Television in Trinidad and Tobago was introduced in 1962 beginning with Trinidad & Tobago Television. TTT was the sole television station for 29 years being operated by the state until the first independently operated television station, the Caribbean Communications Network, CCN TV6 was launched in 1991 breaking the television monopoly market. In 1992, a second independently operated station, AVM Television was launched. The first independently operated cable station, The Trinity Network (TTN) now Trinity TV began operations in 1993 broadcasting on weekends only.
AVM Television was acquired by the state in 1997 and renamed The Information Channel (TIC) until it was leased by the National Carnival Commission in 2005 and re-branded NCC4. Once the lease ended in 2011, the state began controlling the station once more under the Government Information Services Limited (GISL TV4). The station was closed for three years and re-launched as the Education Channel in 2020.
TTT was shut down by the state on 14 January 2005 due to financial difficulties. In its place a new state entity was created, the Caribbean News Media Group (CNMG), where C Television (CTV) began broadcasting in 2006. Since the closure of TTT, new independently operated stations were launched, the most notable being the Cable News Channel 3 or CNC3. After several years of being off the air, it was found that TTT still had a strong brand identity among the population and a cult following on social media. On 30 August 2018, TTT was re-launched replacing CTV.
Broadcast networks in Trinidad and Tobago can be divided into three categories:
All of the networks listed below air on cable and satellite services.
Table of broadcast television networks----English-language networks | ||||||||||
Television Network | Founded | Genre/Subject | Terrestrial | FLOW | Amplia | Digicel+ | Air Link | Satellite (Green Dot) | Satellite (DirecTV) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ACTS25 | 15 August 2006 | Christianity | 25 | 153 | 116 | 10 | Yes | Yes | No | |
CCN TV6 | 31 August 1991 | Commercial | 6, 18 & 19 | 105 | 106 | 6 | Yes | Yes | 130 | |
26 September 2005 | Commercial | 12 &14 | 103 | 103 | 5 | Yes | Yes | 131 | ||
Darut Tarbiyah – The Islamic Network (T.I.N.) | 2006 | Islam | No | 116 | 114 | 18 | 10 | 10 | No | |
Gayelle | 16 February 2004 | Community | No | 107 | 107 | No | 5 | No | No | |
ieTV | 2005 | Indian Culture/News/Hinduism | No | 113 | 101 | 9 | 7 | 1 | No | |
Islamic Broadcast Network | 28 October 2005. | Islam | No | 108 | 108 | 18 | 8 | Yes | No | |
TV Jaagriti | February 2015 | Hinduism | No | 119 | 109 | 15 | 14 | 9 | No | |
Sankhya TV | 2010 | Hinduism | No | 117 | 102 | 17 | 13 | 13 | No | |
Synergy TV | March 2003 | Local & Caribbean Music | 33 | 112 | 111 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 134 | |
T&T Entertainment Network (TTEN) | January 2017 | Local & Caribbean Music | No | 111 | 117 | 20 | 10 | No | No | |
Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) | 24 August 1962 (originally) 30 August 2018 (relaunch) | Commercial | 9 & 13 | 106 | 105 | 7 | Yes | Yes | No | |
18 August 2006 | Public Affairs | 11, 26 & 29 | 109 | 110 | 11 | Yes | No | No | ||
Tobago Channel 5 | 2001 | Community | 5 (Tobago Only) | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Tobago Inspirational Network (TIN) | 2012 | Christianity | (Tobago Only) | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Trinity TV | 1993 | Roman Catholic | No | 151 | 113 | 12 | 15 | No | No | |
WESN | 2020 | Community | No | 110 | 118 | 21 | 17 | 7 | No | |
Multicultural Television (MCTV) | May 2021 | News, Weather & Sports | No | 114 | 119 | 22 | 18 | 2 | No |