WAPA Media Group is an American mass media and entertainment corporation that is a division of Hemisphere Media Group with headquarters in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio and TV |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Headquarters | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico |
Area served | Puerto Rico United States |
| Owner | Hemisphere Media Group |
| Divisions | WAPA-TV WAPA América WAPA Deportes WAPA Digital WKAQ-AM WKAQ-FM |
| Website | wapa |
WAPA Media Group is mainly involved in television and radio production. The company is named after WAPA-TV, the call sign of the flagship television station primarily owned by Hemisphere Media Group before launching WAPA Media Group. The company encompasses WAPA-TV, its repeater stations across Puerto Rico, WAPA América (cable superstation), WAPA Digital (digital media division), WAPA Deportes (Sports Division), WKAQ-AM, and WKAQ-FM.
History
editTelevicentro de Puerto Rico
editFirst established in 1954, WAPA-TV was the second network to broadcast in Puerto Rico. Its call sign refers to the Association of Sugar Producers (Asociación de Productores de Azúcar) though its parent company was referred to as Televicentro de Puerto Rico. From 1998 until the channel's October 2006 acquisition by Hemisphere Media Group and InterMedia Partners for $130 million, the channel was referred to on air as Televicentro instead of WAPA Television. LIN TV completed the sale of its Puerto Rico television operations on March 30, 2007. On December 17, 2007, the station changed its branding from Televicentro to WAPA, developed a new format, changed its jingle, and redesigned its website.[1][2]
WAPA Media Group
editOn May 9, 2022, Hemisphere Media Group purchased WKAQ, WKAQ-FM, WUKQ, WUKQ-FM, and WYEL from Univision Radio, seeking to merge the radio stations into the WAPA brand.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
On September 1, 2023, Hemisphere Media Group purchased WKAQ-AM and WKAQ-FM and announced that it would spin off WAPA-TV, WAPA Sports, WAPA América, and these two radio stations into a subsidiary. Jorge Hidalgo was selected as CEO of WAPA Media, while retaining his position as President and General Manager of the WAPA-TV station. Meanwhile, Héctor Martínez Souss continues to serve as President and General Manager of WKAQ-AM and WKAQ-FM.[10][11][12][13][14]
Assets
editWAPA Television
edit- WAPA-TV San Juan (Independent)
- WAPA Deportes - Sports Channel
- WNJX-TV Mayaguez (Independent, Telemundo on DT4)
- WTIN-TV Ponce (Independent, Telemundo on DT4)
- WAPA América - Cable superstation which broadcasts WAPA-TV programming in the United States
- WAPA Digital - Social Media Platform and Website
Radio
editReferences
edit- ^ "Pegajosa canción como"jingle"". Primera Hora (in Spanish). July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
- ^ "Con nuevo formato en la internet". Primera Hora (in Spanish). July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
- ^ "WKAQ 580 y KQ 105 pasarán a manos de Wapa TV". elnuevodia.com.
- ^ "Searchlight Seals Hemisphere Privatization, With Controversy". RBR.Com.
- ^ "Dueños de WAPA TV adquirirán WKAQ 580 y KQ 105". NotiCel.
- ^ "WKAQ-580 y KQ-105: dueños de WAPA TV adquieren emisoras locales". TVBoricuaUSA.
- ^ "Hemisphere Media Group adquiere WKAQ y KQ105 en Puerto Rico". Wapa.tv.
- ^ "Propietaria de WAPA-TV adquiere las emisoras de radio WKAQ580 y KQ105 FM". Primera Hora.
- ^ ""Adiós Puerto Rico", TelevisaUnivision realiza su segunda venta radial en el año". RadioNotas.
- ^ "Nace WAPA Media: el nuevo conglomerado que une radio y televisión". TV Boricua USA. TV Boricua USA. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ Rivera Cedeño, Jomar Josue. "Wapa Televisión adquiere las estaciones WKAQ 580 AM y KQ 105 FM". El Nuevo Dia. El Nuevo Dia. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Wapa Media: conglomerado más importante de las comunicaciones en Puerto Rico". WAPA.TV. WAPA.TV. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "WKAQ y KQ105 se unen finalmente a Wapa Televisión". Primera Hora. Primera Hora. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ ""Hoy nace Wapa Media": lo que se sabe del nuevo conglomerado de medios". El Nuevo Dia. El Nuevo Dia. Retrieved 8 September 2023.