View source for WAPA-TV

{{Short description|Television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico}}
{{distinguish|KAPA}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|WTIN|WITN-TV}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox television station dual
| logo = WAPA-TV logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_alt = In lowercase in a geometric sans serif in black, the letters "w a p a" next to a motif of three red stripes echoing those in Puerto Rico's flag.
| branding = {{ubl|WAPA|{{lang|es|NotiCentro}} (newscasts)}}
| translators = [[WNJX-TV]] 31 [[Mayagüez]]
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''WTIN-TV:'''|'''[[WKAQ-TV|2.11]]:''' [[Telemundo]]|'''2.21:''' Punto 2|'''Both stations:'''|'''4.1:''' [[Independent station|Independent]]|'''4.2:''' WAPA Deportes|'''4.3:''' WAPA 4.3}}
| owner = [[WAPA Media Group]]
| licensee = Televicentro of Puerto Rico, [[LLC]]
| sister_stations = [[WKAQ (AM)|WKAQ]], [[WKAQ-FM]], [[WYEL]], [[WNJX-TV]]
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wapa.tv/}}
| name1 = WAPA-TV
| name2 = WTIN-TV
| city1 = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
| city2 = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
| virtual1 = 4
| virtual2 = 2, 4
| former_channel_numbers1 = '''Analog:''' 4 ([[VHF]], 1954–2009)
| former_channel_numbers2 = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 14 (UHF, 1985–2009)|'''Digital:''' 15 (UHF, 2004–2018)}}
| former_affiliations1 = {{ubl|'''All secondary:'''|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|[[CMQ (Cuba)|CMQ]]|[[DuMont Television|DuMont]]|[[NBC]]|(1954–early 1960s)|[[Univision]]|(1988–2002)}}
| former_affiliations2 = {{ubl|Telemundo (1970–1972)|NBC (satellite of [[WTCV|WSJU-TV]], 1985–1987)|ABC (satellite of [[WPRV-TV]], 1987–1989)|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] (satellite of WPRV-TV, 1989–1992)|[[Independent station|Spanish Independent]] (1992–1994)}}
| facility_id1 = 52073
| facility_id2 = 26681
| digital1 = 27 ([[UHF]])
| digital2 = 14 (UHF)
| airdate1 = {{start date|1954|05|01}}
| airdate2 = 1970
| coordinates1 = {{Coord|18|6|47.5|N|66|3|9.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| coordinates2 = {{Coord|18|10|04.0|N|66|34|37.0|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| haat1 = {{convert|765|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| haat2 = {{convert|853|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| erp1 = 1,000 [[kW]]
| erp2 = 750 kW
| callsign_meaning1 = Station was founded by the {{lang|es|italic=no|Asociación de Productores de Azúcar}} ''(Puerto Rico Sugar Grower's Association)''
}}
[[File:Noticentro en El Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|Noticentro in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
'''WAPA-TV''' (channel 4) is a [[Spanish language in the United States|Spanish-language]] [[independent television station]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]. It is the flagship and namesake station of [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico|Guaynabo]]-based [[WAPA Media Group]]. 

WAPA-TV maintains studio facilities on [[Luis Vigoreaux]] Avenue in [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico|Guaynabo]]; its transmitter is located on the [[WKAQ-TV]] (channel 2) transmission tower at [[Cerro La Santa]] in [[Cayey]] near the [[List of Puerto Rico state forests|Carite State Forest]]. WAPA-TV is the most watched [[List of television stations in Puerto Rico|television station in Puerto Rico]].<ref>{{Cite web |author1=George Winslow |date=2024-04-30 |title=WAPA TV Celebrates 70th Anniversary As #1 Station in Puerto Rico |url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/wapa-tv-celebrates-70th-anniversary-as-1-station-in-puerto-rico#:~:text=WAPA%20TV%20Celebrates%2070th%20Anniversary,in%20Puerto%20Rico%20%7C%20TV%20Tech |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=TVTechnology |language=en}}</ref>

The station's signal is relayed across Puerto Rico through two full-power [[Broadcast relay station#Satellite stations|satellite stations]]: '''WTIN-TV''' (digital channel 14, virtual channel 4) in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]] and '''[[WNJX-TV]]''' (digital channel 31, virtual channel 4) in [[Mayagüez]]. WTIN-TV also broadcasts two subchannels simulcast from WKAQ-TV, including its [[Telemundo]] programming, using virtual channels 2.11 and 2.21.

