XHTV-TDT (virtual channel 4), launched in 1950 by Romulo O'Farril, is a flagship TV station of Televisa and carries its FORO news network. FOROtv is available on various cable television companies and SKY México satellite service, along with several providers in the United States as part of Televisa and Univision's partnership (albeit with local programming and sports replaced with American ads and recorded news blocks). It is the oldest TV station in Mexico and Latin America.[3]
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Channels |
|
| Branding | Foro |
| Programming | |
| Subchannels | 4.1: Foro 4.2: CV Shopping |
| Affiliations | FORO |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| XEW-TDT, XHGC-TDT, XEQ-TDT, Televisa Regional | |
| History | |
First air date | August 31, 1950; 73 years ago (1950-08-31) |
Former call signs | XHTV-TV (1950-2015) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 4 (VHF, 1950-2015) Digital: 49 (UHF, 2005-2018) |
Call sign meaning | XH TeleVisión |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | IFT |
| ERP | 270 kW |
| Transmitter coordinates | 19°35′22.5″N 99°06′55.54″W / 19.589583°N 99.1154278°W / 19.589583; -99.1154278 |
| Repeater(s) | RF 15 Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico[2] |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www2.esmas.com/canal-de-noticias-y-opinion-forotv/ |
XHTV was Mexico's first television station and one of the building blocks of Telesistema Mexicano, which became Televisa in 1973.
In 2001, XHTV began using the name 4TV with a program lineup targeted at the Mexico City area and the slogan "El Canal de la Ciudad" (The City Channel).
On August 30, 2010 (sixty years after the channel was founded), the channel's name was changed to FOROtv (literally "Forum TV"), with most of Televisa's news programs moved here, such as Las Noticias por Adela (from XEQ), and with new news and talk programs being created. Prior to this, the channel, under the name of "Canal de la Ciudad" ("The City's Channel"), broadcast programs targeted at Mexico City's metro area, as well as reruns of American series and blocks of Mexican movies.
Under this format, the channel seeks to emulate the success achieved by its predecessor ECO (which operated from 1988 to 2001). It competes in a crowded cable news space with such channels as TV Azteca's adn40 and Azteca Noticias, Telefórmula, Efekto TV, CNN en Español, Excélsior TV, and Milenio Televisión, among others.
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:[4]
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Short name | Network | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | XHTV | FORO | Main XHTV-TDT programming |
| 4.2 | 480i | XHTV | CV Shopping | Shopping channel |
XHTV, along with other Mexico City TV stations, shut off its analog signal on VHF channel 4, on December 17, 2015, at 12:00 a.m., as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 49, using PSIP to display XHTV's virtual channel as 4 on digital television receivers.
In October 2016, XHTV added shopping channel CJ Grand Shopping as subchannel 4.2; this channel was deleted in March 2019 and replaced in June with a new CV Shopping channel wholly owned by Televisa.
On November 3, 2018, XHTV relocated from channel 49 to 15 to allow the 600 MHz band to be used for mobile services. It was the last station to repack in Mexico City.
Some of the programs on XHTV as Foro TV currently include the following: