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{{short description|Ecuadorian television network}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}

{{Infobox television channel
| name           = Ecuavisa
| logo           = [[File:Ecuavisa Logo 2019.png|250px]]
| logo_size      =
| logo_alt       = 
| logo_caption   = 
| image          = 
| image_size     = 
| image_alt      = 
| caption        = 
| type           = 
| country        = [[Ecuador]]
| area           = Ecuador
| tvstations     = 
| tvtransmitters = 
| affiliates     = 
| headquarters   = 
| language       = 
| picture_format = [[1080i]] [[HDTV]]
| former_names   = 
| owner          = Grupo Alvarado Roca
| parent         = 
| key_people     = 
| founded        = 
| founder        = Xavier Alvarado Roca
| launch_date    = March 1, 1967
| replaced       = 
| terr_serv_1    = [[Digital terrestrial television|Digital VHF]]
| terr_chan_1    = Channel 8.1 (Quito)<br />Channel 2.1 (Guayaquil)
| closed_date    = 
| replaced_by    = 
| website        = {{URL|http://www.ecuavisa.com/|ecuavisa.com}}
| webcast        =  
}}

'''Ecuavisa''' is an [[Ecuador]]ian [[free-to-air]] [[television network]] that was launched on March 1, 1967, on [[Quito]]'s channel 8 and [[Guayaquil]]'s channel 2. It is one of the leading TV networks in the country. The channel has an international feed named [[Ecuavisa Internacional]].

==History==
The foundations of the main station that would lead to the creation of the current network were laid on August 22, 1966, atop Cerro del Carmen, Guayaquil, inspired by the philosophy of the Vistazo magazine. In record time, the building was finished (in four months), as well as the assemblage of the equipment needed for the station (in two months), provided by [[RCA Corporation|RCA]] and [[General Electric]].<ref name="UASB">{{cite web |title=EL FENÓMENO TELEVISIVO EN EL ECUADOR CASO: ECUAVISA - TC TELEVISIÓN |url=https://repositorio.uasb.edu.ec/bitstream/10644/2731/1/T0239-MC-Moya-El%20fen%C3%B3meno.pdf |access-date=10 January 2024 |website=Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar |date=2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509012300/https://repositorio.uasb.edu.ec/bitstream/10644/2731/1/T0239-MC-Moya-El%20fen%C3%B3meno.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ecuavisa was founded by Xavier Alvarado Roca and began to broadcast on March 1, 1967. The network began broadcasting from [[Guayaquil, Ecuador|Guayaquil]] and was originally known as '''Canal 2'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecuavisa.com/articulo/entretenimiento/espectaculo/100820-48-anos-credibilidad-historia-alegria |title=48 años de credibilidad, historia y alegría {{!}} Ecuavisa |website=www.ecuavisa.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303041400/http://www.ecuavisa.com/articulo/entretenimiento/espectaculo/100820-48-anos-credibilidad-historia-alegria |archive-date=2015-03-03}} </ref> The channel received support from Miami's [[WSVN|WCKT]], owned by Sydney Ansin.

Initially the station only covered Guayaquil on channel 2, but there were plans to start a separate station in Quito on channel 8.<ref name="UASB"/> On June 21, 1970, Ecuavisa started broadcasting to Quito and the two stations adopted the name '''Cadena de Unión Nacional''' (National Unity Network).<ref name="UASB"></ref> Color broadcasts of the Quito station started in 1973 at the time of its third anniversary in June, with the airing of [[Televisa]]'s telenovela ''[[Mi rival]]'' and an edition of the British variety show ''[[The Julie Andrews Hour]]''.<ref name=creación>Aura Catalina Mier Sanmartín, ''Creación y Desarrollo de Ecuador TV'', Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 2015</ref>

In the 1970s, Ecuavisa was able to increase its audience share by premiering new programming and starting broadcasting partnerships with regional providers. Ecuavisa also benefited from the advent of color television in the decade, competing with the then rising [[Teleamazonas]] in this regard as the country's second color broadcaster.

The two stations (Quito and Guayaquil) signed an agreement to create the Ecuavisa consortium in 1978, in order to consolidate efforts between the two stations and increase their reach. The original consortium was disbanded in 1981, but was revived the following year by means of an agreement between the two stations, to share their resources for both editions of ''Televistazo''.<ref>Mora, Alba Luz, ''La televisión en el Ecuador'', Editorial Amauta, 1982, page 135.</ref>

Many Ecuadorian celebrities participated in Ecuavisa's shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s. During these two decades, the network aired some of Ecuador's top television shows.

