ETAPAS DE LA TELEVISION EN URUGUAY

First transmissions:
Open television broadcasts in Uruguay were carried out by private interests. They began
on December 7, 1956, in Montevideo with Channel 10, established by the Sociedad
Anónima de Emisión de Televisión y Anexos (SAETA), an initiative by the Sociedad Anónima
de Radioemisoras del Plata and the Asociación Nacional de Broadcasters Uruguayos. On
April 23, 1961, Monte Carlo Televisión started broadcasting, owned by the Monte Carlo
Group which includes radios Monte Carlo and Oriental. In May 1962, Teledoce went on the
air, a group associated with Diario El País. Lastly, on June 19, 1963, Canal 5 of the Servicio
Oficial de Difusión, Radiotelevisión y Espectáculos (SODRE) began broadcasting. It was the
first authorized channel to broadcast but due to bureaucratic reasons, it became the
fourth. Subsequently, in the interior, on May 26, 1966, the first inland channel and the fifth
in Uruguay, Canal 12 of Fray Bentos, started broadcasting. In 1969, the first public inland
channel, Canal 8 of SODRE, began airing.

First stage:
Regular color television began on August 25, 1981. Color broadcasts started in 1980 during
the World Champions Gold Cup for international retransmissions. The commencement of
these regular color transmissions coincided with the anniversary of the declaration of
Uruguayan independence. Nevertheless, experimental color broadcasts had been
authorized several months prior during the prime time of each channel. The standard used
was PAL-N, the same as neighboring countries Argentina and Paraguay.

Second stage:
On August 25, 1981, the same day regular color television arrived, the channel “La Red”
was launched. Its creation was originally conceived by the de facto government that ruled
the country since the 1970s, naming it the private television network. The dictatorship was
also considering the possibility of having a public television network separate from
Channel 5, which was owned by SODRE at that time.

Following the emergence of La Red, channels 9 in Paso de los Toros and 11 in

Durazno/Trinidad were assigned for broadcasting the 1982 FIFA World Cup. However,
these channels continued to operate. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s,
other channels began their transmissions: Channel 2 in Biassini/Col. Itapebi, Channel 3 in
Río Branco, Channel 4 in Chuy, Channel 4 in Dolores, Channel 4 in Las Toscas de Caraguatá,
Channel 7 in Durazno, and Channel 10 in Guichón/Young. Most of these retransmitted La
Red. Among all these channels, only Chuy, Dolores, and Channel 7 in Durazno continue
broadcasting today.

Third stage:
In 2012, terrestrial digital television arrived in Uruguay. The decision was made to adopt
the ISDB-Tb standard for over-the-air TV, although previously in 2008, the decision had
been to use DVB-T. From 2013, cable operators in the interior began implementing digital
DVB-C in their subscriber systems.

In 2015, TV Ciudad became a free-to-air channel by starting to broadcast on DTT (Digital

Terrestrial Television).

Between 2013 and 2019, DirecTV added Canal 4, Canal 5, Teledoce, Canal 10, and TV
Ciudad to its lineup. In March 2018, the HD signals of channels 4, 5, 10, 12, and TV Ciudad,
which were broadcasting on DTT, were made available for distribution to cable operators
nationwide.

Interview my grandmother:
Before tv:

1- How did you spend your time before the arrival of television?
“For example, I went to the cinema much more, went out for walks more often, and
listened to a lot of music on the radio.”
2- What were the most common ways to get information and news before television?
“Through the radio.”
3- Were there other forms of communication before television?
“I listened to news broadcasts on the radio and read newspapers.”
4- What was a typical evening at home like before television?
“We would gather with family and friends, play the lottery, and fill the house with
everyone. I also listened to radio dramas, and some of them were performed in theaters
which I went to watch.”
5- Did you think television would exist?
“No, honestly, I didn’t expect it.”

After tv:

1- How do you remember the first time you saw television?

“It was very innovative, really good.”
2- How did television affect your daily routine?
“It affected me in that I had to do things faster to be able to watch what was on TV. If I
liked something, I had to finish household chores quickly so that I could watch it calmly
when it started.”
3- Could everyone get television, or only those with money?
“Some people could, and as time went on, more and more people were able to get it.”
4- What were your favorite TV programs in the early years?
“I used to watch comedy shows the most, like ‘Telecataplum’ for example.”
5- Were there any negative aspects in daily life after the arrival of television?
“No, nothing negative.”
6- Do you think television had an impact on people’s education and knowledge?
“I believe so, especially with news and educational TV programs.”