WTCV

WTCV
San Juan, Puerto Rico;
Channels	Digital: 21 (UHF) (shared with WJPX); Virtual: 18;
Branding	Mega TV Puerto Rico
Programming
Affiliations	18.1/18.2: Mega TV
Ownership
Owner	Spanish Broadcasting System; (Spanish Broadcasting System Holding Company, Inc.);
Sister stations	WZNT/WZMT/WIOB; WODA/WNOD; WRXD/WNVI; WMEG/WEGM;
History
First air date	October 1, 1964 (60 years ago); (original incarnation); July 29, 1984; (current incarnation);
Former call signs	WTSJ-TV (1964–1972); WSJU (1984–1997); WTCV-TV (1997–2001); WAVB-TV (2001–2002);
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 18 (UHF, 1964–1972, 1984–2009); Digital: 32 (UHF, 2005–2017); Virtual: 32 (2009-2019);
Former affiliations	NBC (1964–1972, 1984–1991); Silent (1972–1984); Independent (1991–2014); HSN (2001–2002); Destino TV (2013);
Call sign meaning	"Tu Canal de Videos"[citation needed]
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	28954
ERP	1,000 kW
HAAT	564 m (1,850 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	18°16′38″N 65°51′13″W / 18.27722°N 65.85361°W
Translator(s)	see § Satellite stations
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Website	mega.tv

WTCV (channel 18) is a television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico, serving as the U.S. territory's outlet for the Spanish-language network Mega TV. Owned and operated by Spanish Broadcasting System, it is sister to radio stations WZNT (93.7 FM), WZMT (93.3 FM), WODA (94.7 FM), WNOD (94.1 FM), W276AI (103.1 FM), WRXD (96.5 FM), WNVI (1040 AM), W233CW (94.5 FM), W238CR (95.5 FM), WIOB (97.5 FM), WMEG (106.9 FM) and WEGM (95.1 FM).^{[citation needed]} WTCV shares studios with independent station WJPX (channel 24, owned by América-CV Station Group) at the Amelia Industrial Park in Guaynabo; the two stations share transmitter facilities at Barrio Cubuy in Canovanas.

WTCV operates two satellite stations: WVEO (channel 17) in Aguadilla, with transmitter on Cerro Canto Gallo in Aguada, and WVOZ-TV (channel 36) in Ponce, with transmitter on Sec Servo Paso in Peñuelas.

History

During the 1980s and early 1990s, WTCV was known as WSJU (for San Juan) and was an NBC affiliate, one of three commercial English-language network affiliates broadcasting in Puerto Rico (the others being WPRV-TV and WUJA) during the 80s. Around 1990, the station also carried the Home Shopping Network programming during most of the late-morning and afternoon hours.^[2]^{[self-published source?]} There are now four commercial English-language network affiliates in Puerto Rico, all of which broadcast from San Juan and Mayagüez.^{[citation needed]}

On September 11, 2014, WTCV became a Mega TV owned-and-operated station, following the sale of Spanish Broadcasting System through its License Management Agreement for $1.9 million, leaving its status as an Independent station, while its former owner, International Broadcasting Corporation continues to be its Licensee, until SBS will transfer WIOA (99.9 FM), WIOC (105.1 FM) and WZET (92.1 FM) to IBC's TV operations. Beginning in March 2015, WTCV's local programming will be produced by SBS Puerto Rico, which owns Z-93, La Nueva 94, Estereotempo and La Mega. The sale of WTCV with SBS was completed on September 1, 2015.

On January 12, 2018, WTCV announced that Conectao's por la Cocina, ¿Y Cual es su Opinion? and Descarao por la Noche had been canceled due to economic loss, as well as expiring contracts with local talent and production staff.

On September 24, 2019, WTCV and its satellite stations switched their virtual channel to 18.1 across all Puerto Rico.

Notable current on-air staff

Antonio Sanchez "El Gangster" – El Circo
Braulio Castillo – co-host of La Movida
Jaime Bayly – Bayly
Pedro Sevcec – Sevcec
Alberto Cutié - Hablando Claro Con El Padre Alberto

Technical information

Subchannels

Subchannels of WTCV^[3]
Channel	Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
18.1	1080i	16:9	WTCV-TV	Main WTCV-TV programming / Mega TV
18.2	480i	4:3	MEGA-SD	Main WTCV-TV programming / Mega TV

On February 17, 2009, WTCV signed off its analog signal and completed its move to digital.

Spectrum reallocation

On August 7, 2017, it was revealed that WTCV's over-the-air spectrum had been sold in the FCC's spectrum reallocation auction, fetching $4,737,874. WTCV would not sign off, but it would later share broadcast spectrum with WJPX, affiliated with América TeVé in Puerto Rico that covers the entire metropolitan area.

Satellite stations

WTCV can be seen across Puerto Rico on the following stations:^{[citation needed]}

Station	City of license	Channels (Digital/ Virtual)	First air date	ERP	HAAT	Facility ID	Transmitter coordinates	Public license information
WVEO¹	Aguadilla	17 (UHF) (shared with WIRS) 18	October 7, 1974 (50 years ago) (1974-10-07)	42.5 kW (main) 1.4 kW (DTS) 309 kW (application) 35.2 kW (STA)	372 m (1,220 ft)	61573	18°18′59″N 67°10′41″W / 18.31639°N 67.17806°W / 18.31639; -67.17806 (WVEO)	Public file LMS
WVOZ-TV²	Ponce	36 (UHF) (shared with WKPV) 18	June 1986 (38 years ago) (1986-06)	23.5 kW (main) 1.83 kW (CP) 61.7 kW (application)	250 m (820 ft)	29000	18°4′42.8″N 66°44′48.6″W / 18.078556°N 66.746833°W / 18.078556; -66.746833 (WVOZ-TV)	Public file LMS

Notes:

1. WVEO was owned by Southwestern Broadcasting, and serves as a satellite of WKBM-TV from its 1974 sign-on until 1981 and WAPA-TV from 1982 until 1999.
2. WVOZ-TV used the callsign WIEC from its 1986 sign-on until 1993.

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for WTCV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ "Radio-Info: "Retro: Puerto Rico Tues, Mar 6, 1990", 7/7/2009". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WTCV". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.

External links

Mega TV

[1] "Facility Technical Data for WTCV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.

[2] "Radio-Info: "Retro: Puerto Rico Tues, Mar 6, 1990", 7/7/2009". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2009.

[3] "RabbitEars TV Query for WTCV". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.

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