Editing Unitel Bolivia (section)

==History==
[[File:Entrada Principal Unitel.jpg|thumb|Unitel's central headquarters in [[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]].]]

[[File:Unidad movil unitel.jpg|thumb|Mobile unit with the Unitel logo.]]
'''Telesistema Boliviano''' ('''TSB''') was founded on November 22, 1983, as the first commercial television company in Bolivia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chronik Boliviens: 25. Von 1978 bis zur Nueva Política Económica (1985)|url=http://www.payer.de/bolivien2/bolivien0225.htm |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=payer.de|date=19 September 2002 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20021021132656/http://www.payer.de/bolivien2/bolivien0225.htm |archive-date=21 October 2002}}</ref> At the time of founding, TSB achieved the license to broadcast in [[La Paz]] on channel 2. The channel was the opposite of ATB (channel 9) in some way, as the channel provided "quality programming" over political preferences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medios y conflicto en Bolivia: Caminos para fomentar el papel constructivo de los medios en una gobernabilidad vulnerable|url=https://www.mediasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ims-media-conflict-bolivia-ES-2007.pdf |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=International Media Support |date=2012 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220821221723/https://www.mediasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ims-media-conflict-bolivia-ES-2007.pdf |archive-date=21 August 2022}}</ref>

Experimental broadcasts started on February 12, 1985, before becoming regular on April 14, 1985, being owned by Antonio Maldonado. On weekdays the channel broadcast for seventeen hours on average (7am to 12am) and twelve on weekends (11am to 11pm).<ref>{{cite web |title="NORMATIVA LEGAL DE DIFUSIÓN DE LOS PROGRAMAS ENLATADOS DE MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN Y SU IMPACTO SOBRE EL COMPORTAMIENTO DE LA POBLACIÓN INFANTIL EN BOLIVIA"|url=https://repositorio.umsa.bo/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13822/TD-3864.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=International Media Support |date=2011 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240205115340/https://repositorio.umsa.bo/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13822/TD-3864.pdf?sequence=1 |archive-date=5 February 2024}}</ref>

TSB's main accolades were becoming the first television channel in Bolivia to broadcast 18 hours a day and the first to produce three news editions (morning, midday, evening) in contrast to Televisión Boliviana and ATB, which only started in the afternoon and produced only one news bulletin, which gave the station some success. It was also the first channel to produce news bulletins in the [[Aymara language]], broadcast at 6am, presented by Donato Ayma and with a smaller recap in the same language late at night.<ref>{{cite web |title=Llave para la memoria, Testimonios y vivencias, 40 años del Círculo de Mujeres Periodistas de La Paz|url=https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bolivien/10698.pdf |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=Friedrich Ebert Stiftung |date=2013 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140514225846/https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bolivien/10698.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> TSB set up an affiliate in [[Oruro]] in 1989, TVO, which also broadcast on channel 2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://facebook.com/Llajtaymanta/photos/tbt-una-foto-de-hace-21-a%C3%B1os-en-la-inauguraci%C3%B3n-de-telesistema-boliviano-canal-2/2988046944551553/|title=TBT Una foto de hace 31 años, en la inauguración de Telesistema Boliviano Canal 2 en Oruro. ¿Los reconoces?|access-date=2024-02-07|publisher=www.facebook.com|language=es}}</ref>

TSB took part in a [[CNN]] initiative in 1990 for [[Earth Day]]. The report sent to the channel was about the destruction of Bolivia's rainforests.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ilZWAAAAIBAJ&dq=Bolivia+TV&pg=PA35&article_id=6725,5580075 |title=CNN has Earth Day reports worldwide |publisher=Eugene Register-Guard |language=en-US}}</ref>

In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the station was [[Unitel Santa Cruz|Teleoriente]], which started broadcasting on channel 9 in February 1987.<ref name="BrazilBolivia">{{cite web |title=FLUXO INTERNACIONAL DE FICÇÃO: A TELENOVELA BRASILEIRA NA BOLÍVIA |url=https://tede.metodista.br/jspui/bitstream/tede/824/1/Ana%20Paula%20Silva%20Ladeira%20Costa.pdf |access-date=6 February 2024 |website=Methodist University of São Paulo |date=2008 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200719125817/http://tede.metodista.br/jspui/bitstream/tede/824/1/Ana%20Paula%20Silva%20Ladeira%20Costa.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="UnitelTVB">{{cite web |title=Análisis de la Agenda Setting del Campo Político Periodístico de la Televisión Privada Vs. el Canal Oficial del Estado Boliviano. Estudio de Caso: Red Unitel, Canal 2 y Televisión Boliviana, Canal 7|url=https://repositorio.umsa.bo/bitstream/handle/123456789/12132/TESIS%20DE%20GRADO%20-%20WILMAR%20RUIZ%20U..pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=Higher University of San Andrés |date=2008 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20180921170133/https://repositorio.umsa.bo/bitstream/handle/123456789/12132/TESIS%20DE%20GRADO%20-%20WILMAR%20RUIZ%20U..pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> The station had small facilities, but had the ambitions to overcome limitations in the human resources and broadcasting sectors.<ref name="UnitelTVB"/>

The station in Santa Cruz consolidated its position as a local television station when, in 1991, it affiliated with [[Red ATB]], enabling its programs to be seen in seven of the nine departments of Bolivia. In 1993, the station introduced a new building, which as of 2008 was still in use.<ref name="UnitelTVB"/>

The channel originates from the purchase of ABC (Asociación Boliviana de Canales) by "Illimani de Comunicaciones" ([[Red ATB]]) and its subsequent sale to Tito Asbún, owner of [[Cervecería Boliviana Nacional|Taquiña]]. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Red ATB terminated the contract with the Monasterio family, beginning to operate through Channel 5. After several negotiations, the Monasterio group kept the shares of [[Telesistema Boliviano]] in La Paz and [[Oruro]].

In April 1996, Unitel began broadcasting the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|CONMEBOL France 98 Qualifiers]] where it broadcast the away matches of the Bolivian Soccer Team against the teams of Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina live for all of Bolivia, as well as the Monasterio family channel broadcast the three games of those South American qualifiers for France '98 also live for all of Bolivia.

In September 1997, the new channel was officially launched via satellite and shortly thereafter it obtained national coverage. The new brand gave Unitel a modern outlook and aiming to take part in a globalized competitive market.<ref name="UnitelTVB"/> In the early-mid 2000s, the Monasterio family bought a station in [[Cochabamba]].<ref name="BrazilBolivia"/> Today, it is considered one of the largest privately owned television networks in Bolivia.

Unitel reserved local rights for two telenovelas from [[TV Azteca]] in June 1998, Demasiado Corazón and [[Perla (TV series)|Perla]].<ref>{{cite web |title='Demasiado Corazón' y 'Perla' de TV Azteca vendidas a Unitel de Bolivia|url=https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/demasiado-corazon-y-perla-de-tv-azteca-vendidas-a-unitel-de-bolivia/ |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=Produ |date=18 June 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319000036/https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/demasiado-corazon-y-perla-de-tv-azteca-vendidas-a-unitel-de-bolivia/ |archive-date=19 March 2024}}</ref>

In 2001, Unitel achieved the exclusive rights to air the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002]] and [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006]] editions of the [[FIFA World Cup]].<ref name="UnitelTVB"/>

In 2003, Unitel consolidated its position with its viewing audience and advertisers, with total nationwide coverage in fifty locations, the nine department capitals and 41 cities with relayers installed.<ref name="UnitelTVB"/>

The network signed an agreement with [[Caracol Televisión]] to air productions from its catalog in 2004. This agreement enabled Unitel to become Caracol's first choice to sell its productions to Bolivian television.<ref>{{cite web |title=Emisora boliviana Unitel firma acuerdo con Caracol Televisión|url=https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/emisora-boliviana-unitel-firma-acuerdo-con-caracol-television/ |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=Produ |date=31 May 2004 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240319000303/https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/emisora-boliviana-unitel-firma-acuerdo-con-caracol-television/ |archive-date=19 March 2024}}</ref>

In April 2007, Unitel announced the shift to an entirely-tapeless system and a new transmitter for Cochabamba. The transmitters manufactured by Harris for the stations in Santa Cruz and La Paz were working without major flaws since 1996.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carlos Rojas de Unitel: Evaluamos compra de transmisor para Cochabamba |url=https://www.produ.com/tecnologia/noticias/carlos-rojas-de-unitel-evaluamos-compra-de-transmisor-para-cochabamba/ |website=Produ.com |date=10 April 2007 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240220155106/https://www.produ.com/tecnologia/noticias/carlos-rojas-de-unitel-evaluamos-compra-de-transmisor-para-cochabamba/ |archive-date=20 February 2024}}</ref>

By 2007, Unitel had become one of Bolivia's three leading television networks, the other two being ATB and Red Uno. At the time, it had an exclusivity contract with [[TV Globo]] to air telenovelas from its catalog. From 2003 to 2007, the network had broadcast eleven titles: Esperança, O Dono do Mundo, [[O Rei do Gado]], [[Mulheres Apaixonadas]], [[O Clone]], Celebridade, [[Senhora do Destino]], Presença de Anita, América, Belíssima and Cobras e Lagartos. The contract lied mainly in the quality of its telenovelas, in contrast to those produced by [[Televisa]], which were preferred by the lower class. In July 2007, the network was airing Belíssima at 9pm, after the evening edition of Telepaís.<ref name="BrazilBolivia"/>

According to a research held in the same year, Unitel had 51.7% of the market share, against 35.1% of Red Uno and 5.0% of ATB.<ref name="BrazilBolivia"/><ref>Captura Research, 2007</ref>

The offices of the [[Unitel Oruro|Oruro]] station were damaged in August 2008 by a youth group with connections to Movimiento al Socialismo, forcing the station to stop producing the local edition of Telepaís the following month owing to lack of guarantees to assure its work.<ref>{{cite web |title=Informativo de Unitel suspende emisiones en Oruro ante presión del MAS |url=https://www.noticiasfides.com/nacional/sociedad/informativo-de-unitel-suspende-emisiones-en-oruro-ante-presion-del-mas-232267 |website=EJU.TV |date=4 September 2008 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240220154957/https://www.noticiasfides.com/nacional/sociedad/informativo-de-unitel-suspende-emisiones-en-oruro-ante-presion-del-mas-232267 |archive-date=20 February 2024}}</ref>

Osvaldo Monasterio, founded of Unitel, died on 23 August 2011 in [[Buenos Aires]]. At the time of his death, he was the channel's highest executive.<ref>{{cite web |title=Falleció el empresario Osvaldo Monasterio Añez  |url=https://www.lostiempos.com/actualidad/nacional/20110824/fallece-osvaldo-monasterio-destacado-empresario |website=Los Tiempos |date=24 August 2011 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230503011429/https://www.lostiempos.com/actualidad/nacional/20110824/fallece-osvaldo-monasterio-destacado-empresario |archive-date=3 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fallece Osvaldo Monasterio, un destacado empresario  |url=https://eju.tv/2011/08/falleci-el-empresario-osvaldo-monasterio-aez/ |website=EJU.TV |date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110911194049/https://eju.tv/2011/08/falleci-el-empresario-osvaldo-monasterio-aez/ |archive-date=11 September 2011}}</ref>

