WAPA-TV

WAPA-TV is a full-power, independent television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 4, digital channel 27. The station is owned by LIN TV and is branded as Televicentro de Puerto Rico. LIN TV also owns MTV affiliate WJPX, channel 24, and its three repeaters.

WAPA-TV has two full-power satellite stations: WTIN, channel 14 in Ponce and WNJX-TV, channel 22 in Mayagüez. Both stations are also owned by LIN TV. WAPA also streams its programming on its website.

History

WAPA-TV was the second television station to be licensed to Puerto Rico and began broadcasting on May 1, 1954. Its call letters are a partial abbreviation of the station's original owners, the now-defunct Asociación de Productores de Azúcar, or Puerto Rico Sugar Grower's Association. Popularly known in Puerto Rico by its assigned channel number, Canal Cuatro, the station was also known by its animated cartoon mascot during the 1970s and 1980s, a bongo-playing cat (known commonly as el gato de WAPA in Spanish) and therefore its rhyming slogan is, Por el cuatro como el gato, which rhymes in Spanish.

WAPA-TV's competitors include WKAQ-TV (Telemundo), WLII (Univision Puerto Rico), and WIPR-TV(PBS). WAPA-TV and WKAQ-TV have battled for the title of Puerto Rico's most-viewed station since the 1950s, with WLII entering the battle in the mid 90s.

During the 1980's and early 90's, the station was very successful by mixing American shows translated to Spanish with locally produced sitcoms such as "Cuqui", "Entrando por la Cocina", "Carmelo y Punto" and "Barrio Cuatro Calles". But it was still trailing behind WKAQ-TV as the second major Puerto Rican station. In the early 90's, WAPA rebranded itself with the slogans "WAPA'lla!" (a catchy slang variation of "Vamos pa'lla" - Let's go!) and "WAPA, aqui con la gente" (WAPA, here with the people). These slogans were accompanied by a catchy score and vivid, colorful graphics depicting the channel's logo. In 1994, WAPA was the first television station in Puerto Rico to use high-end graphic animations to animate a new logo, created and animated by Pixel Light Studios in New York. This gave the channel a very "American" look. The logo, although graphically pleasing, was slowly dropped in favor of the classical number 4 logo. High end graphics were later altogether dropped for cheaper, in-house graphics.

Early after 2000, WAPA again rebranded itself with its current logo and new name; Televicentro. It has also regained its position as a major Puerto Rican TV station, mainly due to its new focus on locally produced programming. Its new slogan, "Como tú, boricua" highlights the fact that it is the only local commercial station left, with no foreign influence. Albeit the new name, locals still call it either "el cuatro" or simply "WAPA".

In September of 2004, WAPA-TV became the first Puerto Rican station to become a superstation and broadcast shows through the DirecTV satellite system to the United States, under the name of WAPA America. WAPA America can also be seen in the U. S. through cable television service (Comcast).

On May 25, 2006, LIN TV announced the sale of WAPA-TV along with sister station WJPX. A local Puerto Rican newspaper, El Vocero, has reported a few potential buyers: Spanish Broadcasting System, Viacom and Azteca América. The paper, however, has not clarified which station these buyers are interested in.

Programming

WAPA-TV for years has shown boxing, BSN basketball, telenovelas, movies, comedies, sitcoms (both American and domestic), baseball, NFL football, both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Puerto Rican professional wrestling, human interest shows and its news show, Noticentro 4.

Noticentro 4

Noticentro 4, (sometimes just "Noticentro") is the name of WAPA-TV's news division. The news operation began in 1967 with Cuban-born Evelio Otero as the sole anchorman at the 10 p.m. newscast. Soon thereafter Carlos Ruben Ortiz joined the news staff with the 6 p.m. broadcast. Evelio Otero remained by himself on camera until his departure from WAPA in 1980 to take the senior editor position at the Voice of America in Washington. Carlos Ruben Ortiz shared the anchor slot at 6 p.m. with then newcomer Guillermo José Torres, a former radio announcer born in Ponce, Puerto Rico which has since become the longest standing news announcer in the island, with a career spanning more than 36 years. The format predated the NewsCenter format which become popular in NBC owned stations in the 1970s. (WAPA was then owned by General Electric, which also owned NBC).