==History==
WAPA-TV began broadcasting on May 1, 1954, as the second television station to be licensed to Puerto Rico. Its [[call signs in North America|callsign]] is a partial abbreviation of the station's original owners, the now-defunct {{lang|es|Asociación de Productores de Azúcar}}, or Puerto Rico Sugar Grower's Association. During its earliest years, the station was affiliated with [[NBC]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]], and the [[CMQ (Cuba)|CMQ Television Network]].<ref name="Broadcasting">{{Cite web|url=http://davidgleason.com/Broadcasting%201955%20Yearbook%20Page%20Range%20Guide_files/Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201955.pdf|title=''Broadcasting Yearbook'', 1955. p. 333}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> During the late 1960s, WAPA-TV relocated to a larger facility at Garden Hills in Guaynabo.<ref name="García234">{{Harvnb|García|2009|pp=234}}</ref> The architectural planning of the new building received a recognition in the "commercial design" category of the [[Institute of Puerto Rican Culture]] (ICP) awards.<ref name="García234"/>

[[File:Wapa80 ad2.jpg|thumb|WAPA-TV's "Open 4" logo in a 1980 newspaper advertisement for ''Decisión '80''. The "Open 4" logo in this ad was used from 1968 to 1986, and again from 1996 to 1998.]]
The station was the first in the U.S. territory to transition to color unceremoniously in 1966, followed by [[WKAQ-TV]] in 1968. Popularly known in Puerto Rico by its assigned channel number, {{lang|es|Canal Cuatro}}, the station was also known by its animated cartoon mascot during the 1970s and 1980s, a bongo-playing cat (known commonly as {{lang|es|el gato de WAPA}} in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) and therefore its slogan was {{lang|es|Por el cuatro como el gato}} (colloquially "on four (legs) like the cat"), which rhymes in its original Spanish. Similarly, another station promo used the phrase, {{lang|es|Hasta el gato, te-ve el cuatro}} and the cat itself was alternately known as {{lang|es|el Gato de Cuatro}}.

Like other mascots, {{lang|es|El Gato}} was seen in different situations in different on-air promos. Besides playing the bongos, he would also play the drums and was seen in one station ID as a matador. Another promo had him interacting with a cat seen in a [[Telemundo]] ad. El Gato would also sometimes be accompanied by his wife and children (one boy and one girl), where they appeared flying in a helicopter shaped like the channel's "4" logo and celebrated the holidays while playing musical instruments.

WAPA-TV's competitors include WKAQ-TV (Telemundo), [[WLII]] ([[Univision]] affiliate station Teleonce) and [[PBS]] member station [[WIPR-TV]]. WAPA-TV and WKAQ-TV have battled for the title of Puerto Rico's most-watched television station since the 1950s, with WLII entering the battle in the mid-1980s.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the station became very successful by mixing American shows translated to Spanish with locally produced sitcoms such as {{lang|es|Cuqui}}, {{lang|es|Cara o Cruz}}, {{lang|es|Entrando por la Cocina}}, {{lang|es|Carmelo y Punto}} and {{lang|es|Barrio Cuatro Calles}}. However, it still trailed behind WKAQ-TV as the second most-watched Puerto Rican station. In the early 1990s, WAPA rebranded itself with the slogans {{lang|es|WAPA'lla!}} (a catchy slang variation of {{lang|es|Vamos pa'lla}}, or "Let's go!") and {{lang|es|WAPA, aqui con la gente}} ("WAPA, here with the people"). These slogans were accompanied by a catchy musical score and vivid, colorful graphics depicting the channel's logo. In 1994, WAPA was the first television station in Puerto Rico to use high-end graphic animations to animate a new logo, created and animated by Pixel Light Studios of New York City. This gave the station a very "American" on-air appearance. The logo, although graphically pleasing, was slowly dropped in favor of the classical number 4 logo. High end graphics were later dropped altogether for cheaper, in-house graphics.

