El Trece
| Company type | Free-to-air television broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | October 1, 1960 in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Founder | Goar Mestre, CBS |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Argentina |
| Owner | Grupo Clarín (through Arte Radiotelevisivo Argentino - Artear) |
| Parent | Artear |
Channel 13—known commercially as El Trece and styled as eltrece—is a free-to-air television broadcaster headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It serves as the principal station of the eponymous network and operates under the ownership of , a subsidiary company within the Grupo Clarín conglomerate.
El Trece transmits on VHF channel 13 and digital UHF channel 33 across the Greater Buenos Aires area. Viewers throughout Argentina can access its content via cable and satellite platforms. Additionally, programming is relayed by Artear's affiliates such as El Doce in Córdoba, Canal Siete (Bahía Blanca) in Bahía Blanca, along with several other partner stations.
Establishment
The inception of Canal 13 dates back to 1960, with its inaugural broadcast occurring on 1 October at 8:30 p.m. The initial concession was granted to Rio de la Plata S.A. TV, a company founded by Cuban entrepreneur Goar Mestre in collaboration with the American network CBS. By the mid-1960s, ownership stakes were acquired by Editorial Atlántida and Mestre’s spouse, positioning Canal 13 as a formidable rival to Buenos Aires private broadcasters Channel 9 and Channel 11.
During this era, Canal 13 developed influential programs such as the comedic series Viendo a Biondi, the family-oriented The Falcón Family featuring Pedro Quartucci, and the groundbreaking sketch show Telecataplum, which showcased Uruguayan talents including Ricardo Espalter, Enrique Almada, and Gabriela Acher. These productions played a significant role in cementing the channel’s status within Argentina's television landscape.
On 2 June 1971, Canal 13 pioneered an experimental color transmission displaying static images of artworks and scenic vistas, representing an early technological milestone in Argentine television history.
Government Control
In 1974, under President Isabel Perón, Canal 13 was nationalized alongside two other Buenos Aires private channels (Channel 9 and Channel 11) as part of a media strategy inspired by European public broadcasting models. Throughout the military regime of the National Reorganisation Process (1976–1983), the station was administered by the Argentine Navy, which oversaw its conversion to color broadcasting commencing on 1 May 1980. The network remained publicly operated until democratic governance resumed in 1983. Notably, on 2 July 1980, a fire partially damaged Channel 13’s studios; fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Return to Private Ownership
Following fifteen years under state control, management transitioned in December 1989 to Arte Radiotelevisivo Argentino (Artear), predominantly owned by Artes Gráfico Editorial Argentino S.A (AGEA), a division of the Clarín media group. Since this change, El Trece has frequently held the second position in Buenos Aires viewership ratings, primarily competing with Telefe, except for a leadership period during 2010-2011. The decade of the 1990s featured strong audience reception fueled by political satire (notably by Tato Bores), cultural programming such as La aventura del hombre, and popular drama series including La Banda del Golden Rocket, Montaña Rusa, Gasoleros, Campeones de la vida, and Poliladron.
Beginning in 1996, Canal 13 established a collaboration with Pol-ka Producciones, owned by actor-producer Adrian Suar, who assumed the role of program director in 2001. The station initiated high-definition broadcasts with its coverage of 2000 Today on New Year's Eve of 1999, featuring live segments from Argentine tourist destinations.
2000s
In 2000, the channel underwent a rebranding and became known as Canal Trece ("Channel Thirteen"). Beginning in 2002, it implemented yearly updates to its visual branding. Throughout this decade, it consistently held its status as the second most viewed television station.
By December 2005, Artear had secured a 30% ownership interest in Ideas del Sur. In January 2009, Canal Trece introduced a new graphic design package while keeping its original logo intact. Subsequently, in April of the same year, it launched its international feed (El Trece Internacional), which became available through subscription television services in more than 20 countries. Early in 2009, Artear’s satellite transmissions—including El Trece Satelital—were disrupted by signal interference initially suspected to be politically motivated but later identified as originating from a Mexican broadcaster.
2010s
During 2010 and 2011, El Trece achieved higher general audience ratings than Telefe for the first time in two decades. This success was largely fueled by the strong popularity of the reality show Showmatch and successful telenovelas such as Malparida, Los únicos, and Herederos de una venganza, alongside entertainment programs like Sábado show, La cocina del show, and A todo o nada. Although El Trece slipped back to second place behind Telefe in 2012, it sustained a considerable margin over rivals El Nueve and América TV through to 2021.
From 2010 to 2014, prominent programming featured telenovelas including Malparida, Herederos de una venganza, Los Únicos, Sos mi hombre, Solamente vos, Farsantes, and Guapas; TV series such as Para vestir santos and El puntero; along with widely viewed entertainment and reality formats like Showmatch, Este es el show, Sábado show, Periodismo para todos, and Soñando por bailar. This slate of content helped El Trece maintain second place in audience rankings between 2012 and 2014.
Marcelo Tinelli continued to be the network’s leading personality throughout the decade, although he took a hiatus in 2013 after his contract expired. During that period, he nearly transitioned to Telefe amid political negotiations involving businessman Cristóbal López. Meanwhile, Guido Kaczka rose as a key figure both on-screen and behind the scenes, hosting programs such as A todo o nada, Los 8 escalones, and La tribuna de Guido.
In March 2014, after an absence of 34 years, Mirtha Legrand made her return to El Trece with her shows Almorzando con Mirtha Legrand and La noche de Mirtha, which bolstered the channel’s daytime and prime-time schedules.