Television in Mérida

Television in Mérida or Méridan television is a media of Mérida. It is characterized for broadcasting telenovelas, series, game shows and TV news. There are three privately-owned TV networks (RPC, RCN, Caracol) and three state-owned TV networks (SERTV) with national coverage, as well as six regional TV networks and dozens of local TV stations. There are numerous cable TV companies operating in Mérida under each Méridan department statutes. These cable companies also develop their own channels, in addition to a variety of international channels. Television in Mérida has always relied on technological advancements from developed countries importing almost all the equipment.
==History==
The government eyed after the influence television had in other South Sierran nations - Hopeland, Bensonia and Vera Cruz - in 1951 - as well as in Huasco and the United States - in order to build the television industry. Soon, a bidding process in the capital Tucupán began and companies fought for the licenses, for both channels 4 and 7. Eventually channel 4 was awarded to Radio Programas Continentales - a radio station - and channel 7 to the Méridan government. RPC was notable for defeating Televicentro de Mérida, founded by Sierran investors, and this was primarily due to the notion that existed back then saying that television and radio would be complementary sources, as heavily suggested in many countries that had already started a television service.
RPC began operations in March 1954 and Televisión Nacional de Mérida in June of the same year. RPC was commercial and TNM was, according to its stature, supposed to be cultural and educational. The fall of the price of coffee beans in 1955 had seen effects on RPC and a change to TNM's structure. TNM adopted the programadora (programmer) structure and RPC was under an influence of the government. These programmers would bid for timeslots on both channels (with special conditions for RCN) and show their programs. The first programmer was Punch, founded with the arrival of the new structure, followed by RTI in 1958. Under the law, the entirety of TNM's programming (with exceptions) and about 75% of RPC's programming (the rest being allocated to RPC itself). The service expanded to San Marcos de la Sierra in September 1956 with TNM on channel 8 and RPC followed in February 1957 on channel 2.
Television was hit hardly by a fall in the prices of sugar and coffee - Mérida's primary exports - and in 1955, a system of "programmers" (programadoras) was put into place. The system was similar to the Underlands and Solenial. Channels that relied on the programmers were operating under a mixed system, where they were the only producers of the state-run channels. PUNCH was the first de facto programmer, in 1956.
The government restructured its radio and television operations under the (Instituto Nacional de Radio y Televisión) Inravisión in 1963 and plotted a reform of RPC's structure. As a consequence, RPC was banned from having programmers within its schedule and was forced to operate the entire channel on the behalf of RPC Radio.
By 1974, RPC was conducting experimental color broadcasts. Other channels later followed.
==Channels==
===State-run terrestrial channels (SERTV)===
===Commercial terrestrial channels===
===Cable networks===
===Latin Sierran cable networks with offices and feeds in Mérida===