In 1997, under the helm of former Univision executive Miguel Banojian, WAPA-TV achieved its biggest increases in viewership ever. During Banojian's tenure, the network produced more local programming than ever before, increasing its local news programming, and broadcasting several sporting events including ''[[Serie del Caribe]]'' (the Caribbean edition of the U.S. baseball [[World Series]]) and World Boxing Championship events produced in partnership (since the early 1980s) with [[Don King]] (WAPA would also sometimes broadcast fights promoted by King's rival [[Bob Arum]] and other promoters like Bob Andreoli).

In 1998, WAPA again rebranded itself with a new name and logo; {{lang|es|Televicentro}} (a brand that was used previously during the 1970s and 1980s). It also regained its position as a major Puerto Rican television station, mainly due to its new focus on locally produced programming. Its new slogan, {{lang|es|Como tú, boricua}} ("Like you, Puerto Rican"—a nod to the longtime colloquial nickname for Puerto Ricans) highlighted the fact that it was the only local commercial station remaining in Puerto Rico that was programmed locally. Despite the new name, local residents still referred to the station as either {{lang|es|el cuatro}} or simply "WAPA". That same year, former WKAQ-TV general manager Joe Ramos was named president of WAPA-TV.

In September 2004, WAPA-TV became the first Puerto Rican station, and the seventh television station in the U.S. (including territories) to become a satellite-distributed [[superstation]]. '''WAPA America''' can be seen in the U.S. mainland through [[DirecTV]] and [[Dish Network]], and on various cable television providers including [[Xfinity]], [[Charter Communications|Spectrum]], [[Verizon FiOS]] and [[Altice USA|Optimum]], but this is not the first time WAPA-TV has had any presence in the United States. In 1968, WAPA-TV had [[WNJU-TV]] (Channel 47) not only as its sister station but also as its affiliate, predating WAPA America by decades. WNJU-TV was owned by [[Screen Gems]] before selling it in 1984 to a consortium that would launch the NetSpan network, later evolving into Telemundo.

On October 19, 2006. LIN TV announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its Puerto Rico television operations to [[InterMedia Partners]] for $130 million in cash.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=TVL&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=918570 |title=LIN Media Investor Relations |access-date=October 21, 2006 |archive-date=February 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205092144/http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=TVL&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=918570 |url-status=live }}</ref> The sale was completed on March 30, 2007.

On December 17, 2007, the station changed its branding from {{lang|es|Televicentro}} to {{lang|es|wapa}}, in all lowercase letters. Following the rebrand, the station began developing a new format, changing its jingle and redesigning their website.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/pegajosa_cancion_comojingle/210933 |title=Pegajosa canción como"jingle" |newspaper=Primera Hora |language=es |date=July 17, 2008 |access-date=July 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822052717/http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/pegajosa_cancion_comojingle/210933 |archive-date=August 22, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/con_nuevo_formato_en_la_internet/212346 |title=Con nuevo formato en la internet |newspaper=Primera Hora |language=es |date=July 21, 2008 |access-date=July 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822223843/http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/con_nuevo_formato_en_la_internet/212346 |archive-date=August 22, 2009 }}</ref> WAPA-TV signed an agreement with [[Miss Puerto Rico Universe]] to produce a reality show titled {{lang|es|Por la corona}}, which debuted on August 15, 2008, where the public is able to select which five of the participants move directly to the pageant's semifinal via [[text messaging]] votes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/el_publico_elegira_a_la_nueva_reina/217740 |title=El público elegirá a la nueva reina |newspaper=Primera Hora |language=es |date=August 8, 2008 |access-date=August 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823010133/http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/tv/espectaculos_asi/el_publico_elegira_a_la_nueva_reina/217740 |archive-date=August 23, 2009 }}</ref>

On January 23, 2013, InterMedia Partners announced that it would merge WAPA-TV and WAPA America, along with its stake in [[Cinelatino]], with the [[shell corporation]] Azteca Acquisition Corporation (which is not associated with the Mexican-based [[Azteca (multimedia company)|Azteca]] group or the [[Azteca América]] network) to form Hemisphere Media Group. 73% of the new company is owned by InterMedia.<ref name=mn-hemisphere>{{cite news|last=Farrell|first=Mike|title=InterMedia, Azteca Form Hemisphere Media Group|url=http://www.multichannel.com/content/intermedia-azteca-form-hemisphere-media-group/141358|access-date=January 23, 2013|newspaper=[[Multichannel News]]|date=January 23, 2013|archive-date=January 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127101154/http://www.multichannel.com/content/intermedia-azteca-form-hemisphere-media-group/141358|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 1, 2017, WAPA-TV named Javier Maynulet Montilla as president and general manager, succeeding Ramos, who spent 20 years at the station until his retirement on April 27, 2018.

