Tele-Once

The channel's history can be traced to the beginnings of television in Puerto Rico in 1954. Along with Channel 2, Channel 4 and Channel 7, Channel 11 -- then known as La Cadena Perez-Perry ("The Perez Perry Network") -- began broadcasting regularly that year.

During the 1960s and '70s, La Cadena Perez-Perry broadcast some of the most popular shows in Puerto Rico. This was not enough, however, to prevent them from going bankrupt and leaving the Puerto Rican airwaves in 1981. Other channels benefitted from Channel 11's demise -- not only from the reduction in competition, but also from the availability of many of the channel's former entertainers.

With new businesspeople at the helm, Channel 11 was revived in 1986, with its current name of Tele-Once, and a new slogan, "Tele-Once ... vivelo!" ("Tele-Once ... live it!"). In its first week, with much hoopla and colorful advertising, the channel broadcast several of the newest television movie releases to the viewers -- including First Blood, Starman and E.T. The Extraterrestial. Felo Ramirez and Ivonne Class broadcast live boxing shows weekly. And some of Puerto Rico's top actresses -- such as Angela Meyer, Meyer's mother Margot Deben, Carmen Belen Richardson, Giselle Blondet, and Elia Enid Cadilla -- had a program called Ellas al Mediodia ("The Girls at Midday"). Ellas al Mediodia was one of Tele-Once's most popular shows for many years.

In 1989, Hector Marcano moved to Tele-Once to produce and host his own talk show, Marcano, el Show. The show lasted until 1991.

Tele-Once, channel 11 on Puerto Rico's TV dial, continues to be one of the top four channels in the country.