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Telefe

From Alfawiki
Telefe
Company typePrivate
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
PredecessorCanal 11 (Teleonce)
FoundedJuly 21, 1961; 65 years ago (1961-07-21) in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Area served
Argentina; international via Telefe Internacional
ProductsTelevision network and programming
OwnerParamount Skydance Corporation (via Televisión Federal S.A.)
ParentParamount Skydance Corporation
Websitetelefe.com

Telefe—an abbreviation of Televisión Federal—is a television broadcaster headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It operates under the ownership and management of Paramount Skydance Corporation via Televisión Federal S.A. Telefe ranks among Argentina's six national television networks. Its main studios and corporate offices are situated in Martínez, Buenos Aires, while its transmission facilities are housed in the Alas Building.

In areas where Telefe's terrestrial broadcast is not accessible, viewers can access the network through satellite and selected cable providers. The channel maintains regional affiliates throughout the country and runs an international service, Telefe Internacional, which reaches audiences across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Early period (1957–73)

Telefe traces its beginnings back to 1957 when a group of Colegio El Salvador alumni and lawyers, led by Fr. Héctor Grandetti, established Difusión Contemporánea S.A. (DiCon). On April 28, 1958, DiCon obtained the broadcast license for channel 11 in Buenos Aires. Despite initial difficulties with infrastructure, Canal 11 commenced operations in San Cristóbal, Buenos Aires, on July 21, 1961, under the name Teleonce.

Financial hardships prompted DiCon to collaborate with the American broadcaster ABC, forming Telerama S.R.L., which facilitated studio enhancements and expansion. During its first decade on air, Teleonce featured prominent shows such as Música en el Aire, Tato Siempre en Domingo, and Operación Ja Ja.

Throughout the 1960s, Teleonce faced stiff competition from Canal 9 and Canal 13 due to less robust financial resources and programming appeal. In 1970, entrepreneur Héctor Ricardo García acquired the station and redirected its programming toward news and popular entertainment under the slogan "El canal de las noticias" ("The News Channel"). This strategic shift led Teleonce to achieve leading ratings within Argentina's television market.

Government ownership era (1974–88)

Following the expiration of broadcast licenses on October 8, 1973, government authorities assumed control over the news divisions of channels 9, 11, and 13. Jorge Conti was appointed as both administrator and chief newscaster. On September 26, 1974, these three stations were nationalized, with Conti maintaining his administrative role. During the National Reorganization Process military regime, the Argentine Air Force co-managed the channel alongside Conti, who continued as lead news anchor. The station was renamed Canal Once.

In anticipation of color television adoption and necessary technical upgrades, the state acquired Canal Once’s facilities from García in 1979, thereby establishing full government ownership. Color transmissions commenced on May 6, 1981. Despite this progress, legal disputes persisted: two tender processes during the dictatorship either failed or resulted in Canal Once reverting to García’s control. Upon assuming office, President Raúl Alfonsín annulled this transfer, retaining Canal Once under state administration for an additional six years.

Privatization phase (1989–98)

By the late 1980s, Canal Once was severely impacted by financial distress and hyperinflation. The energy crisis during Alfonsín’s administration forced drastic reductions in broadcast hours within Buenos Aires—from four hours down to ten hours daily—further weakening the station’s fiscal position. Closure was considered until then-President Carlos Menem announced plans to privatize two of the three remaining state-owned Buenos Aires channels: Canal Once and Canal 13. Among prospective buyers was Televisión Federal S.A., supported by Editorial Atlántida along with a coalition of private broadcasters nationwide.

In December 1989, Arte Radiotelevisivo Argentino S.A. (Artear), a subsidiary of Grupo Clarín, secured winning bids for both Canal Once and Canal 13 but opted to acquire Canal 13. Subsequently, Televisión Federal took over Canal Once on January 15, 1990, marking its return to private hands after sixteen years under government control. The channel was rebranded as Telefe, an acronym representing its new proprietorship; this branding debuted on March 5, 1990. Initially featuring blue lettering on a white backdrop inspired by the Flag of Argentina, this was soon replaced by the iconic three-circle logo that remains in use today.

Telefónica era (1999–2016)

In 1999, Telefónica took ownership of Telefe along with its eight owned-and-operated stations, initiating an international broadcast aimed at audiences beyond Argentina. In 2002, Telefónica also purchased Azul Televisión but was later required by the Federal Broadcasting Committee (COMFER) to relinquish its shares.

