Television

Television in urban Colombia is the communication medium of choice, leading all other media formats in general use and as a source for news and information. Colombians are offered a wide range of national, regional and local television channels, in addition to international channels. There are two privately owned TV networks and three state-owned TV networks with national coverage, as well as six regional TV networks and dozens of local TV stations. The television environment is mainly dominated by the two privately-owned media groups, Caracol TV (Santo Domingo group) and RCN TV (Arbdila Lule group). The state-owned channels Canal Uno and Senal Colombia are ranked 4th and 5th respectively according to our 2009 InterMedia survey, see Chart 2.

Chart 1

There is a high level of cable television access in urban Colombia compared to other South American countries. According to InterMedia survey data the percentage of urban dwellers with cable access in Peru and Brazil, 47 percent and 43 percent respectively, is far less than that in urban Colombia (72 percent). This high level of cable connections has made international channels more easily accessible and also quite popular see Chart 3. The presence of a large number of cable operators is what has helped to keep the cost of cable packages low. In addition, many cable operators also develop their own television channels.

Chart 2

The popularity of the top television channels does not vary significantly between demographic groups. Caracol TV and RCN TV dominate daily and weekly viewership of all demographic groups, even among those who have access to satellite television. Urban Colombians also said in the Intermedia survey that these two outlets are their most important and reliable sources for TV news and information.

City TV, the third ranked TV channel in urban Colombia, is a privately-owned station in Bogota that was established in 1999. City TV is known for its innovative programming and objective news reporting. The channel’s popularity is higher among viewers with higher educational attainment and socioeconomic status. Urban Colombians have two peak viewing periods; 41 percent of respondents said they watch television from 12:00 to 14:00 and 79 percent said they watched between 18:00 to 22:00. Programming in the later primetime period is dominated by national and international soap operas.

Chart 3