| Canal 11 | |
| Country: | Costa Rica |
| Terr Serv 1: | Digital VHF |
| Terr Chan 1: | Channel 11.1 |
| Owner: | Repretel (Albavisión) |
| Picture Format: | 1080i HDTV |
| Launch Date: | 1969 |
| Sister Channels: | Canal 6 Canal 4 CDR 2 |
| Website: | www.repretel.com |
Canal 11 is a private Costa Rican television channel, owned and operated by Repretel since 1996. It was the first station owned and operated by Repretel-Albavision group in Costa Rica.
It was founded in 1968 by Juan Edgar Picado Trejos and a US investor. Broadcasts started the following year as the first television station in Central America to broadcast in color, but the government temporarily restricted its license to operate by means of a presidential decree, causing a legal battle in the process. The decree stated that the investor was American and should have had a Costa Rican work permit, even though he wasn't working for the channel. After a few months, Televictoria won the appeal and resumed broadcasts.[1] In 1971, its color broadcasts became regular, and, from 1974, full-time.[2]
As an independent operation, the station had a news bulletin (Reporte 11), whose first director was Eduardo Enrique Leiva. On weeknights at 10pm, the station presented Telegatunas, hosted by Hugo Araya, a program devoted to celebrity gossip, and before sign-off, La Última Tanda, which presented vintage Hollywood movies.[2]
The channel struggled to compete against Teletica and Telecentro (which in the 90s ended up becoming a sister station), due to debts, the station was sold to businessman Franz Ulrich in 1977, who later sold off the station in 1993.[2]
Repretel bought the station from rival Teletica, due to a mismanagement from the leasing company operating the station, forcing the sale; Repretel was growing fast, leasing Channel 9 and 6; became the first TV-station owned and operated in Costa Rica.
In 1996, the channel briefly relayed channel 6. On March 1, 1997, the channel became independent again, airing a schedule consisting primarily of imported cartoons and telenovelas.[3] On June 9, 2003, the channel interchanged schedules with Repretel 4 and changed focus to Latin American entertainment, including news and variety shows from Telemundo and Univisión.[4]
Channel 11 is the second most watched channel on the network, behind Repretel 6, its programming consists of productions by Televisa, Univisión and its own productions.