WSTE
Encyclopedia
WSTE-DT is a full-power television station licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico
. It transmits on digital channel 7 over a four-site distributed transmission system
.
WSTE is owned by Univision
and is operated by the network as well through WLII
in Caguas
. WSTE is branded as Tele-Isla.
's programming (one of the first affiliation agreements, now common on the island). In 1970, it was bought by United Artists
and moved to San Juan and started broadcasting El Show de Tito Rodriguez
for two seasons. United Artists left the island, then it was branded as Rikavision. The station then produced its own programming, Ahi Va Eso, with Awilda Carbia
, Jacobo Morales
, and Norma Candal
, Contigo Anexo 3, Showtime with Wilkins
, and Las Caribelles, El Show de Carol Myles, and the legendary children's show, Rikalandia, hosted by Sandra Zaiter
.
In 1979, it was acquired by Puerto Rican producer Tommy Muñiz
and renamed WLUZ-TV, Teleluz. Muñiz was also owner of Radio Luz, WLUZ (AM). Financial troubles forced Muñiz to sell the station to Malrite Communications Group
where it became SuperSiete - WSTE. The station acquired limited success at the time using colorful motion graphics, a new logo, major advertising in newspapers, and the broadcasting of famous American sitcoms at the time, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
and The Simpsons
, along with major Hollywood
movies of the time.
It also was acknowledged for its children's show "El Show de Burbujita y Bolillo", produced by Milly Cangiano, and its Saturday morning cartoons. Along this time, one of Puerto Rico's longest running shows, No te Duermas
with Antonio Sánchez El Gangster
, started airing on channel 7 as well. Also, Super Siete produced a successful game show, La Hora de Oro with Hector Marcano
and El Gangster
, & two family oriented comedies, Maripili, and El Cuartel de la Risa
.
In 1991, Malrite Communications Group, fearing that it would lose Channel 7's experimental license for their booster-type translator facilities to transmit their signal across the island, decided to buy WLII-TV
and WSUR-TV
and sold WSTE to Siete Grande Television, Inc. whose owner is Jerry Hartman, a Florida
entrepreneur. WSTE was then called El Nuevo SuperSiete (The New SuperSeven).
During the 1990s, WLII signed a marketing agreement with SuperSiete, stripping the channel of its successful shows and leaving it as an outlet for infomercials, horse races and independent productions. It was also rebranded as Tele-Isla during primetime hours. Due to the failure of the new programming, and the lack of full island coverage of WLII at the time, WSTE started re-broadcasting WLII's primetime programming mainly for the western and central areas of Puerto Rico.
In 1995, WLII entered into an affiliation agreement with WORA-TV
. This created a situation with the FCC, as WLII programming was being rebroadcast by 2 different stations across the island; WLII and WSTE in the north, WSUR-TV and WSTE in the south, and WSTE, WNJX-TV
and WORA-TV in the west. During this time, the channel proudly showed its coverage channels on its "ident", as 11-9-7-5-22. After admonishment by the FCC, WLII dropped WSTE and WNJX-TV coverage.
After that point (sometime in 1995) and until today, the station mostly airs infomercials, locally-produced advertisements for car dealerships and music programs.
On March 23, 2007, Siete Grande Television, Inc. announced it was selling WSTE to Univision
. The sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) on October 11, 2007.
The channel's SuperSiete "ident" animation, logo, and name survived for over 25 years, dating back to 1987. A new logo with the Tele-Isla branding was introduced a couple of months before the mandated FCC digital switch of June 12, 2009.
, WSTE used booster-type translator facilities across the island up to the analog shutdown. In order for this booster system to have worked without any interference, WSTE's main transmitter had to be kept silent. The Ponce area was thus served from an auxiliary station transmitting at 100 kW.
WSTE now uses a four site, digital distributed transmission system
to cover the island as the booster system had done before it.
WSTE's old analog booster system
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. It transmits on digital channel 7 over a four-site distributed transmission system
Distributed transmission system
In North American digital terrestrial television broadcasting, a distributed transmission system is a form of single-frequency network in which a single broadcast signal is fed via microwave, landline, or communications satellite to multiple synchronised terrestrial radio transmitter sites...
.
WSTE is owned by Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
and is operated by the network as well through WLII
WLII
WLII-DT is a full-power television station licensed to Caguas, Puerto Rico. Transmitting its analog signal on channel 11 and digital signal on channel 56, the station is owned and operated by Univision and is branded as Univision Puerto Rico...
in Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
. WSTE is branded as Tele-Isla.
