Canal 13 is a Chilean free-to-air television network. Informally known in Chile as El 13 (The Thirteen), it is the second oldest television station in the country. Launched on August 21, 1959, on VHF channel 2 in Santiago, it was founded by a group of engineers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. The station later moved its frequency to VHF channel 13, which gave rise to its current name. One of its most significant milestones was broadcasting the 1962 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Chile.
It was originally named Corporación de Televisión de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Television Corporation of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) until 2010, when the university sold most of its shares to Andrónico Luksic Craig's . In 2017, Grupo Luksic acquired full ownership of the channel.
Its central studios are located in the Eleodoro Rodríguez Matte Television Centre, which has housed the channel's production and broadcast facilities since the 1980s. The complex is situated in Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region, and covers 5 hectares. Since 1998, the facility has been named after the station's deceased executive director, Eleodoro Rodríguez Matte, who was one of the longest-serving individuals in that position.
History 1952-1973: Experimental tests and early years of the channel
On November 25, 1952, the first RCA Victor brand industrial television equipment was received in Santiago, Chile. It was acquired by the Catholic University in association with the Chilean subsidiary of the North American firm. Two teams were immediately established at the university to oversee the use of the system: a technical team led by engineer Julio del Río and an artistic team directed by Germán Becker. On December 12 of that year, the first experimental program was broadcast in a closed circuit from the Auditorium of the School of Physics at the Catholic University. The broadcast, though marked by several technical errors, was considered a success. In January 1953, the university's television department collaborated with Radio Minería for a special broadcast of its program La Cadena de la Amistad, marking the first public television broadcast in Chile.
In 1959, Pedro Caraball was appointed head of the Electronics Department. At the same time, a 100 W audio transmitter was built and new Philips industrial equipment was purchased, leading to the first test transmissions on July 17. On August 21 of that year, at 7:00 p.m., experimental transmissions formally began from an attic on the fourth floor of the Central House, with a receiver installed in the reception of El Diario Ilustrado. These transmissions used VHF channel 2 and featured a schedule of three films weekly - this being marked today as the official birthday of the television network. The broadcasts were interrupted on December 31 due to an accident that affected the transmitter. In January 1960, the Television Department was established, and Juan Ángel Torti was appointed as its director to officially organize the station.
The test transmissions ended on Saturday, April 15, 1961, at 6:00 p.m., when the Catholic University’s television station began its official broadcasts this time in a new frequency - UHF channel 13, upon which it earned its long time nickname of Channel 13 (Canal 13). Since April 3 of the same year, test broadcasts had been conducted from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to adjust the broadcasting equipment. A studio was built in the University's Central House, from which Recuerdos de la Pérgola de las Flores, the channel's first program, was broadcast. Additionally, El Show de Antonio Prieto and Tricotilandia, the first entertainment programs on Chilean television, were produced in the same studio. These programs were also the first to introduce commercial advertising to Chilean television.
In 1962, now definitively using channel 13, the station successfully broadcast the 1962 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Chile. This achievement was made possible by new equipment, including five cameras, a transmitter, and a link team, which had been received on March 29 of that year. Canal 13 was responsible for broadcasting the matches between Chile and Italy, Germany and Switzerland, as well as the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final of the championship. After the World Cup, the channel ceased broadcasts for nearly a month to make technical adjustments, resuming on Sunday, July 22, with the broadcast of the first part of La Pérgola de las Flores, which was divided into four parts aired every Sunday. That day also featured performances by the musical groups The Dreamers, The Strangers, and María Teresa Larraín.
In August of that year, Show Dominical began to air. In 1965, it moved to Saturdays as Sábados Alegres, and later, with its extended length, was renamed Sábados Gigantes. This became the oldest and most successful variety program in Latin America, hosted by Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco. On October 2, 1962, the channel's studios were officially inaugurated in a ceremony led by Darío Aliaga, Eduardo Tironi, and Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez.
In 1963, the first Press Department of Chilean television was established, directed by journalist Leonardo Cáceres. That same year, the channel's drama division was created under the direction of Hugo Miller. The teletheater The Greenhouse (1963) debuted, starring Malú Gatica, who was returning to the country after her time in Hollywood, and marked the debut of Sonia Viveros. The following year,This Is My Family, Chile's first ever TV drama, began broadcasting, starring Malú Gatica in the lead role.
