MIAMI & ORLANDO—Hemisphere Media Group and Entravision have announced a partnership to launch WAPA Orlando, a new full power broadcast television station with programming to serve the Orlando–Daytona Beach–Melbourne DMA.

WAPA Orlando started broadcasting on Feb. 4 on Entravision’s WOTF (Channel 26).

WAPA Orlando will be carried by multichannel video programming distributors throughout the Orlando–Daytona Beach–Melbourne region.

Broadcasting programming from WAPA-TV, Puerto Rico’s #1 TV network for 16 consecutive years, the backers of the new station that will be also be customized and programmed for Central Florida’s Latino population, with a particular focus on the region’s large and rapidly growing Puerto Rican community. The Orlando area is now home to the second largest Puerto Rican population in the continental U.S. and has seen sustained population growth over the past decade.

WAPA Orlando will take advantage of WAPA-TV's news and entertainment production infrastructure, which now produces 80 hours per week of original content, and will be the first station specifically serving Orlando’s Puerto Rican community. Its programming will feature news and entertainment produced in WAPA’s Puerto Rico studios, complemented by locally produced newscasts branded NotiCentro Orlando from Entravision’s award-winning news organization.

The station will initially launch with two daily locally-produced newscasts—morning and midday—with plans to expand to evening and late-night editions over time.

The partnership also will also draw on Entravision’s news resources from stations across 24 U.S. markets to drive expanded local news and editorial coverage for WAPA Orlando. This access to Entravision's extensive content and resources will complement WAPA Media’s original programming and journalism, enhancing coverage of issues relevant to Latino communities locally and nationally.

“We are excited to bring WAPA’s world class news and entertainment content and programming expertise to Orlando, which is often referred to as Puerto Rico’s ‘79th municipality’.” said Alan J. Sokol, president and CEO of Hemisphere Media Group. “By combining WAPA’s trusted programming and journalism with Entravision’s broadcast infrastructure and market expertise, we are creating a compelling and completely unique local service custom made for the Orlando Hispanic community.”

“The launch of WAPA Orlando reinforces our commitment to delivering relevant, community-focused media in key Latino markets,” said Jeffery Liberman, president and COO of Entravision.” This strategic collaboration leverages the complementary strengths of trusted brands to better serve our audiences, distributors, and advertisers throughout Central Florida. Our expertise in local media and news programming will be instrumental in driving WAPA Orlando's growth, especially as we develop and manage its new standalone digital platform to connect with the Orlando Latino audience."

Entravision will develop and manage WAPA Orlando’s digital strategy, which includes a rollout of digital platform solutions, including a website. In addition, Entravision will fully handle the sales operations and maintain a dedicated sales team and production staff in the market. As part of its customary service to clients, Entravision will offer creative support, talent-driven integrations, and turn-key video production, alongside traditional commercial and digital buys.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—WAPA TV has announced that it will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on May 1 as the number 1 broadcasters on the island. 

Launched on May 1, 1954, by the attorney, civic leader, and media executive José Ramón Quiñones, WAPA TV became one of the most popular TV stations on the island. 

“We are immensely proud to celebrate WAPA-TV’s 70th anniversary,” said Alan Sokol, president and CEO, Hemisphere Media Group. “While audiences in the U.S. are abandoning the linear TV model in favor of streaming, WAPA-TV has defied the trend, becoming the best story in broadcasting today, not only outperforming its competitors on the island, but also boasting unparalleled ratings versus its counterparts in the U.S.  With a rich history and a bright future ahead, WAPA TV remains dedicated to providing exceptional content and maintaining its unwavering leadership in the industry.”

Today, under Hemisphere Media Group’s management, the station reported that for 14 consecutive years, WAPA TV has been the number one TV broadcaster on the island. With an extraordinary primetime household rating of 13.8, WAPA TV surpasses the highest-rated U.S. network, NBC, six times over. In fact, WAPA's ratings are nearly double the combined ratings of the Big 4 U.S. networks (13.8 vs 7.4), the station reported. 

Based on 2023 results, WAPA-TV reaches 55% of Puerto Rican households and 41% of adults 18+ on a daily average (Monday to Friday), producing 70 hours per week of fresh, original live programming in Puerto Rico, including over 40 hours of live news.

