WLII

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WLII
city =
station_
station_slogan = Estas en casa
"(You're at home)"
station_branding = Univision Puerto Rico
analog = 11 (VHF)
digital = 56 (UHF)
digital_temporary =
other_chs = WSUR-TV 9 / DT 43 Ponce
affiliations = Univision
network =
founded =
airdate = 1960 [The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says May 27, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says April 22.]
location = Caguas / San Juan, Puerto Rico
callsign_meaning = Lorimar-Telepictures (former owner)
II = two "I"'s representing the number "11"
former_callsigns = WKBM-TV (1960–1985)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Univision
licensee = WLII/WSUR License Partnership, GP
sister_stations = WKAQ (AM) 580
WKAQ-FM 104.5
WSTE (TV) 7
former_affiliations = Independent
(1960-1981 / 1986-2002)
Silent from 1981 to 1986
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
71 kW (digital)
HAAT = 355 m (analog)
357 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 19777
coordinates = coord|18|16|46|N|66|6|44|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml;jsessionid=DZ5B1O443HNDGCWIAAOSFFIKZAAB2IWC?chid=10825&schid=11115&secid=0 Univision PR] via [http://www.univision.com/ Univision]
nowrap| [http://univision.centennialpr.net Univision PR] via [http://www.centennialpr.net/ Centennial]

WLII is a full-power television station licensed to Caguas, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 11, digital 56. The station is owned and operated by Univision and is branded as Univision Puerto Rico. WLII's studios are located in Guaynabo. Until 2005, it's studios were located in the Puerta de Tierra burough of San Juan.

WLII has one satellite station: WSUR-TV, channel 9 in Ponce. Another station, locally-owned WORA-TV channel 5 in Mayagüez, repeats over 95% of WLII's programming under an affiliation agreement.

History

Telecadena Perez-Perry

In 1960, Rafael Perez Perry received authorization from the government to start WKBM-TV, and broadcast through Channel 11, as part of his new "Telecadena Perez-Perry" chain of television stations. Some of the shows that WKBM-TV aired throughout those years include: "Una Hora Contigo" & "Tira y Tapate" with "Myrta Silva", "Yo Soy el Gallo" with "Jose Miguel Class", "El Show de Carmita" with "Carmita Jimenez", "El Show de" "Lissette", "El Show de Iris Chacon", "El Hit del Momento" & "El Super Show Goya" with "Enrique Maluenda", "Lillian Hurst", and "Luz Odilea Font", "Una Chica llamada": "Ivonne Coll", "Cambia Cambia" con "Alfred D. Herger", "Almorzando" & "Del Brazo" con "Ruth Fernandez", and "Mediodia Circular" with "Vilma Carbia", among others. At the time, Perez Perry owned one of the most successful radio stations on the island (WKBM AM). Unfortunately, Perez-Perry died of unknown causes in the late 1970s, his death eventually resulted in WKBM-TV declaring bankruptcy in 1981. It's former competition benefited from its demise -- not only from a reduction in competition itself, but also from the availability of many of the stations’ former entertainers. The station stopped it's transmissions that same year.

Tele-Once

In 1986, production company Lorimar-Telepictures (with the Telepictures division now part of Warner Bros. Television) acquired the station from Bankruptcy Court but not before changing its callsign to the current WLII on December 12, 1985. The revived WLII -- with much hoopla and colorful advertising -- was branded as "Tele Once" with a new slogan: "Tele Once… Vívelo!" (Tele Once… Live it!). Warner Communications (now part of Time Warner) would gain indirect ownership of the stations after it bought Lorimar-Telepictures in 1988. After a challenging past, it became a great success by airing famous American sitcoms translated to Spanish, especially "The Simpsons", but it still trailed against the competition, WKAQ-TV and WAPA-TV, mainly because it had no repeating stations or marketing agreements in the western portion of the island. That all changed shortly after the Lorimar-Telepictures acquisition when WNJX-TV channel 22 in Mayagüez signed an affiliation agreement with the station in 1989. It was subsequently sold to Malrite Communications Group in 1991.

