Localia television

Localia Televisión, also known as Localia TV or simply Localia, was a local television network throughout Spain. It began broadcasting programs throughout the Spanish territory in 1999 and ceased its broadcasts at the beginning of 2009 except in Galicia, since the Galician delegation did not belong to Pretesa (Grupo Prisa), operator of the extinct Spanish network of Localia, which continues to operate under the name of Utega TV Galicia.

The majority owners of Localia TV were awarded the TV Cuatro network nationwide in November 2005, which replaced Canal+, which is why they were no longer interested in the network of Localia TV channels, which also did not It was broadcast in many areas of Spain, especially in the communities where the Popular Party governed, with the exception of Madrid and Valencia.

History

Localia was born at the end of 2000 in Madrid, when the PRISA group bought Tele Ocio. Since then, this conglomerate of local televisions has been expanding until it has more than 90 channels, either bought by PRISA or under an association regime.

All these local television stations broadcast with the same corporate image and broadcast common content, as on the radio. The Localia television stations broadcast local films, soap operas and content depending on the area in which they were located, including news, debates, events and cultural programs, respecting the law that local channels must broadcast at least four hours of production per day own during prime time.

Since 2007, Localia has been immersed in the licensing process for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). The central government set the deadline for resolving these contests as the end of 2005, although not all of them have been awarded yet. Of those resolved, Localia obtained regional licenses in Andalusia, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura and Navarra, as well as local networks in Aragon, Catalonia, Galicia, the Valencian Community and finally Andalusia. In the center of the network of stations, the Community of Madrid, Localia TV was not awarded a single one of the 70 licenses granted by the Regional Government in 2008.

On November 13, 2008, Pretesa announced the decision to cease the activities of all Localia stations between 2008 and 2009. Grupo Prisa alleged, as a reason for the closure of its local channels, the Spanish economic situation and the crisis advertising in the sector, also affirming the existence of "difficulties and inconsistencies" in the Spanish audiovisual framework and political arbitrariness in the licensing process. The closure applies to the stations that Prisa owns as of December 31, 2008, and affects more than 250 workers. Some of the stations associated with the network declare, days later, that they will continue broadcasting alone.

Programming

Localia offered programming of a general nature, combining chain broadcast slots with local disconnections from each operator. Although it aired some self-produced programs, essentially locally, most of its chain content is externally purchased productions.

Among the notable self-produced programs throughout its years of broadcasting, were Punto G, directed and presented by Goyo González, Hoy no hay siesta, a by Juanjo de la Iglesia and Antonio López-Guitián Tonino and La cucaracha exprés, with Javier Gurruchaga.

The journalist Jaime Cantizano worked as a presenter in his news services, before rising to fame on Antena 3 TV.

The channel had agreements with documentary producers such as the BBC, National Geographic or Discovery. Since September 2003, after reaching an agreement with Audiovisual Sport, Localia offered retransmissions of Spanish Second Division soccer matches.

In addition, it broadcast several Argentine soap operas at different times that became very successful such as Rebelde Way, Alma Pirata, or El Refugio, among other programs.

Since 2009, several local television channels that broadcast under the Localia brand will join the programming of Central de Telecontenidos (CTC), an audiovisual content services company for local television channels from the businessman on November 14, 2009 Jose Maria Besteiro.

Among the new CTC clients that previously offered Localia programming, there are local television stations from different parts of Spain such as Utega Televigo, Utega Coruña, Utega Ferrol, Utega Lugo, Utega Pontevedra, Utega Santiago de Compostela, Granada Television, UNA TV Jerez, Canal Luz (Huelva and Seville), Television Ronda, UNA Bahía (Localia Cádiz-Metropolitan Area of the Bay of Cádiz-Jerez), Channel 19 Television (Localia Sierra de Cádiz), Teleasturias and Huesca TV.

Audiences

Localia was the most watched local channel in Spain in 2006 according to TNS, with an average audience of 3,369,000 daily viewers and an audience share of 0.7%. This success was produced thanks to the broadcast of the successful Argentine series Rebelde Way.

It repeated leadership in its sector in 2007, with an average of 3,042,000 viewers and a 0.5% share.

In contrast to the audience data for numerous provincial stations, the network's central station, Localia TV Madrid, had to deal with antenna problems from the beginning that affected its ability to reach the audience.

It so happened that, in 2001, Localia refused to take over the broadcast of the well-known tabloid program Tómbola after the decision of the Telemadrid management to remove it from its schedule. The program, and its audience, ended up landing on Channel 7.