Looking back over its history, the station also highlighted a number of milestones in its operations:  

• Under the administration of Columbia Pictures and its subsidiary Screen Gems in 1962, WAPA TV's growth skyrocketed. The station relocated its offices to a state-of-the-art building in Guaynabo and erected a new tower in Cayey, reaching an impressive height of 4,000 feet above sea level. With 53,700 watts, WAPA TV achieved national coverage, solidifying its position as a leading broadcaster.
• Throughout the years, WAPA TV continued to innovate and captivate audiences. In 1966, the station was the first to broadcast a film in color, followed by its first live program in color in 1967. A year later, WAPA TV made history by transmitting its first program via satellite. The station introduced popular U.S. TV series such as "I Dream of Jeannie," "Bewitched," and "Lost in Space," along with the best movies from Columbia. Additionally, WAPA TV showcased various local productions, further connecting with its audience.
• In the 1970s, WAPA TV relocated to the first commercial center in Puerto Rico and established its first TV studio. The station underwent ownership changes, eventually being acquired by Lin Television in 1998. This acquisition marked a turning point for WAPA TV, as it embarked on an unprecedented technological transformation. The introduction of robotic cameras, a Doppler radar for climate updates, and a helicopter for breaking news propelled WAPA TV into the digital era.
• In 2004, WAPA TV became the first station in Puerto Rico and the 7th television station in the U.S.  to become a satellite-distributed superstation with the creation of WAPA América, a cable network that allowed Puerto Ricans across the United States to stay connected with their beloved island. 
• Under the ownership of Intermedia Partners, which later became Hemisphere Media Group, the station continued to evolve, ushering in a new era of interactive communication with the launch of the new WAPA.tv website and WAPA MÓVIL in 2007, providing viewers with enhanced engagement opportunities. In addition, WAPA TV’s remarkable success and expansion, propelled the creation of WAPA Deportes, the only local channel dedicated to sports. 
• Furthermore, the acquisition in 2023 of the top AM and FM stations on the island, WKAQ 580AM and KQ105 FM, prompted the launch of WAPA Media, the leading multi-platform media company on the island. It has progressively expanded the business, most recently to include podcasting and streaming content, and continues to innovate with the launch of FAST channel WAPA+.

MIAMI, Fla.—As part of a push to expand its FAST channel and streaming operations, Hemisphere Media Group has launched its free ad supported television (FAST) channel WAPA+ on The Roku Channel. 

WAPA+ is the only FAST channel serving the large and fast-growing Puerto Rican community in the U.S., and leverages the programming of WAPA-TV, which has been Puerto Rico’s #1 TV network for 14 consecutive years, the company reported. 

WAPA+ offers 70 hours of local news, information, and entertainment programming every week. Puerto Ricans are the second largest U.S. Hispanic community, with an estimated 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. mainland. 

“We are thrilled to bring the best of Puerto Rican news and entertainment to Roku users in the U.S. mainland, elevating the richness of the Puerto Rican culture nationwide,” said Alan Sokol, CEO for Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. “WAPA has been a pioneer in Puerto Rican broadcasting for over seven decades, providing top-quality programming that resonates with audiences of all ages. With this new partnership, WAPA+ will keep Boricua viewers in the mainland connected to their beloved island.”

The launch is part of Hemisphere Media Group’s plans to expand its FAST channels operation. It’s FAST channels now also includes TODOCINE, a channel for Spanish-language films, TODO NOVELAS, Más Pasiones, which features dramas from around the world, and upcoming ES24, which targets the Salvadorian community residing in the U.S.

MIAMI, Fla.—Hemisphere Media Group has launched its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels WAPA+, TodoCine and Todo Drama on TelevisaUnivision’s Spanish-language streaming platform ViX. 

Launching exclusively on ViX, WAPA+ will deliver premium content from Puerto Rico's top-rated broadcast network, WAPA TV, to Puerto Ricans residing in the continental U.S. WAPA TV has been Puerto Rico’s #1 station for 14 consecutive years and produces over 70 hours per week of top-rated news, talk and entertainment programming. 

The launch also includes TodoCine’s blockbuster and critically acclaimed current Spanish-language movies and Todo Drama’s lineup of global serialized dramas from Turkey, Korea, and Brazil, among others.  

