Teleamazonas began broadcasting on February 22, 1974, as the first network with colour television transmissions in Ecuador. Its headquarters are located in Quito. Teleamazonas got the most powerful microwave radio relay, acquired the first mobile television unit, and built in Guayaquil the biggest self-supported antenna. Founded by Antonio Granda Centeno, the channel was under control of his family until 2001, when Eduardo Granda Garcés paid a high debt to Banco del Pichincha. Fidel Egas Grijalva, major shareholder of the bank, took charge of Teleamazonas. During the presidency of Rafael Correa, the network, particularly its flagship opinion maker and pundit Jorge Ortiz, has found itself at odds with the government, which accuses it of manipulating public opinion to suite the interests of the companies and shareholders who provide the capital for Teleamazonas such as the Banco del Pichincha. Several proceedings have taken place against Teleamazonas, culminating on December 23, 2009, when the network was ordered a 72-hour shutdown. This government move immediately prompted a backlash from advocacy groups who claimed to be acting in the interests of freedom of expression. On September 2010, Fidel Egas sold his shares on Teleamazonas to several groups: 30% to the Peruvianmedia groupLa República, 48% to a group of Teleamazonas employees and 22% to a group of Fidel Egas' personal friends. Teleamazonas sale was the result of the mandate of the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008, which provides that no person may simultaneously hold shares in banks and media. In 2019, Teleamazonas joined forces with Endemol Shine Group to create the first ever Ecuadorian version of MasterChef.
Programming
Teleamazonas has produced important national series and films like "Sucre", "En un rincón del alma", "Recuerdos en Paita", "El Gran Retorno", "J. J., El Ruiseñor de América", among others. The company has an outstanding partnership with the Latin American version of Nickelodeon that brings its shows to Ecuadorian free-to-air Television. The channel also airs K-Dramas, films as well as anime shows like Doraemon.
Sports Broadcasts
Teleamazonas has the rights to broadcast the home games of Deportivo Quito, Espoli, Imbabura, LDU Quito and Manta during the 2011 Copa Credife. The network had a long history of airing the Olympic Games starting with Barcelona '92. Nowadays, it is the channel with largest availability in the country.