In 1994, Ecuavisa started broadcasting a wireless subscription television operator over UHF, '''Univisa''', which was renamed from the initial name Simón Cable sin Cable on November 1, 1994. Univisa used [[Multichannel multipoint distribution service|MMDS]] technology.<ref name="UASB"/>

On June 11, 1998, it signed an agreement with [[The Weather Channel]] to supply weather segments for its morning and late evening newscasts.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/the-weather-channel-lat-am-firma-contrato-con-ecuavisa/ The Weather Channel Lat. Am. firma contrato con Ecuavisa]</ref> The following year, it announced an agreement with MGM Networks to use its studios for {{lang|es|Recetas para el alma}}, a new age program, airing on both Ecuavisa and Casa Club TV.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/mgm-latinoamerica-y-ecuavisa-coproducen-recetas-para-el-alma/ MGM Latinoamérica y Ecuavisa coproducen ‘Recetas para el Alma’]</ref> Ricardo Alarcón, formerly of Caracol Televisión, was appointed general manager of Ecuavisa in June 2002.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/ricardo-alarcon-gerente-general-de-ecuavisa/ Ricardo Alarcón gerente general de Ecuavisa]</ref>

In 2004, Ecuavisa launched Ecuavisa Internacional, its international feed. The channel is broadcast in the United States on [[DirecTV]] and [[Verizon Fios]]. In Spain and Latin America, Ecuavisa Internacional is also broadcast as a free-to-air channel on Hispasat satellite.

On May 9, 2013, Ecuavisa launched its own high-definition feed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ecuavisa.com/articulo/noticias/actualidad/30216-ecuavisa-llega-en-su-senal-hd-para-todo-el-ecuador |title=Ecuavisa llega en su señal HD para todo el Ecuador |access-date=7 April 2016 |website=Ecuavisa |date=May 9, 2013 |language=es}}</ref>

==Programming==
Ecuavisa dedicates a great portion of its programming to international shows, mainly [[telenovela|soap operas]] from [[Televisa]], [[Telemundo]], [[TV Globo]] and [[ABS-CBN]], such as ''[[Rubí (2004 TV series)|Rubí]]'', ''[[El clon]]'', ''[[Avenida Brasil (TV series)|Avenida Brasil]]'' and ''[[Kadenang Ginto]]''.

Ecuavisa's programming is oriented to family entertainment, educational programs, and soap operas (novelas). In 2007, Ecuavisa is boosting its own productions, with "El hombre de la casa" (a remake of ''Man about the House'') a classic British comedy. Other remakes made are La niñera (The Nanny) and "Kliffor" (a remake of ''The Cosby Show''), that achieved great success in Ecuador's ratings profile.

Ecuavisa has a nightly news broadcast, Televistazo, which is currently the most watched news show in Ecuador. For years, it also aired programming for children, such as ''[[Dragon Ball (TV series)|Dragon Ball]]'' and [[Doraemon]] (which at the time of its premiere in 2002 had good share)<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/doraemon-por-ecuavisa-con-buen-share/ Doraemon por Ecuavisa con buen ''share'']</ref> from Japan. Non-anime series for children included Zooboomafoo, Little Robots, Sesame Street and [[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]].

In 2015, Ecuavisa came under fire for replacing reruns of Dragon Ball with the local version of Chilean competition show Yingo. This resulted in a mass protest from viewers and a change to the program's timeslot.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/dragonballz-ecuavisa-television-yingo-redessociales.html|title='Dragon Ball Z' ganó una batalla sobre 'Yingo' en las redes |date=March 31, 2015 }}</ref>

==Bombing==
{{Main|Ecuadorian USB bomb attacks}}
In March 2023, journalists and presenters were targeted in an attack on media personalities. Several journalists received envelopes containing a USB stick. Once the device was plugged into a computer, it would explode.

One of Ecuavisa's television presenters, Lenin Artieda received minor injuries from the blast after one of the devices were plugged into a computer in the newsroom in Guayaquil.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/21/ecuador-journalist-usb-bomb-ecuavisa|title=Ecuadorian TV presenter wounded by bomb disguised as USB stick|newspaper=The Guardian |date=March 21, 2023 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website}}

{{Ecuadorian television channels}}
{{Companies in Quito}}

[[Category:Television channels in Ecuador]]
[[Category:Spanish-language television stations]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1967]]
[[Category:1967 establishments in Ecuador]]
[[Category:Companies of Ecuador]]