How is the television in Spain?

Welcome to The Spanish Television, a blog in which I'll talk about how it's now the free Spanish television. I'll focus to discuss their channels and programming. In this post I'll talk about as has been the development of television in Spain since the beginning, and about what channels are available for free and for all Spain.

A bit of history

Television in Spain was launched in 1956, when the state broadcaster Televisión Española (TVE) started regular broadcasts. The first private channels started in 1990. Colour transmissions started in 1974 after two years of test transmissions, with all programming transmitted in colour from 1977, and colour commercials, which started in 1978. Currently, television is one of the leading mass media of the country, and by 2008 was in 99.7% of households in Spain according to INE statistics.

Until recently terrestrial television was considered an essential public service. Broadcasting is managed both directly by the State and indirectly, through controlled concessions to private firms. The Audiovisual Law of 2010 changed this by defining radio and television as commercial services that individuals pay for, fostering liberalization within some constraints.

Analogue terrestrial television in Spain began on 28 October 1956. Televisión Española (now La 1) was the very first regular television channel, and operated alone until 1966, when a second channel (now La 2) was launched. In 2009, the analog service started its closure in a process that lasted one year. On April 3, 2010, the analog service was officially discontinued, but there are still some small local analog channels operating, most of them the unlicensed analog channels.

Digital terrestrial television was introduced in the country by the pay per view platform Quiero Television. In May 2002, state wide operators were required to start broadcasting in DVB-T. Yet, Quiero TV ceased transmissions in 2002 after a commercial failure. On November 30, 2005, Digital Terrestrial Television was relaunched as a free service with 20 channels and 14 radio stations, along with 23 regional- and local-language channels in their respective areas. Currently about 95% of the population can receive TDT. Each multiplex has a minimum of 4 SD channels each or one HD channel. Televisió de Catalunya (TVC) and Aragón Televisión are using spare bandwidth in their own digital multiplex to broadcast test HD streams.


Which channels are there?

In this blog, as I said, I'll talk about free TV on Spain, all of the channels available on TDT (Televisión Digital Terrestre) or DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) in English. The offer of TDT consists of 26 national free channels. In addition, each Autonomous Community has several channels themselves.

To begin, I must say that the majority of TDT channels resides in three large media groups, two privates and one public. The public is RTVE (Radiotelevisión Española - Spanish Radio and Television). The privates are Atresmedia Corporación and Mediaset España Comunicación. Each group has several television channels, which we shall see.

TVE - Televisión Española

Start talking about public television: Televisión Española (TVE), "Spanish Television" in English. As you can see, currently has seven channels on TDT. They are as follows.

• La 1 (La Uno), in English "The One". Launched on 28 October 1956, it was the first television service to ever operate in Spain. Its programming is aimed to a wide range of audiences and includes news (Telediario, Informe Semanal), documentaries, debate programmes and entertainment shows. La 1 is also available in HD.

• La 2 (La Dos), in English "The Two". Unlike sister channel La 1, it is not an overtly populist channel, and is famous for a more "intellectual" style of programming (often popular with university students) featuring wildlife and cultural documentaries, classic films from home and abroad, more "alternative" American TV series - Will & Grace, Six Feet Under, Veronica Mars etc. - investigative reporting and the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest.

• Canal 24 horas (Canal Veinticuatro Horas), in English "24 Hour Channel". Is TVE's 24-hour news channel. It is Spain's first news and information channel. The channel produces news output and factual programmes for La 1, La 2 and TVE Internacional, and simulcasts most domestic news programmes aired on La 1.

• TDP (Teledeporte), in English "Telesport". Is a sports channel. It broadcasts the major Spanish and international sporting events. TDP is also available in HD.

• Clan is a children's TV channel. Although the channel primarily screens programming for children aged 12 and under, youth programming is shown during the evening and night (for example Dawson Crece or Dawson's Creek). A mixture of Spanish and foreign programming is shown, all in the Spanish language. Both live-action and animation programming is featured on the channel.

Atresmedia Televisión 

Atresmedia Televisión, which forms part of Atresmedia Corporación, is a Spanish media group. It is the company resulting from the merger of Antena 3 with laSexta. Atresmedia Television in 1989 won one of the three licenses for private television Spain. They have six channels in TDT:

• Antena 3 (Antena Tres), in English "Antenna Three" Its programming is aimed to a wide range of audiences and includes news, movies, series, and entertainment shows. Antena 3 is also available in HD.

• laSexta, in English "theSixth". Programming is generalist, progressive trend, but with a special presence of comedy and entertainment, american. series and information. La Sexta is also available in HD.

• Neox, generally, the channel shows children's programming during the morning, and films and series during the night. The channel is geared towards children and a teenage audience, and also international success series; and builds on Antena 3's most popular programming, such as The Simpsons..

• Nova, the service is aimed at women and the schedule reflects that. Normally during the day, lifestyle programmes like cookery are screened. During the evening films and some series are shown.

• Mega. Its programming is aimed towards a male audience, with series, documentaries, reality shows, sports and films.

• Atreseries: Broadcasts Spanish and international series. Only available in HD

Mediaset España

Is a Spanish media group, created in March 1989, whose activities focus essentially on the production and exhibition of television content. It is the company resulting from the merger of Telecinco with Cuatro.

• Telecinco, in English "Telefive", is a general channel catering for all audiences. It shows series, news, realitys shows, and entertaiment shows. Telecinco is also available in HD.

• Cuatro, in English "Four", it has a general programming dedicated to a young audience and masculine, which offers mainly foreign drama series, programs of own production, magazines, news and sports. Cuatro is also available in HD.

• Factoría de Ficción (F.), in English "Fiction Factory", the channel's programming is especially aimed a young audience and urban, with a daily deal in series of domestic and foreign fiction and film in the issue.

• Divinity. Divinity programming is especially aimed at women and reflects the spirit of the world of celebrities, trends and social chronicle.

• Energy airs syndicated television series, both international and local, and films.

• Boing, is children's channel. In this channel are broadcast series and cartoons all day.

• Be Mad TV. Its programming is aimed towards a male audience, with series, documentaries, reality shows and films. Only available un HD.

Other channels

• Disney Channel. Disney Channel Spain is a free-to-air television channel and is an edition of the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel, broadcasting in Spain. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience.

• Paramount Network, is a movie channel which broadcasts 24 hours open to the public and offers films from its catalog, covering genres such as drama, comedy, action, thriller, animation, western movies, and classic horror film history.

• DMAX. covers genres like survival, kitchen, motor, wild world or crime investigations programmes, addressing mainly a young male audience.

• DKISS, aimed mainly at young-adult women. Its programming is almost integrates by reality shows.

• TEN: Its programming is based on entertainment programs, docu-shows and reality shows.

• Trece (Thirteen), its programming is based on the diffusion of the values ​​and beliefs of the Catholic Church, and focuses on content for all members family. Its main contents pass through the classic film, the TV series, the programs of own production (news and gatherings of conservative) and external religious production.

• Real Madrid TV.operated by Real Madrid, this channel is specialising in the Spanish football club.

• Gol, in English "Goal". Is a channel exclusively dedicated to soccer matches and programs.