Canal 5

Logo used since 2014
Type	Free-to-airtelevision network
Country	Mexico
Transmitters	see below
Headquarters	Av Chapultepec 28, Doctores, Cuauhtémoc, 0672Mexico City
Programming
Languages	Spanish (English/original audio bySAP)
Picture format	1080iHDTV (downscaled to480i for theSDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	TelevisaUnivision
Sister channels	Las Estrellas Nu9ve Foro
History
Launched	10 May 1952; 73 years ago (1952-05-10)
Links
Website	televisa.com/canal5
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial television (Except Tijuana and Matamoros)	Channel 5.1 (HD)
Digital terrestrial television (Matamoros)	Channel 2.2 (SD)
Digital terrestrial television (Tijuana)	Channel 6.1 (HD)

Canal 5 is a Mexican free-to-airtelevision network owned byTelevisaUnivision. It traces its origins to the foundation of Channel 5 in Mexico City in 1952 (also known by its identification codeXHGC-TDT). Canal 5's program lineup is generally targeted at a younger audience and includes cartoons, foreign series and movies, along with a limited number of sporting events such asNFL games, boxing, theFIFA World Cup and theOlympic Games.

Canal 5 is mainly aimed at children and youth audiences, airing a significant amount of programs fromParamount Global Content Distribution and other companies, although in late hours it usually targets general audiences with television series, movies, and reality shows. The channel also broadcasts series produced by the companyTelevisaUnivision, which owns the channel. In programming, its main national competitor in open television has historically beenAzteca 7 ofTV Azteca.

On 10 May 1952,XHGC-TV came to the air for the first time. It was Mexico City's third television station, owned byGuillermo González Camarena, an inventor who created the first color television system. In 1955, XHGC was one of three stations that formedTelesistema Mexicano. González Camarena remained the general manager of XHGC until his death in 1965.^{[citation needed]}

In 1963, XHGC became the first station in Mexico to broadcast in color. By request of Guillermo González Camarena, XHGC began targeting an audience of children and youth, with the first color telecast beingParaíso infantil (Children's Paradise). Over the years, Canal 5 has retained this programming focus, with a schedule incorporating foreign series and sports programs. On 20 August 1964, the network broadcast its first anime,Astro Boy, the first regularly serialized anime. Further titles would appear in the 1970s, such asHeidi, Girl of the Alps,Speed Racer,Candy Candy andNobody's Boy: Remi.^[1]

At the end of the 1980s, the then-vice president of Televisa, Alejandro Burillo Azcárraga, spearheaded drastic changes in the branding of the company's television networks. XHGC had branded as Canal 5 for years, using various logos with the number 5. However, as the network's various repeaters were not all on channel 5, the network began branding by the XHGC callsign. The landmarkEnergía Visual (Visual Energy) campaign, designed by Agustín Corona and Pablo Jato, featured idents with wildly varied logos and designs—a first for Mexican television. The campaign was designed to back the channel's youthful image. At the time, stations outside of Mexico City that had local programming, such asXHGA-TV in Guadalajara, XEX in Altzomoni and XHAJ in Las Lajas, only aired XHGC's programming during the evening hours, while the daytime format was given to local output (TV Matutina).^[2] This arrangement was possible as XHGC in Mexico City was airing theTelesecundaria classes and its affiliates elsewhere were airing their own programming. In 1990, TV Matutina became Supercadena 8, which also added a block of late-night programming at 11pm, mostly carrying US fare. This arrangement ended in 1993, whenXEQ was made a commercial television station, and ahead of a new round of concessions given to establish a round of Canal 5 and Canal 9 transmitters nationwide.^[3]

In the 1990s, Canal 5 began branding with its channel number again. During this period,Alejandro González Iñárritu, who had also been involved with Televisa's radio stationXEW-FM (WFM), was involved in the creation of some of the network's promotional campaigns. Additionally, in 1994, Televisa obtained a concession for 62 additional television transmitters nationwide, most of which form a key link in the Canal 5 network today.^{[citation needed]}

The network premieredDragon Ball Z in 1997. Its premiere was originally scheduled for 1 September, but was deferred to the following day, as it had to carry that year's government report from presidentErnesto Zedillo. The series aired for the next two years and was even shown during prime time.^[4]

1999 saw the beginning of a shift in content providers for Canal 5, which had long been the exclusive Mexican rightsholder toDisney programs such asChip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,DuckTales and a Mexican version ofDisney Club. In 1999, these rights began to migrate to Televisión Azteca andAzteca 7. The network then began relying frequently on programs fromMTV Networks International andWarner Bros. Entertainment as well as other suppliers. On 10 January 2000, the network started airing its first series fromCartoon Network following the signing of a supply contract between Televisa and Turner, the first of which beingThe Powerpuff Girls andEd, Edd n Eddy.^[5]

Today, Canal 5 carries children's programs, films and international series, as well as sporting events includingUEFA Champions League,UEFA Europa League andFIFA World Cup matches, a limited number ofLiga MX fixtures and international matches involving the Mexico national team, and select NFL and NHL games. Canal 5 also features some of Televisa's productions, such asEl Chavo Animado andMujeres Asesinas 3 by Pedro Torres.

Canal 5 is carried on 66 of its own transmitters plus another 32 transmitters shared withLas Estrellas and one transmitter that carries a Televisa local service, Las Estrellas and Canal 5; these 31 transmitters do not carry Canal 5 in HD.^[6][7] It holds the rights to virtual channel 5 nationwide and broadcasts on it in almost all areas, with a handful of notable exceptions along the US-Mexico border.

In 2018, the concessions of all primary Canal 5 repeaters wholly owned by Televisa were consolidated in the concessionaire Radio Televisión, S.A. de C.V. as part of a reorganization of Televisa's concessionaires.

• 
  1952-1964
• 
  1980-1986 (similar toChannel 5 honduran logo andKSTP-TV in United States)
• 
  1988-1989
• 
  1993-1994
• 
  1994-1996
• 
  1996-1997
• 
  1997-2000
• 
  2000-2002 (with slight variants until 2007)
• 
  2002-2007
• 
  2007-2014 Bumpers and Promos
• 
  2013
• 
  2013-2014
• 
  2014-2016
• 
  2016-present

Canal 5 gained traction in April 2020, when itsTwitter page started posting strange and disturbing posts in the early morning hours, including theMichael Rosen's Lunchtime song, only to be deleted afterwards. Since then, the posts have been investigated and widely shared and talked about in Mexican media.Infobae México contacted one of the collaborators of Channel 5. However, they claimed no knowledge regarding the disturbing posts.^[26]

Simultaneously, a VHS recording of the network's community service strand dated from 2001 showing the disappearance of a mysterious Selene Delgado López went viral. This case in particular caused the creation of a series of theories about the supposed missing woman, which caused a possible link to aFacebook account to a person of the same name, whose social media accounts turned out to be fake, creating anurban legend.^[27]

• Official website
• Canal 5 atAnime News Network's encyclopedia

• Canal 5 (Mexican TV channel)
• Children's television networks
• Mass media in Mexico City
• Television networks in Mexico
• Televisa broadcast television networks
• Television channels and stations established in 1952
• 1951 establishments in Mexico

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
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