In 1964, Channel 13 started broadcasting seven days a week and covered the presidential elections on September 4, where Eduardo Frei Montalva was elected president. On April 1, 1965, the series El Liter 4916 premiered with great success. Meanwhile, The Secret History of the Big News became the first documentary program on Chilean television. On December 27 of that same year, the channel introduced the videotape system by recording the teletheater The Browning Version with newly received equipment, launched with the help of Argentine technicians. Four days later, at 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 1965, the channel broadcast its first program recorded on videotape: a musical presentation by Marianela and Los Gatos, along with a greeting from Eduardo Tironi, the station director.
In 1967, the channel achieved another success with the comedy Juani en Society, starring Sonia Viveros and Silvia Piñeiro. In October of that year, it received new mobile transmission equipment, including a videotape system, which enabled the recording of outdoor scenes. On August 9, 1968, the channel received its first satellite transmission, corresponding to a live broadcast from the Chilean Embassy in Washington D.C., to mark the inauguration of the Longovilo earth station. On July 20 and 21, 1969, it covered the transmission of man's arrival on the Moon via satellite in conjunction with Channel 9 and National Television of Chile, the latter still in experimental transmissions.
On March 1, 1970, the Teletrece news program debuted, becoming the oldest news program on Chilean television still on air. In 1971, the channel became an associate member of the European Broadcasting Union. In 1972, Angelito de Canal 13, the first mascot of Channel 13 created by Enrique Bustamante, was introduced, and priest Raúl Hasbún took over as the channel's new director.
On December 24, 1972, the channel expanded its transmissions to the cities of San Fernando and Curicó on frequency 5, known in both cities as "Canal 5," officially beginning broadcasts on January 3, 1973. On February 8, 1973, Channel 5, a subsidiary station of Channel 13 in Concepción, also began broadcasting. The legislation in effect at that time (from 1970) did not account for the geographical expansion of university channels, leading to significant controversy. Channel 13's campaign for national coverage was contentious, particularly due to its editorial stance opposing the then-current government, in stark contrast to National Television of Chile and Channel 9 of the University of Chile.
On September 11, 1973—the day of the coup d'état against the government of Salvador Allende—Channel 13 was the only television outlet authorized to broadcast by order of the Military Government Junta. For three days, Channel 13 used TVN's frequency network, as TVN and Channel 9 were off the air.
1974-1999: New television center and expansion
In 1974, due to issues with the new rector of the Catholic University, Jorge Swett Madge—appointed by the Military Junta—Raúl Hasbún resigned from his position. Eleodoro Rodríguez Matte succeeded him to continue the channel's national expansion - the three days of nationwide broadcasts in 1973 left a positive impression that people wanted more Channel 13 programming to be aired nationwide. Programming increased, and starting in March of that year, the channel began its daily broadcasts at 9:00 a.m. and continued until 1:00 a.m. It also retransmitted its programs on a delayed basis to La Serena and Coquimbo after signing an agreement with UCV Televisión's Channel 8 in 1975. Under Matte, Teletrece, armed with the experience of the 1973 nationwide simulcast, asserted its place as the nation's no.1 newscast, a distinction it retained into the 1990s.
In 1976, the channel broadcast the Chilean team's matches in the Davis Cup and the playoff match of the Copa Libertadores final between Cruzeiro and River Plate at the National Stadium as a simulcast with TVN. At the same time it also extended its broadcast signal to other parts of Chile, inaugurating a repeater in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar in November 1976 on channel 8, a frequency previously held by UCV Televisión until February 1969. In December 1976, the channel signed an affilation agreement with the Universidad del Norte Television Network, allowing it to air Channel 13 programming in Northern Chile - this meant that Antofagasta, Arica, Calama, Chuquicamata, Iquique, María Elena, and Tocopilla received these TV programs for the first time since September of 1973.
In 1975, the Treasury ended the subsidies it had periodically granted to university television stations since their inception. Consequently, Canal 13 began to finance itself solely through advertising and contributions from the Catholic University. However, advertising revenues soon allowed the channel to operate as a commercial station and generate additional profits. This new direction was symbolized by programs created by director Gonzalo Bertrán and presenter César Antonio Santis, who returned to the channel from a stinct in National Television in 1976 as weekday presenter of the hit evening newscast Teletrece, a role he performed until returning to TVN in 1988. The duo first produced musical specials featuring foreign artists for the Channel 13 network and later created two-hour variety shows, starting with Esta noche fiesta which premiered in 1977.
On April 12, 1978, color television transmissions were authorized in Chile, establishing the American NTSC standard as official. Canal 13 adapted quickly, acquiring four RCA TK-760 cameras and a TK-28 equipment within three months. By June, the channel, along with National Television, broadcast the Soccer World Cup from Argentina - the first major sports event to be aired using the then new color TV technologies, using feed from Argentina Televisora Color (today Television Publica).