Region).
TVN Red Araucanía (Araucanía Region).
TVN Red Austral (Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region).

TVN's Main Building and Regional Offices

The main headquarters of Televisión Nacional de Chile is in Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region. This building is home to the national channel, internet services, and the music label. It opened in 1970 and was renovated between 1999 and 2005. In 2004, a fire caused a one-hour interruption of the main channel, but no one was hurt.

Many Chileans know this building. It's even a place where tour guides visit. Inside, there's a large open area called "Patio de las Comunicaciones." This space is sometimes used for company events and TV shows. The building also has three studios for dramas, a news center, a sports area, editing rooms, and offices.

TVN also has production centers with newsrooms and studios in many other cities. These include Antofagasta, Copiapó, La Serena, Valparaíso, Rancagua, Talca, Concepción, Temuco, and Punta Arenas. There's also a commercial office in Arica y Parinacota Region.

TVN's Leaders

Chairpersons of the Board of Directors

1969–1970: Mario Mosquera
1970–1973: Eugenio González Rojas
1992–1994: Jorge Donoso
1994–2000: Luis Ortiz Quiroga
2000–2001: Jorge Navarrete Martínez
2001–2004: Marco Colodro Hadjes
2004–2006: Carlos Mladinic
2006–2007: Francisco Vidal Salinas
2008: Pablo Keller Huberman
2008–2010: Mario Papi
2010–2012: Leonidas Montes Lira
2012–2013: Carlos Zepeda Hernández
2013–2014: Mikel Uriarte Plazaola
2014–2018: Ricardo Solari
2018: Francisco Orrego
2018–2019: Bruno Baranda
2019–present: Ana Holuigue

TVN's Look and Mascots

TVN's brand identity focuses on promoting Chilean culture. Since it started, the colors of the Chilean flag have often been used in its logos. The current logo mainly uses red.

TVN's Mascots

From 1970 to 1973, TVN had a mascot named Tevito. It was a cartoon dog with a happy smile. Tevito was often shown doing different things, like boxing or playing a traditional Mapuche instrument called the trutruca. He also carried a drum with the TVN logo.

Tevito was created by Carlos González, a student who won a competition. After a political change in 1973, Tevito was removed from TV. Many videos of him were destroyed. However, Tevito was used again in 1990 when democracy returned. He is still a symbol related to TVN.

Ito e Ita

Ito e Ita were TVN's second mascots. They appeared from 1974 to 1978.

Conejito TV

In 1979, a third mascot for color TV was introduced: Conejito TV (Little TV Rabbit). This rabbit mascot was on screen until 1984.

Clorofilo

In 1987, a green alien mascot was introduced. After a contest, it was named Clorofilo, which means chlorophyll. Clorofilo was removed in mid-1988. Since then, TVN has not used mascots like these.

TVN's Logos Over Time

The TVN logo at its headquarters in Santiago

TVN has changed its logo many times.

The first logo (1969-1978) looked like a TV screen. It had the colors of the Chilean flag around the edges.
In 1978, when color TV arrived, the colors on the logo changed slightly.
In 1984, the logo changed to an "N" with Chilean flag ribbons.
A modified version of the 1978 logo returned in 1987.
In 1990, the "screen" design was removed. The logo became the letters "TV" with a stripe of Chilean colors.
Later versions in the 1990s changed the text color and added the letter "N".
In 2004, the "red square" logo was introduced. This logo had the letters "TVN" inside a red square. This red square had been used as a symbol since 1994.
In 2016, the red square logo got rounded edges.
Since October 2020, the red square was removed. Now, the logo is just the letters "TVN" in red. There's also a separate blue version.