History
The station first went on the air in the late 1950s as WRIK-TV where it retransmitted WKAQ-TVWKAQ-TV
WKAQ-TV is a full-power television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital 2.1. The station is owned and operated by NBCUniversal and is branded simply as Telemundo....
's programming (one of the first affiliation agreements, now common on the island). In 1970, it was bought by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
and moved to San Juan and started broadcasting El Show de Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodriguez
Tito Rodríguez was a popular 1950s and 1960s Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He is known by many fans as "El Inolvidable" , a moniker based on his most popular interpretation, a song written by composer Julio Gutierrez.-Early years:Rodríguez , born in Santurce, Puerto Rico,...
for two seasons. United Artists left the island, then it was branded as Rikavision. The station then produced its own programming, Ahi Va Eso, with Awilda Carbia
Awilda Carbia
Awilda Carbia was an actress, comedian, and impersonator.- Early years :Awilda Carbia started her acting career as a 7-year-old child, without ever suspecting that later in her acting career, 1970s, she would portray a children's television show host that was called: Estrella Galaxia, , broadcast...
, Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales is an auteur, whom many consider to be the most influential film director in Puerto Rico's history.-Life and career:...
, and Norma Candal
Norma Candal
Norma Candal , was an actress and comedian who was best known for her role as "Petunia".-Early years:Candal was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and lived with her family in the Fajardo Sugar Co. sugar plantation where her father was an accountant...
, Contigo Anexo 3, Showtime with Wilkins
Wilkins
Wilkins or Wilkin is a name variant of William.Wilkins may refer to:* The surname Wilkins* The surname Wilkin* Wilkins De La Rosa, a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic...
, and Las Caribelles, El Show de Carol Myles, and the legendary children's show, Rikalandia, hosted by Sandra Zaiter
Sandra Zaiter
Sandra Zaiter is an actress, television children's show host, singer, composer and former athlete in Puerto Rico.Zaiter was born in the Dominican Republic, of Lebanese Maronite Christian ancestry. Early in her life she participated in church groups, and established her residence in Puerto Rico...
.
In 1979, it was acquired by Puerto Rican producer Tommy Muñiz
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
and renamed WLUZ-TV, Teleluz. Muñiz was also owner of Radio Luz, WLUZ (AM). Financial troubles forced Muñiz to sell the station to Malrite Communications Group
Raycom Media
- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
where it became SuperSiete - WSTE. The station acquired limited success at the time using colorful motion graphics, a new logo, major advertising in newspapers, and the broadcasting of famous American sitcoms at the time, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, along with major Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
movies of the time.
It also was acknowledged for its children's show "El Show de Burbujita y Bolillo", produced by Milly Cangiano, and its Saturday morning cartoons. Along this time, one of Puerto Rico's longest running shows, No te Duermas
No te Duermas
No te Duermas is a Spanish-language television program, a late-night talk and variety show from Puerto Rico. It started airing in 1990 as a late night show with comedian Antonio Sanchez El Gangster in WSTE-TV SuperSiete...
with Antonio Sánchez El Gangster
Antonio Sánchez (Puerto Rican host)
Antonio Sánchez is a Puerto Rican radio and television personality, show host and producer. Very famous across Puerto Rico for his crass humor, he is also known for his nickname: El Gangster...
, started airing on channel 7 as well. Also, Super Siete produced a successful game show, La Hora de Oro with Hector Marcano
Hector Marcano
Hector Marcano is a Puerto Rican comedian, producer, and game show host in Puerto Rico.Hector Marcano was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on November 3, 1956. Marcano's career took off after Luis Vigoreaux's death...
and El Gangster
Antonio Sánchez (Puerto Rican host)
Antonio Sánchez is a Puerto Rican radio and television personality, show host and producer. Very famous across Puerto Rico for his crass humor, he is also known for his nickname: El Gangster...
, & two family oriented comedies, Maripili, and El Cuartel de la Risa
El Cuartel de la Risa
El Cuartel de la Risa was a Puerto Rican comedy show broadcast on WSTE. It was one of the most successful comedy shows during its run.The show revolved around what happened in a generic police station in the fictional town of Trujillo Bajo, Puerto Rico...
.
In 1991, Malrite Communications Group, fearing that it would lose Channel 7's experimental license for their booster-type translator facilities to transmit their signal across the island, decided to buy WLII-TV
WLII
WLII-DT is a full-power television station licensed to Caguas, Puerto Rico. Transmitting its analog signal on channel 11 and digital signal on channel 56, the station is owned and operated by Univision and is branded as Univision Puerto Rico...
and WSUR-TV
WLII
WLII-DT is a full-power television station licensed to Caguas, Puerto Rico. Transmitting its analog signal on channel 11 and digital signal on channel 56, the station is owned and operated by Univision and is branded as Univision Puerto Rico...
and sold WSTE to Siete Grande Television, Inc. whose owner is Jerry Hartman, a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
entrepreneur. WSTE was then called El Nuevo SuperSiete (The New SuperSeven).
