Unicanal

Unicanal is a Paraguayan digital television network owned and operated by Grupo JBB.

Unicanal

Country	Paraguay
Headquarters	Asunción
Programming
Language	Spanish
Picture format	1080i HDTV
Ownership
Owner	Grupo JBB
Key people	German Gonzalez
Sister channels	Trece
History
Launched	June 15, 1989
Former names	TV Cable 8 Asunción (1978-1989) Canal 4 TV Cinema (1989-1996)
Links
Website	www.unicanal.com.py
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital VHF	Channel 3.2

History

The channel started broadcasting on September 15, 1989 as CVC's in-house channel, broadcast on channel 4 of the cable system. As of 1993, the channel was branded as TV Cinema, while channel 8 carried a sister channel, kids channel Kablito, which is no longer in operation.^[1]

Until 2015, Unicanal was attached to the leading cable company (CVC, later Multicanal, later Cablevisión, now Tigo). The channel under Multicanal control hired journalists from Artear to improve the quality of its news operation, reportedly becoming one of the most watched in Paraguay.^[2] It also aired El Trece's variety show Showmatch.^[3] In January 2014, it signed a deal to create a Paraguayan version of an international format, Paraguay's Next Top Model, in order to become more competitive in the local television market.^[4] In 2015, the channel was sold to Grupo JBB. The sale enabled Tigo to improve the Paraguayan version of Tigo Sports.^[2]

Under JBB, the channel broke its longtime exclusivity agreement with Tigo, which owned the channel for over 25 years. On September 15, 2015, it was added to channel 20 of Claro TV.^[5] Facing this growth, on December 28, 2015, it announced an increase in local productions in 2016, ending the relays of El Trece programming.^[6] In May 2016, it acquired the rights to air Copa América Centenario.^[7]

On March 30, 2017, Unicanal announced the launch of its HD feed, initially on Tigo Star channel 708. The conversion to new equipment began in late 2016^[8]