Television could not develop in Puerto Rico as early as in other areas of the Caribbean region because of the island's status as a territory of the United States. As a result of that legal condition the communication industry in Puerto Rico was placed under the overriding control of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a situation that remains to this day.

When the FCC implemented the television freeze and "ordered applications for new TV stations placed in the pending file" on 29 September 1948, Puerto Rico had no choice but to postpone its development of this new medium until the agency renewed the process for the issuance of broadcasting licenses on 12 April 1952. Soon thereafter, on 24 July 1952, the FCC granted the first permit for the construction of a commercial television station in a U.S. territory to El Mundo Broadcasting Company. WKAQ-TV, Telemundo, was founded by Angel Rámos, who also owned El Mundo newspaper and WKAQ radio--Radio el Mundo--the first radio station in Puerto Rico, established in 1922. Telemundo received its FCC license to transmit over channel 2 in San Juan on 12 February 1954. It went on the air with regular programming on 28 March 1954. The second permit for the construction of a commercial television station was granted to Ramón Quiñónez, owner of WAPA radio on 12 August 1952. WAPA-TV received its FCC license to transmit over channel 4 in San Juan on 15 March 1954 and began regular transmission on 1 May 1954. Programming at both TV stations extended from 4:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. and included varied genres such as live comedy and drama, variety shows, women's programs (cooking), news programs, and films (mostly Mexican). Competition has always been fierce among these two broadcasters which have alternated in their success at being the first to offer videotape technology (1966), color television (1968) and satellite broadcasting (1968). In many cases such innovations have occurred at both stations, at times within a week from each other. They have also alternated in obtaining the largest share of the audience and the top programs.

These two stations attracted the attention of mainland corporations and on 14 April 1983 WKAQ-TV, Telemundo, was sold to John Blair and Co., a diversified, publicly traded American company which again sold it in October 1987 to Reliance Inc., the owners of Spanish television network Telemundo in the United States. Thus, Telemundo of Puerto Rico became part of the ample network of Hispanic TV stations on the mainland.

Since 1975, WAPA-TV has changed ownership several times. It was acquired first by Western Broadcasting in the United States, later sold to Screen Gems, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, and finally acquired in 1980 by Pegasus Inc., a subsidiary of General Electric.

In the early 1950s the Department of Education, headed by Mariano Villalonga, lobbied for the establishment of public broadcasting. On 25 June 1954 the Puerto Rican Legislature approved Joint Resolution Number 94 which authorized and assigned the funding for the creation of the Public Radio and Television Service and the installation and operation of public TV and radio stations. After obtaining approval by the FCC to transmit over channel 6, WIPR-TV went on the air on 6 January 1958 becoming the first educational TV station in Latin America. Initially it transmitted from 3:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. on weekdays and only for three hours on weekends and offered an educational and cultural fare unavailable in commercial broadcasting. Its affiliation with the National Educational Television and Radio Association in 1961 increased its programming. In this same year, WIPM-TV in Mayagüez, an affiliate of WIPR-TV, retransmitted programs on the West Coast over channel 3. On 12 May 1971, trailing the commercial stations, WIPR-TV offered regular programming in color. By 1979 WIPR-TV and WIPM-TV joined the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), further increasing its offerings and bringing English language programs from the United States. On 21 January 1987 radio and TV broadcasting was transferred from the Department of Education to a newly created state venture, named Corporación para la Difusión Pública (Corporation for Public Broadcasting). An increased budget has allowed improvements in physical facilities, equipment and programming. The station is on the air from 6:00 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. Current plans call for the creation of a news department and the development of international exporting of local productions.

WRIK-TV was established in Ponce, on the south coast of Puerto Rico, after receiving FCC permit to go on the air on channel 7 on 2 February 1958. Its owner was Alfredo Ramírez de Arellano and, lacking its own programming, the station retransmitted Telemundo's fare. By 1970 it was bought by United Artists, moved to San Juan, renamed Rikavisión and started to produce its own programming without much success. In 1979 it was acquired by Puerto Rican producer Tommy Muñiz and became WLUZ-TV. Economic problems forced him to sell in 1985 to Malrite Communications Group, where it became WSTE-TV and in 1991 it was sold to Jerry Hartman, a Florida entrepreneur. Known locally as SuperSiete, it is mostly an outlet for several independent producers who buy time to present their programs.