Unitel's market share in 2011 according to the IN magazine (given as certain by other publications in April 2012) was of 36% (in the trunk axis), far ahead of Red Uno (21%), ATB (13%), PAT (8%), Bolivisión (8%) and Bolivia TV (6%).<ref>{{cite web |title=Zapping TV: El paisaje de la tele latina|url=https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bolivien/10698.pdf |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=Friedrich Ebert Stiftung |date=2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228164148/https://fescomunica.fes.de/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/publicaciones/libros/2013_Zappin_TV_Web.pdf |archive-date=28 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eju.tv/2011/12/encuesta-unitel-primero-red-uno-segundo-y-atb-tercero/|title=Encuesta: Unitel, primero; Red Uno, segundo; y ATB, tercero|access-date=18 December 2023|last=Salazar|first=Erick|date=7 December 2011|website=eju.tv|language=es}}</ref>

In late January 2015, Unitel removed [[The Simpsons]] from its schedule in favor of the local edition of Calle 7, prompting protests in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, La Paz and Cochabamba against its removal. Within days, Unitel announced that the series would return to the channel from March 9 in its usual timeslot, which was between 4 and 6pm.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eldeber.com.bo/escenas/vuelven-los-simpson-tras-masiva-e-insolita-protesta-en-tres-ciudades-del-pais_66326 |access-date=8 February 2024 |website=El Deber |date=16 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208234952/https://eldeber.com.bo/escenas/vuelven-los-simpson-tras-masiva-e-insolita-protesta-en-tres-ciudades-del-pais_66326 |archive-date=8 February 2024 |title=Vuelven Los Simpson tras masiva e insólita protesta en tres ciudades del país }}</ref> The channel premiered the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] telenovela [[A Única Mulher]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opinion.com.bo/opinion/vida_de_hoy/2016/0810/vidadehoy.php?id=5957 |title=Belleza portuguesa llega para conquistar la pantalla chica|accessdate=March 5, 2016|language=Spanish}}</ref>

From 2 April 2018, the channel launched its own high-definition signal within the [[Digital terrestrial television#Bolivia|Bolivian digital terrestrial television]] system in test phase, until 15 April, when broadcasts officially started under the name of Unitel HD.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://noticias.unitel.bo/hemeroteca/a-partir-de-hoy-estamos-mas-unidos-que-nunca-por-la-tele-unitel-hd-EEUN45143 |access-date=8 February 2024 |website=Unitel |date=16 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208230459/https://noticias.unitel.bo/hemeroteca/a-partir-de-hoy-estamos-mas-unidos-que-nunca-por-la-tele-unitel-hd-EEUN45143 |archive-date=8 February 2024 |title=A partir de hoy estamos más unidos que nunca por la tele, UNITEL HD }}</ref> In June 2018, the channel broadcast live 32 matches of the [[2018 FIFA World Cup|2018 Russia World Cup]] in HD, becoming channel in Bolivia to do so.

In March 2021, Unitel removed all series that aired past midnight (being replaced by [[Universal Church of the Kingdom of God|Pare de Sufrir]]).

In the midst of the broadcast of the subnational elections, Unitel signed with [[WarnerMedia]] and [[Sony Pictures]], broadcasting the series [[The Looney Tunes Show]], [[Tom and Jerry]], the [[Justice League]] and the library of [[Columbia Pictures]], as well as [[Sony Pictures Animation]].

In May 2022, Ernesto Moreno left Unitel and joined Tigo Sports Bolivia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ernesto Moreno deja Unitel, es el nuevo productor ejecutivo de Tigo Sport|url=https://urgente.bo/noticia/ernesto-moreno-deja-unitel-es-el-nuevo-productor-ejecutivo-de-tigo-sport |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=Hecho Histórico |date=30 May 2022 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220530210205/https://urgente.bo/noticia/ernesto-moreno-deja-unitel-es-el-nuevo-productor-ejecutivo-de-tigo-sport |archive-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> Its [[TikTok]] account was hacked on January 9, 2023 but was recovered by network technicians the following day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cuenta de TikTok de Unitel es interrumpida por un día y restablecida por equipo técnico |url=https://lapatria.bo/2023/01/09/cuenta-de-tiktok-de-unitel-es-interrumpida-por-un-dia-y-restablecida-por-equipo-tecnico/ |work=[[La Patria]] |date=January 9, 2023 |language=es}}</ref>