Mexican Station Closes Down, To Transition Into New TV Network, The First in 25 Years

[NewsFANmx 1]

Last Friday, XHTRES-TV, channel 28 in Mexico City closed down its regular programming. The name of the station was "Cadena 3". The reason behind that is that the station is becoming a national network, as they won one of the newly advertised networks that were under bidding by the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (the Mexican equivalent of the FCC). The channel ended regular programming on Friday, however recorded programming will remain until this Sunday, when the channel will close down and will be replaced by news channel "Excélsior Televisión", owned by the same owners as C3, Grupo Imagen. Most of the station staff were laid off, only the news teams were kept and they will move to Excélsior TV.

 

The new network launches New Year's Day. For that, Grupo Imagen will be making changes at their main headquarters, constructing a multiplatform newsroom that will encompass the new channel, Excélsior TV, two radio stations, and the Excélsior newspaper. Also for that, its the construction of a new studio complex that will have 14 studios and high-tech facilities near Ciudad Universitaria in southern Mexico City.

 

The other network, which was expected to be operated by Radio Centro, was retired because the owners didn't pay in time the price of their own bid. Now the 123 channels that RC was to operate will be bid separately.

 

Here's the farewell video:

 

[Samantha 2895]

I've been watching a lot of what's been going on with Cadena Tres, not least because I have run a sort of Mexican media blog for the last 18 months or so, and it is very interesting.

 

This decision makes a lot of sense honestly. It takes a lot to build a national network, not just in programming and studio space, but also in infrastructure. I have no idea how Imagen will get all of its stations built — we've heard next to nothing from them. They at least have the advantage of having some presence in 15 cities or so where they already have radio stations. And putting Excélsior TV on the existing station keeps the bench warm, so to speak.

[NewsFANmx 1]

In fact, I've read in one news article that Cadena 3 will begin broadcasts in the state capitals by New Year's Day, and their own transmitter infrastructure will be built by Imagen but the process will be phased, finishing about 2018. Radio Centro, instead said that they were using Televisa's transmitter infrastructure, but until that.

 

In another note, currently Cadena 3 in Mexico City broadcasts archive programming such as old kids series and Hollywood movies dubbed into Spanish. Excélsior TV will start broadcasts on channel 28 Monday at 7am CDT. Tomorrow most of Mexico will switch into Daylight Saving Time.

[NewsFANmx 1]

BREAKING NOW: Some potential names have considered for the new Cadena Tres. It may be Imagen Televisión (for its namesake, Grupo Imagen) or Uno TV (also the name of América Móvil's television production division, which produces Claro Sports). The virtual channel in Mexico City will be 3.1, it has been just approved by the IFT.

 

(NOTE: The Uno TV name was found on the satellite transponder on Eutelsat 113 (Band C, Frec 3953V SR 4165))

[Samantha 2895]

BREAKING NOW: Some potential names have considered for the new Cadena Tres. It may be Imagen Televisión (for its namesake, Grupo Imagen) or Uno TV (also the name of América Móvil's television production division, which produces Claro Sports). The virtual channel in Mexico City will be 3.1, it has been just approved by the IFT.

 

(NOTE: The Uno TV name was found on the satellite transponder on Eutelsat 113 (Band C, Frec 3953V SR 4165))

 

If you can find me a source that will tell me that the IFT actually approved virtual channel 3, I'll be stunned. (I've been looking for one myself.) All I see are the news articles from the middle of last week.

[NewsFANmx 1]

If you can find me a source that will tell me that the IFT actually approved virtual channel 3, I'll be stunned. (I've been looking for one myself.) All I see are the news articles from the middle of last week.

In fact, the reason the IFT approved virtual channel 3 was because of frequency changes. Cadena Tres began preparing for the liberation of the 700 mHz band, asking for the moving of 31 frequencies. The IFT approved these changes but also gave them another 14 frequency changes, making a total of 45 frequency changes. At the same time the approval of virtual channel 3 in Mexico City was made. Check this opinion article from Milenio, it details the process:

 

http://www.milenio.com/firmas/fernando_mejia_barquera/Cadena-perjudicada-beneficiada_18_618718177.html

[Samantha 2895]

I certainly don't see the words "canal tres" in there.

 

As to the move out of 600 MHz, that was a "duh" move. The additional 14 moves are likely (in part) effects of the FCC-IFT repacking agreements as stations that were below channel 36 were moved in such places as Ciudad Victoria, Tamps. — we know of at least 7 of those.

 

In the cases where allocations were "raided" from the Radio Centro network, there are plans to reincorporate other new channel assignments that won't be decided until after the incentive auction.