Channels

As of November 2008, the Localia network was made up of 96 analogue channels, covering 84% of towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Spain.

Ceasing broadcasts

In January 2009, the Prisa Group closed the Localia TV network, declaring that the stations owned 100% by Pretesa, would cease their activity, or be sold if they had a DTT license. Most of the surviving channels will progressively change the contents of the Localia network to those of the Distrivisión network, although other stations could opt for alternative content providers.

As of June 2009, the channels that continued to belong to Prisa-Pretesa were put up for sale: if they had obtained a DTT license, the chain was sold, and those that were not sold entirely to European Home Shopping TV (Ehs.TV). Those stations that no longer belonged to Prisa-Pretesa in June 2009 continue to broadcast as independent stations, without any relationship with it or its successors.

Former Localia TV channels that continue to broadcast

Andalusia

• Canal Almeria TV (Localia Almería and Localia El Ejido)
• 8tv Cadiz (Localia Cadiz and Metropolitan Area of the Bay of Cadiz and Jerez)
• 8tv Sierra de Cádiz (Localia Sierra de Cádiz)
• Granada TV (Localia Granada)
• Canal Luz (Localia Huelva and Localia Sevilla)
• UNA TV Jerez (Localia Jerez)
• 8tv Andalusia Centro (Localia Estepa - Estepa y Écija)
• Ten TV (Localia Jaén)
• A Sur TV Morón de la Frontera (Localia TV Morón de la Frontera)

Castile and Leon

• MDC TV (Localia Medina) (First belonged to Localia TV and then became associated with the network of local televisions Televisión Castilla y León that was at the same time associated with the network of national local networks of the Vocento group. It currently emits irregularly in TDT without being associated with any local chain network)

Galicia

• Utega Televigo (Localia Televigo: Pertenecent to the communication group Initiatives Audiovisuales de Vigo, which also manages the stations of several networks of Prisa Radio. Associated with Utega.)
• Utega Coruña (Localia Coruña)
• Utega Ferrol (Localia Ferrol)
• Utega Lugo (Localia Lugo)
• Utega Pontevedra (Localia Pontevedra)
• Utega Santiago de Compostela (Localia Santiago)

Aragon

• Huesca TV (Localia Huesca — Barbastro, Huesca and Jaca)
• The region Te Ve (Localia Alcañiz — under Aragon)

Asturias

• Canal TV Asturias (Localia Asturias – in process of sale when broadcasting in TDT)
• West Radiotelevision (Localia Navia)
• Teleasturias (Asturias TV)

Cantabria

• Here TV (Localia Cantabria, Since 2012 Here TV, Canal TV Cantabria, Cantabria TV and Here FM (Cantabria radio station) stopped broadcasting on TDT, FM and other systems without being replaced. There's nothing in place.)

Catalonia

• Viladecans Televisió / Delta Televisió (Localia Viladecans)

(This channel does not currently broadcast via DTT. Its broadcast is exclusively on the Internet.)

Ceuta

• Ceuta TV (Localia Ceuta)

Balearic Islands

• TVI (Baleares) (Localia Baleares)

Navarre

• Canal 4 Navarra (Localia Navarra) Their emissions ceased on 29 February 2012.

Valencia

• MK Localia (Localia Onteniente)
• Elche TV (Elche and Bajo Vinalopó) (Localia Elche)

Basque Country

• Gipuzkoa Telebista: San Sebastián (Localia San Sebastián)
• 8 Gipuzkoa Telebista Txingudi: Irún (Localia Irún)
• Bizkaia Channel: Vizcaya (Localia Vizcaya)
• Canal Gasteiz: Álava (Localia Álava)

Asset purchase by European Home Shopping TV

In June 2009, Pretesa sold its technical assets and ceded control of the analog frequencies occupied by its owned stations (Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Toledo, Alicante, Albacete, Murcia, Segovia, Valladolid, La Rioja, among others).) to the European Home Shopping TV (EHS.TV) teleshopping channel.

Since June 2009, all the channels that broadcast Localia Televisión in analogue in Madrid, Andalusia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia, Rioja, the Valencian Community and some others, were replaced until the final analog blackout by: channel of teleshopping European Home Shopping TV (EHS.TV).

On DTT in the local demarcation of Madrid Capital it continues to broadcast European Home Shopping TV (EHS.TV), MUX 50-706 MHz.