Although CCN and Cable Mágico Noticias were the first Peruvian news channels, Canal N established itself as the only permanent media outlet with local and national coverage in the 2000s, until the arrival of other competitors such as ATV+ and RPP TV.[1]
History
The idea of Canal N emerged in 1997 by journalist Bernardo Roca Rey during the Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Lima. To achieve the idea in practice, a commercial partner was needed, which over time turned out to be Gilberto Hume, who he met at a beach.[2]
«A whole afternoon making ceviche in a jar with plenty of pisco, and then we continued thinking about it and the idea matured» said Hume. The directives of El Comercio (later formed as El Comercio Producciones),[3] after giving approval to the idea,[4] entered the television industry with the opening of a small store located on Madrid Street in the district of Miraflores. Inspired by CNN,[5] initially it competed against Cable Canal de Noticias,[6] owned by Expreso, being until then the only news channel in Peru. El Comercio started advertising Canal N to the public for the first time in 1998 in the PC World magazine, American magazine whose local version was produced by the newspaper. Later, advertisements for the channel appeared on Cable Mágico's magazine for the subscribers of the cable operator: the advertisement included a photo of the studios of the channel and the phrase El Perú minuto a minuto. After several months of technical and laboral adjustments, in April 1999, Canal N was launched in test mode on Canal Mágico, At an initial phase only available for the subscribers of the adult channel package.[7]
At the same time, on Cable Mágico's channel 8, whose frequency up until then was occupied by crisis-ridden Brazilian network Rede Manchete (in its last weeks on air before the closure),Canal N's logo appeared, with the image of a rotating 3D letter N on a black background accompanied by background music. By this way, the channel announced its future availability over such frequency. Canal N was officially launched at 8am on July 4, 1999[8][9]
^Godoy Mejía, José Alejandro (2018). "Canal N". El Comercio y la política peruana del siglo XXI: Pugnas entre liberales y conservadores detrás de las portadas. IEP EDICIONES. pp. 143–147. ISBN978-9972-51-751-8. OCLC1355830946. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
^"Canal N cumplió un año en el aire". La República. 5 June 2000. Archived from the original on 10 July 2001. Retrieved 19 November 2023. Recordó que, inicialmente, esta televisora tomó como modelo al canal de noticias norteamericano CNN, pero aclaró que en el camino fueron dándose notables diferencias, como el mayor empleo de enlaces en directo y un estilo menos formal en el contenido y en el aspecto periodístico, para difundir lo que pasa en la ciudad y en diversas partes del país