During the leadership of Gustavo Yankelevich and subsequently Claudio Villaruel, Telefe maintained dominance in Argentina's television ratings for nearly twenty years, acquiring broadcasting rights to widely acclaimed programs such as The Simpsons, Formula 1 racing, and Big Brother. Although it briefly lost its leading position to El Trece between 2010 and 2011, a management overhaul in 2012 under Tomás Yankelevich, coupled with hit series like Graduados and Dulce amor, reinstated Telefe as the top network in the market.

Acquisition by Viacom (2016–present)

On November 3, 2016, Viacom completed the acquisition of Telefe for roughly $400 million, merging it with the UK’s Channel 5. The subsequent 2019 merger between Viacom and CBS formed ViacomCBS (currently Paramount Global), positioning Telefe alongside prominent global networks including CBS in the United States and Network 10 in Australia.

From 2022 through 2024, Paramount divested several regional affiliates associated with Telefe. By June 2025, reports surfaced indicating Paramount’s intention to sell the network, with prospective purchasers such as Alpha Media, Marcos Galperín, Grupo Werthein, and former Telefe artistic director Gustavo Yankelevich. Despite these discussions, Paramount Global maintained ownership as of August 2025 during its merger with Skydance Media, creating Paramount Skydance Corporation.

Digital channels

The station’s digital broadcast is multiplexed as follows:

Channel Video Aspect Programming
34.1 1080i 16:9 Primary Telefe content
34.31 240p 4:3 Mobile version of main Telefe programming

Current programming

Below is a compilation of shows currently airing on Telefe, including their initial release years.

Comedy

  • Casados con Hijos (2005; reruns)

Talk shows

  • A la Barbarossa (2022)
  • Ariel en su Salsa (2022)
  • Cortá por Lozano (2017)
  • La Peña de Morfi (2017)
  • PH: Podemos Hablar (2017)

Reality/non-scripted

News programming

Drama

Comedy

Children's programming

Since 2017, all children's shows acquired have been grouped together within the Finde en Nick programming block. Notable series featured include:

Affiliates

The network manages four owned-and-operated stations and has established affiliation partnerships with various other broadcasters.

Owned-and-operated stations

Most of the owned-and-operated outlets became part of Telefe in April 1998 after Editorial Atlántida acquired a controlling interest in the former Televisoras Provinciales. LRK458 TV (which was later known as Telefe Tucumán and is currently called Elocho TV) was incorporated in March 2000.

Province City of license Station Branding Channel
Analog Digital
City of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires LS84 TV Telefe 11 34
Córdoba Córdoba LV85 TV Telefe Córdoba 8 29
Santa Fe Rosario LT84 TV Telefe Rosario 5 38
Santa Fe LT82 TV Telefe Santa Fe 13 30

Affiliated stations

Province City of license Station Branding Channel Owner
Analog Digital
Buenos Aires Bahía Blanca LU80 TV El Nueve TV 9 — Grupo Televisión Litoral & La Nueva Provincia
Mar del Plata LRI486 TV Canal 8 Mar del Plata 8 — Neomedia de Gestion
Córdoba Río Cuarto LV86 TV Canal 13/Canal 29 HD 13 29 Imperio Televisión S.A.
Corrientes Corrientes LT80 TV 13 Max 13 32 Jorge Félix Gómez & Carlos Antonio Smith
Neuquén Neuquén LU84 TV Telefe Neuquén 7 38 Alpha Media
Jujuy San Salvador de Jujuy LW80 TV Canal 7 7 36 Radio Visión Jujuy S.A.
Mendoza Mendoza LV83 TV Canal 9 Televida 9 28 Cuyo Televisión S.A. & Los Andes
Misiones Posadas LW90 TV Canal 2 2 32 La Verdad S.R.L.
Salta Salta LW82 TV El Once TV 11 — Grupo Televisión Litoral
San Juan San Juan LK87 TV Telesol 5 36 Andina S.A.
Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero LW81 TV Canal 7 7 42 CAS TV S.A.
San Luis San Luis LV90 TV San Luis + 13 28 Government of San Luis
Tucumán San Miguel de Tucumán LRK458 TV El Ocho TV 8 20 Grupo Televisión Litoral


Logos

1990–2000 2018–present

External links

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