During the 1990s, WLII signed a marketing agreement with SuperSiete, stripping the channel of its successful shows and leaving it as an outlet for infomercials, horse races and independent productions. It was also rebranded as Tele-Isla during primetime hours. Due to the failure of the new programming, and the lack of full island coverage of WLII at the time, WSTE started re-broadcasting WLII's primetime programming mainly for the western and central areas of Puerto Rico.
In 1995, WLII entered into an affiliation agreement with WORA-TV
WORA-TV
WORA-TV is a full-power television station in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 5, digital 29. The station rebroadcasts over 95% of WLII's programing under an affiliation agreement. WORA-TV produces some programming of its own, mostly airing on Sunday afternoons. During local...
. This created a situation with the FCC, as WLII programming was being rebroadcast by 2 different stations across the island; WLII and WSTE in the north, WSUR-TV and WSTE in the south, and WSTE, WNJX-TV
WNJX-TV
WNJX-TV is a full-power television station in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 22, digital 23. WNJX-TV is owned by InterMedia Partners.- History :...
and WORA-TV in the west. During this time, the channel proudly showed its coverage channels on its "ident", as 11-9-7-5-22. After admonishment by the FCC, WLII dropped WSTE and WNJX-TV coverage.
After that point (sometime in 1995) and until today, the station mostly airs infomercials, locally-produced advertisements for car dealerships and music programs.
On March 23, 2007, Siete Grande Television, Inc. announced it was selling WSTE to Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
. The sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) on October 11, 2007.
The channel's SuperSiete "ident" animation, logo, and name survived for over 25 years, dating back to 1987. A new logo with the Tele-Isla branding was introduced a couple of months before the mandated FCC digital switch of June 12, 2009.
Broadcasting
To effectively cover all of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, WSTE used booster-type translator facilities across the island up to the analog shutdown. In order for this booster system to have worked without any interference, WSTE's main transmitter had to be kept silent. The Ponce area was thus served from an auxiliary station transmitting at 100 kW.
WSTE now uses a four site, digital distributed transmission system
Distributed transmission system
In North American digital terrestrial television broadcasting, a distributed transmission system is a form of single-frequency network in which a single broadcast signal is fed via microwave, landline, or communications satellite to multiple synchronised terrestrial radio transmitter sites...
to cover the island as the booster system had done before it.
WSTE's DTS facilities
| Station | City | Channel Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... |
ERP Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... |
HAAT Height above average terrain Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts... |
Facility ID Facility ID The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| WSTE-DT1 | Ponce Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the... |
7 (VHF Very high frequency Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency... ) |
25 kW | 88 m | 60341 | 18°2′45"N 66°39′15"W |
| WSTE-DT2 | San Juan San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... |
7 (VHF) | 25 kW | 336 m | 60341 | 18°16′22"N 66°6′48"W |
| WSTE-DT3 | Mayagüez Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"... |
7 (VHF) | 6 kW | 370 m | 60341 | 18°19′18"N 67°10′26"W |
| WSTE-DT4 | Arecibo Arecibo, Puerto Rico Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo... |
7 (VHF) | 0.1 kW | 65 m | 60341 | 18°27′14"N 66°45′15"W |
WSTE's old analog booster system
| Station | Type | City | Channel Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... |
ERP Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... |
HAAT Height above average terrain Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts... |
Facility ID Facility ID The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international broadcast station in its Common Database System . Licensees are required to provide the relevant station's FIN when filing reports and... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| WSTE | Main (Kept silent) |
Ponce Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the... |
7 (VHF Very high frequency Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency... ) |
186 kW | 826 m | 60341 | 18°9′10.5"N 66°33′15.4"W |
| WSTE | Auxiliary | Ponce Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the... |
7 (VHF) | 100 kW | 88 m | 60341 | 18°2′45"N 66°39′15"W |
| WSTE1 | Booster | San Juan San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... |
7 (VHF) | 310 kW | 341 m | 91770 | 18°16′22"N 66°6′48"W |
| WSTE2 | Booster | Mayagüez Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"... |
7 (VHF) | 24.1 kW | 386 m | 91773 | 18°19′18"N 67°10′26"W |
| WSTE3 | Booster | Arecibo Arecibo, Puerto Rico Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo... |
7 (VHF) | 1 kW | 62 m | 91771 | 18°27′14"N 66°45′15"W |