On January 1, 1995 at exactly 12:01 AM Atlantic Time, Tele Once entered into its first marketing agreement with a western Puerto Rico broadcasting station, WORA-TV channel 5, which at that time had ended an affiliation agreement with WKAQ-TV (WKAQ-TV in turn switched it's affiliation agreement to WOLE-TV channel 12, which was WAPA-TV's repeating station at the time, leaving WAPA-TV out of the western Puerto Rico TV market for the first time in 30 years).

It was also believed that at one point around the time of the switchover that WLII's on-air identification was written as "11-9-5-7-22". Which according to the Federal Communications Commission, this meant that channel 11's signal was also seen on WSTE channel 7 and its booster stations islandwide as well as WNJX-TV channel 22 in Mayagüez. Programming was also seen on WORA's translator, W10BG channel 10, also in Mayagüez. This became a problem, because there were a total of 9 stations islandwide broadcasting the same signal and there were only 3 markets. In Caguas and San Juan, there WLII channel 11 and WSTE1 channel 7. In Ponce, there was WSUR channel 9 and WSTE's central signal on channel 7. Finally in Mayagüez, there WORA channel 5, W10BG channel 10, WNJX channel 22 and WSTE2 and WSTE3 in Arecibo, both on channel 7. So as ordered by the FCC, WLII had to dropped WNJX and WSTE. WNJX would enter into an affiliation agreement with WAPA after having served as WLII's satellite station since 1986. Meanwhile, WSTE would once again become a standalone station, along with its three booster stations. It is unknown at this time if WSTE is still an independent station or has joined Univision's sister network, Telefutura.

The switchover of channels during New Year celebrations was widely criticized, as many Puerto Ricans had to scramble over different channels at the last minute to continue watching New Year celebrations. However, with this new agreement WLII expanded it's coverage to almost all of the island's population, acquiring equal or better share and ratings than the competition in several time periods. Around 1996, it was sold to Raycom Media, which acquired Malrite Communications outright in 1998.

Some of the shows that aired throughout the Tele Once years were: "En Un Dia", "R con R", "El Show de Awilda", "Dime la Verdad", "Ellas al Mediodía", "La Noche es Nuestra", "Fiesta", "A Fuego", "Lio", "El Super Show", "Que Suerte que es Domingo", "Anda Pa'l Cara", "Entrando por la Cocina", "Atacate", "El Kiosko Budweiser", among others.

In the late 80s, actresses Angela Meyer and Camille Carrion founded a production company named Producciones Meca which produced some of the last telenovelas in Puerto Rico: "La Isla", "Ave De Paso" starring "Yolandita Monge", "Yara Prohibida" and "La Otra".

Univision

In 2002, Univision entered into a local marketing agreement with Raycom Media to operate WLII and WSUR-TV. At the time, WLII had a longtime local marketing agreement with another Puerto Rican station, WSTE, which Univision honored. Both WLII and WSUR-TV were sold to Univision in 2005. Univision bought WSTE at the end of 2007.

WSUR-TV Ponce

Channel 9 began its broadcasting operations in 1978. It was given the call letters WSUR-TV on October 16 of that year. At this time, very little is known on whether or not channel 9 was affected by the shutdown of channel 11 in 1981. Based on video clips available on YouTube, another station may have occupied the channel before WSUR took to the air. [ [http://www.youtube.com/user/ehuertas2007 YouTube: ehuertas2007 Channel] ]

Digital Television

WLII's digital broadcasts are on UHF channel 56 and WSUR's digital signal is on channel 43, also on the UHF dial. As mandated, on February 17, 2009, the station will have to shut off their analog signals for the very last time. Their analog dial positions will serve as their new homes for their signals. WLII will be on channel 11 and WSUR will be on channel 9.