In 1960 Rafael Pérez Perry received authorization to start WKBM-TV and transmit over channel 11. At the time, he owned one of the most successful radio stations on the island (WKBM-AM). His success in radio did not extend to television. As has happened to channel 7, competition with channels 2 and 4 was never effective. After Perry's death, economic problems worsened and the station declared bankruptcy, closing in 1981. In 1986 Lorimar Telepictures acquired the station from Bankruptcy Court and renamed it WSII-TV. It was subsequently sold to Malrite Communications Group in 1991. Called Teleonce, it has obtained great success and now is capable of truly competing with channels 2 and 4, obtaining equal or better share and ratings in several time periods.

At one point, during the 1980s and early 1990s, several other commercial stations, all lesser players, struggled without much success. All were unable to effectively compete with the older, more solidly established stations. Serious economic problems forced some into bankruptcy and all went off the air. Of these, WPRV-TV, channel 13 was bought by the Catholic Church, Archdiocese of San Juan, in January 1995. Plans for this station call for the use of its own studio facilities in the launch of a commercial station built around social, religious and cultural programming sometime in 1995. WSJU-TV, channel 18 was acquired in December 1990 and now belongs to International Broadcasting Corp., a Puerto Rican enterprise with scarce programming that caters to independent producers and mostly plays Spanish language music videos. WSJN-TV, channel 24 was bought by S and E Network, Inc., also a Puerto Rican venture which went on the air on November 1994. Besides extensive world news coverage in Spanish originating in Miami, Telenet, channel 24 produces some 50 hours a week of sports programs and talk shows in their studios.

Other stations have appeared in the last decade. WMTJ-TV, channel 40, is an educational station belonging to the Ana G. Méndez Foundation, a private university. It was inaugurated in 1985 as a PBS affiliate and besides PBS programming, it also offers its own news, current affairs programs and televised college courses. Four religious stations belong to diverse Protestant groups. Offerings range from televised mass to revivals, testimonials, interviews and news programs.

With the exception of a limited number of programs, all stations transmit in Spanish. Commercial television content mostly consists of Puerto Rican productions, particularly comedy, children's programs, news, talk shows and variety shows. Dubbed American TV series and movies, and Mexican and Venezuelan soap operas comprise the rest of the offerings. There are hardly any European or Canadian offerings except for BBC or CBC specials carried over PBS stations WIPR or WMTJ.

An estimated 1.1 million households exist in Puerto Rico of which 98% have at least one television set. A number of affiliate stations exist on the island so that TV signals of local channels reach all geographic areas. Channels 2, 4 and 11 consistently get the largest share of the audience; all other channels trail far behind.

Television audience measurements are an important element for marketing and programming decisions and through the years several companies have performed this function. The earliest measurements took place in September 1956 (Business Research Institute) but it was not until the 1970s that companies like Clapp & Mayne and Stanford Klapper made inroads into a rapidly developing field. However, Mediafax is the only company in 1995 offering television audience measurements. Mediafax is sponsored by several television channels and local advertising agencies who subscribe and pay a fee for these services.

Cable television is a fast growing alternative to local television and programs. Franchises are authorized by the Public Service Commission. In the mid-1960s Puerto Rico Cablevision, a subsidiary of International Telephone and Telegraph, offered better reception, with availability limited to major San Juan Hotels. The first franchise for residential service for the area of San Juan was granted in 1970 to the Cable Television Company of Puerto Rico. The company went bankrupt and Cable TV of Greater San Juan took over the franchise in March 1977. By 1980 there were 35,000 subscribers, increasing to 127,400 in 1985 and 218,900 in 1990. In the mid-1990s 10 cable TV operators serviced 90% of the island, reaching over 272,000 subscribers and billing close to $100 million. Penetration was only about 25% in 1996, compared to 60% in the United States.

Cable TV systems carry all local stations and over 50 North American channels via satellite. Their fare is mostly in English and includes all major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, as well as channels specializing in sports (ESPN), news (CNN), music (MTV, VH1), movies (American Movie Classics, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel), cartoons (Cartoon Network), children's programs (Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel), science (The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel), arts (Arts & Entertainment, Bravo!), public affairs (C-Span), comedy, (Comedy Central), religion (EWTN), shopping (HSC, HSN, QVC, QVC2), weather (The Weather Channel), pay-per-view, and many others.

If the trends seen in the Puerto Rican television industry continue, further expansion of large media corporations, acquisitions, mergers and realignments may be expected. Educational broadcasters enjoy relative success and investment and programming is increasing. Rapid growth will continue in the still developing market of cable television as it increases in market penetration.

-Rudolpho B. Popelnik