WSTE

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WSTE
Ponce / San Juan / Mayagüez / Arecibo
City of license	Ponce, Puerto Rico
Branding	SuperSiete / Tele-Isla (TLI)
Channels	Analog: 7 (VHF) Digital: 8 (VHF)
Translators	WSTE1 7 San Juan WSTE2 7 Mayagüez WSTE3 7 Arecibo
Affiliations	Independent
Owner	Univision (Univision Television Group, Inc.)
First air date	February 2, 1958
Call letters’ meaning	Siete (Spanish for seven)
Sister station(s)	WLII (TV) 11 WKAQ (AM) 580 WKAQ-FM 104.5
Former callsigns	WRIK-TV (1958-1979) WLUZ-TV (1979-1987)

WSTE is a full-power television station licensed to Ponce, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 7, digital 8. WSTE is owned by Univision and is operated by the network as well through WLII in Caguas. WSTE is branded as SuperSiete and Tele-Isla.

[edit] History

The station first went on the air in the late 1950s as WRIK-TV where it retransmitted WKAQ-TV'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 Arists 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 will lose channel 7 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. which its 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 ammonestation by the FCC, WLII dropped WSTE and WNJX-TV coverage.

After that point (sometime in 1995) and until today, the station mostly airs infomercials, localy-produced advertisements for car dealerships and music programs.

In July 16, 2007, Siete Grande Television, Inc. announced it was selling WSTE to Univision. ^[1] The sale was approved by the FCC on October 11, 2007.

An interesting note is that the channel's SuperSiete "ident" animation, logo, and name survived for over 20 years, dating back to 1987.

[edit] Broadcasting

To effectively cover all of Puerto Rico, WSTE has booster-type translator facilities across the island. However, in order for this booster system to work without any interference, WSTE's main transmitter must be kept silent. The Ponce area is thus served from an auxiliary station transmitting at 100 kW.

[edit] Transmitter facilities

[edit] Logos

Old Channel 7 logo when it was branded as Rikavision WRIK-TV.

Rikavision’s newspaper ad from 1976.

Channel 7 logo when it was branded as SuperSiete.

[edit] External links

• Query the FCC's TV station database for WSTE
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WSTE-TV
• Program Information for WSTE at TitanTV.com
• A history of television in Puerto Rico

[edit] References