Programming

Las Noticias Univision

The newscast started in 1986 with Ramón Enrique Torres and Jennifer Wolff as anchors of the 5:00 p.m. edition. In 1990, a noon edition premiered with Torres and Margarita Aponte as its anchors, followed after by the 10:30 p.m. edition with Torres.

On March 11, 1991, a morning news show, Tu Mañana, began airing. Tu Mañana was anchored by Carlos Ochoteco and Cyd Marie Fleming and featured segments such as panel experts on different topics.

Over the years, many people have worked on Tu Mañana and Las Noticias. Famous reporters such as Carmen Dominicci, Elwood Cruz, Susan Soltero, Bruni Torres, Nuria Sebazco, Rommy Segarra, Felipe Gómez, Ada Monzón, Liza Lugo and many others have been featured.

In 1996, an investigative news show began airing monthly called Las Noticias Xtra, which offered reports considered to be shocking by many. Taboo themes in Puerto Rican society such as homosexuality were featured. Las Noticias Xtra eventually was reduced to a weekly section in the 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. editions.

During WLII's Tele Once years, the station's slogan was "Tele Once: 24 horas el canal de Las Noticias" (Tele Once: the 24-hour news channel), priding itself for being the first Puerto Rican channel on air 24 hours a day, with 4 newscasts a day (5:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM), and with news headlines every hour all night live.

Over the years, Las Noticias has used various music packages such as "Prime News" by Newsmusic Central. Currently, Las Noticias uses "Turning Point" by Latitude Music, which is shared by many Univision stations. It premiered along with a new graphics package on August 21, 2006.

On-air Talent

Current

* Cyd Marie Fleming
* Ramón Enrique Torres
* Carlos Weber
* Margarita Aponte
* Elwood Cruz
* Liza Lugo
* Eliezer Ramos
* Nuria Sebazco
* Rommy Segarra
* Susan Soltero
* Roberto Arias
* Yolanda Vélez Arcelay
* Karen Cintrón
* Raynee Hance
* Mariliana Torres
* Ada Monzon
* Daisy Sánchez
* David Rodríguez
* Felipe Gómez
* Dania Alexandrino
* Kaly Esther Toro
* Edwin Díaz
* Zugey Lamela
* José Figueroa
* José Orlando Colon
* Marjorie Ramírez
* Millie Gil

Former

* Grenda Rivera
* Carmen Dominicci
* Bruni Torres
* Jennifer Wolff
* Orlando Lugo
* Dina Albanese
* Carlos Ochoteco
* Carlos Alejandro Robles
* Javier Elías
* Ivonne Solla
* Gary Bonilla
* María del Carmen González
* Myraida Chavez
* Rev. Arnaldo Ginez

Broadcasting

Satellite, repeater and translator stations

WLII can be seen across Puerto Rico on the following stations:

Slogans

* 1970s:
** "Esta es la Telecadena Perez-Perry Canales 11, 9, 8 y 44... Sirviendo a todo Puerto Rico"
** "WKBM Television Canal 11... El Doble Uno Dominando!"
* 1980s:
** "Esta es WLII Canal 11 Caguas-San Juan y WSUR Canal 9 Ponce... Tele-Once!"
** "Tele-Once... Vívelo!"
* 2001-2002:
** "A mi me gusta su estyle!"
** "La señal de mi gente."
* 2002-2007:
** "Estas en casa."
* 2007-present:
**"A tu Lado."

External links

* [http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml;jsessionid=DZ5B1O443HNDGCWIAAOSFFIKZAAB2IWC?chid=10825&schid=11115&secid=0 Univision Puerto Rico] via [http://www.univision.com Univision.com]
* [http://univision.centennialpr.net Univision Puerto Rico] via [http://www.centennialpr.net Centennial]
* [http://www.tvboricua.ya.st Televisión Boricua]
*TVQ|WLII
*TVQ|WSUR-TV
*BIA|WLII|TV|TV
*BIA|WSUR|TV|TV

References