“We are thrilled to be launching WAPA+, TodoCine and Todo Drama on ViX, bringing our world-class content to the leading Spanish-language FAST platform in the US.  We are especially proud that ViX will be our exclusive launch partner for WAPA+. These launches reaffirm our unwavering dedication to delivering top-tier and differentiated Spanish-language content to the U.S. Hispanic/Latino audience through diverse platforms. Moreover, our commitment extends to serving vital and fast-growing segments of the Hispanic population, including the vibrant Puerto Rican community,” said Alan Sokol, CEO, Hemisphere Media Group, Inc.  

"We continue expanding our premium offering to meet the growing demand of our diverse audience. The addition of WAPA+, TodoCine, and Todo Drama doubles down on our commitment to offer the best Spanish-language titles and exclusive access to local content," said Bilai Joa Silar, senior vice president, head of programming and AVOD Content, ViX. 

ViX offers more than 75,000 hours of on-demand content and more than 100 streaming channels, all in Spanish. The app offers two levels of access, one free with ads and a premium one with a subscription, in the U.S., Mexico and most Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, on all major mobile platforms, connected TV devices and online at vix.com.   

MIAMI—Hemisphere Media Group has announced that it has inked a multi-year carriage agreement with fuboTV to make all five of Hemisphere’s cable networks available in HD to subscribers of fuboTV's Latino channel plan in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The networks, which include WAPA América, Cinelatino, Pasiones, CentroAméricaTV and Televisión Dominicana, are expected to become available on the virtual MVPD's platform in Q1 of 2022.

“Virtual MVPD platforms continue to experience robust growth, and we applaud our partners at fuboTV for seeking to offer a comprehensive viewing experience to consumers, particularly Hispanic/Latino viewers, by providing them with the high-quality differentiated content they seek," said Alan J. Sokol, president and CEO of Hemisphere Media Group. 

Hemisphere owns and operates five U.S. Hispanic cable networks, two Latin American cable networks, a broadcast television network in Puerto Rico, a Spanish-language subscription streaming service in the U.S., a Spanish-language content distribution company and has an ownership interest in a broadcast television network in Colombia.

MONTREAL—Puerto Rico’s WAPA TV’s latest production upgrade had the stated goal of simplifying production and one part of that was to install the latest Ignite Konnect platform from Grass Valley. The Ignite system, which GV says delivers more streamlined operations, is fully integrated with WAPA TV’s other new additions, the Karrera K-Frame S-Series video production center system and RS-LDX C80 robotic cameras from GV.

Ignite Konnect, with full integration of Karrera switchers with Ignite Production Automation, enables an operator to manage control room devices used to produce live newscasts and event programming. The Karrera K-Frame series offers multiformat support, including 1080p and 4K UHD and a full range of features in a compact 6 RU video frame, with 3 M/Es or 2 M/Es and up to 80 inputs and 48 outputs. When combined with Ignite, the system serves as a link between the control room and the newsroom. The production automation platform can also give operators the ability to filter changes during live productions and condense and simplify the event library.

WAPA TV has also acquired GV’s Korona K-Frame S-Series video production center, a combination of mid-range switcher performance with workflows for simplified control of complex productions. The system is available in 1, 2 and 3 M/Es and provides a choice between three control surfaces with a built-in touchscreen menu system, touchscreens in transition areas and a K-Frame S-Series video processing engine.

In addition, the RS-LDX cameras purchased by WAPA TV support BT.2020 wide color gamut and optional native HDR support using SMPTE ST 2084 and HLG.

NEW YORK—After nearly two years, WAPA-TV, a Puerto Rican-based broadcaster, has completed a transition to add tapeless workflows to its in-house production operations. WAPA was aided in its transition by management planning and execution services provider Positive Flux. The New York-based company began working with WAPA on the project in mid-2014.

WAPA-TV control room

During the project, Positive Flux provided services to WAPA that included capital plan creation and project justification; vendor bid documentation, selection and negotiation; managed relationship with technology vendors; project management, tracking and timeline creation; workflow design; assistance with systems design; operations training; transition planning; and project reporting and analysis.

WAPA-TV expects the transition to boost production aspects of news, entertainment production, promotions, programing, interactive and social media segments.