Editing Virtual channel (section)

===Mexico===

When digital television arrived, most stations used virtual channels that matched their analog channels. A few branded their physical channel (such as [[XHMNU-TDT]] in [[Monterrey]], which took virtual channel 35. Television there is more centralized than in other ATSC countries—three of the four national commercial networks brand their Mexico City channel numbers. New entrants such as [[Grupo Imagen]] were almost universally on UHF, and would be disadvantaged by higher virtual channels than stations that began on VHF.

On October 27, 2016, the [[Federal Telecommunications Institute]] (IFT) led a coordinated switch of all virtual channels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ift.org.mx/comunicacion-y-medios/comunicados-ift/es/el-ift-publica-el-listado-de-asignacion-de-canales-virtuales-e-informa-sobre-la-disminucion-del|title=El IFT publica el Listado de asignación de Canales Virtuales e informa sobre la disminución del porcentaje de hogares no preparados para recibir señal de TDT (Comunicado 98/2016) &#124; Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones - IFT|website=www.ift.org.mx}}</ref> The plan eliminated much of the local variance for national and regional networks. E.g., [[Canal 5 (Televisa Network)|Canal 5]], a national network, used 25 different virtual channel numbers before the plan standardized it as channel 5 nationwide.

The IFT accredited awarded nine national television networks national rights to a virtual channel. The IFT also awarded common numbers to 14 regional networks (primarily operated by state governments) and virtual channels to nearly 100 local stations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/contenidogeneral/comunicacion-y-medios/listadocanalesvirtuales02092016.pdf |title=IFT List of Virtual Channels - September 2, 2016 |access-date=September 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915161425/http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/contenidogeneral/comunicacion-y-medios/listadocanalesvirtuales02092016.pdf |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Local stations were mostly assigned to channels 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12. Some retained existing channel numbers, particularly if they broadcast on UHF in analog.

The largest exception to standardization is on the US-Mexico border, where due to the presence of US stations on desired virtual channels and objections from the US [[Federal Communications Commission]].