In its beginnings, Noticentro 4 lasted only fifteen minutes in the afternoon, with a 30 minute edition at 10 in the evening. There was also a weekend edition. Gradually, the program's on-the-air time was increased to a full hour.

After Otero's departure, New York City-born William "Bill" Pérez became WAPA's news director (Torres held the post for a while but eventually asked to be left as an anchorperson only) In the late 1970s, Enrique Cruz, Luz Nereida Vélez, Sylvia Gómez, Luis Rigual, Cyd Marie Fleming, José Esteves, Luis Francisco Ojeda and others joined.

In 1980, Noticentro 4 inaugurated a new studio. In 1981, Pedro Rosa Nales joined the team. In 1982, Enrique Cruz, also known as Kike Cruz, substituted Torres as show director. In 1983, Rigual tragically died, being substituted as main sports anchor man by Rafael Bracero. Bobby Angleró joined the team of reporters as Bracero's main helper in 1984, year in which the Coquí Satellite was inaugurated by the station. Coquí Satellite helped the network deliver breaking news quicker, and it helped deliver the news on occasions such as the Challenger explosion, when Torres interrupted Angela Meyer on her Chanita Gobernadora comedy section to break the news to the public only minutes after it had happened.

In the early 2000s, WAPA-TV inaugurated the SuperCóptero (SuperChopper), the Noticentro 4 helicopter. The SuperCóptero is mostly used to report on traffic conditions in the metropolitan area on the 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. editions of Noticentro 4. WAPA-TV is the only local station to have a helicopter in the air.

Noticentro 4 runs a local cable channel, El Canal del Tiempo (The Weather Channel). The channel broadcasts weather forecasts for Puerto Rico 24 hours a day. El Canal del Tiempo can be seen on all three cable companies serving Puerto Rico and on WAPA-TV digital subchannel, WAPA-DT 27.2/4.2.

WAPA-TV uses a "Circle 4" logo for Noticentro 4, whereas the Televicentro logo is used for all other programs. The current music package is called News Authority by 615 Music and has been used since 2004. In the past they've used Newswatch 24, News One, Impact among others.

Noticentro 4 airs about forty hours of news coverage a week.

Newscasts

Weekdays
* Noticentro 4 al Amanecer - 5:00AM-9:00AM
* Noticentro 4 a las 11:00 - 11:00AM-11:30AM
* Noticentro 4 a las 4:00 - 4:00PM-5:00PM
* Noticentro 4 a las 5:00 - 5:00PM-6:00PM
* Noticentro 4 a las 10:00 - 10:00-11:00PM

Weekends
* Noticentro 4 Fin de Semana - 5:00PM-6:00PM
* Noticentro 4 Fin de Semana - 10:00-10:30PM
* Resumen de Noticias - 10:30PM-11:00PM (Saturdays only)

Broadcasting

Satellite and translator stations

WAPA-TV can be seen across Puerto Rico on the following stations:
*WTIN 14, digital 15 in Ponce
*WNJX-TV 22, digital 23 in Mayagüez
*W43AA 43 in Utuado
*W49AC 49 in Adjuntas
*W56AA 56 in Orocovis

Digital television

*WAPA-DT 27.1/4.1 - Simulcast of WAPA-TV
**WTIN-DT 15.1/14.1
**WNJX-DT 23.1/22.1
*WAPA-DT 27.2/4.2 - El Canal del Tiempo

Logos

Image:WAPA-TVclassic.gif|Previous 4 logo used for most of WAPA-TV's history.Image:WAPA-TV.jpg|Present WAPA-TV logo using the "Televicentro" branding.Image:Noticentro4.gif|Present "Noticentro 4" logo.Image:WAPA America.jpg|Present WAPA America logo.

External Links and Sources

* WAPA-TV
* WAPA America
* The Museum of Broadcasting - Puerto Rico TV Profile