On November 9, 2020, WAPA-TV named Jorge Hidalgo as president and general manager of the station effective January 1, 2021, after Javier Maynulet left the station after two years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/negocios/empresas-comercios/notas/cambio-de-mando-en-wapa-tv/ |title=Cambio de mando en WAPA TV |newspaper=El Nuevo Dia |language=es |date=November 9, 2020 |access-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-date=November 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110143118/https://www.elnuevodia.com/negocios/empresas-comercios/notas/cambio-de-mando-en-wapa-tv/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Hidalgo currently serves as a Senior Vice President of Operations for Hemisphere Media Group.

===Outages===
On December 3, 2015, WAPA-TV along with WIPR-TV went off-air, due to a transmitter outage at Cerro La Santa in Cayey. The station was still watchable on [[Liberty Puerto Rico|Liberty]], [[Dish Network]], DirecTV and [[Claro Puerto Rico|Claro TV]]. The transmitter was repaired and placed back on air on December 10, 2015. Repairs were made by WAPA's engineering department.

On September 20, 2017, the main transmission tower of WAPA-TV was destroyed during [[Hurricane Maria]]. This caused the station to be off-air for two days until they began transmitting through Univision-owned stations [[WSTE-DT]] (until October 30) and WLII-DT (until November 17; which was owned by Univision at the time) from their transmitter in Aguas Buenas. Since November 18, the station then began transmitting its main programming (virtual channel 4.1) through station WKAQ-TV and WAPA Deportes (4.2) through WIPR-TV.

On October 28, 2018, one year after going dark, WAPA-TV returned to the air from its new transmitter installed at the WKAQ-TV tower location, broadcasting with High Quality Doble Data HD. Repairs caused by the old transmitter equipment were made by the engineering department.

===DirecTV-WAPA carriage dispute===
On May 4, 2018, Hemisphere Media Group became involved in a [[retransmission consent]] dispute with DirecTV, resulting in WAPA-TV's removal from DirecTV's Puerto Rico channel lineup.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/wapa-puerto-rico-off-directv|last=Eggerton|first=John|title=WAPA Puerto Rico off DirecTV|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[NewBay Media]]|date=May 4, 2018|access-date=May 4, 2018|archive-date=May 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504192844/https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/wapa-puerto-rico-off-directv|url-status=live}}</ref> The station was restored on June 14, 2018, after the two sides came to a new agreement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Puerto Rico's WAPA Television and WAPA Deportes Reach Multi-Year Retransmission Consent Agreement with DIRECTV in Puerto Rico |url=https://hemispheremediagroupinc.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/puerto-ricos-wapa-television-and-wapa-deportes-reach-multi-year |website=Hemisphere Media Group |access-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607200638/https://hemispheremediagroupinc.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/puerto-ricos-wapa-television-and-wapa-deportes-reach-multi-year |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Dish-WAPA carriage dispute===
On October 24, 2019, at 7 p.m., Hemisphere Media Group became involved in a retransmission consent dispute with Dish Network, resulting in WAPA-TV's removal from Dish's Puerto Rico channel lineup. The station was restored on December 17, 2019, after the two sides came to a new agreement.

==Programming==
{{main|List of programs broadcast by WAPA-TV}}

===''NotiCentro''===
[[File:NotiCentro WAPA logo.png|thumb|250px|The current logo of ''NotiCentro'']]

{{main|NotiCentro}}

{{lang|es|NotiCentro}} (a Spanish translation of NewsCenter) is the name of WAPA-TV's news division; the station presently broadcasts 44 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with eight hours each weekday and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). The news operation began in 1967 with Cuban-born [[Evelio Otero]] as the sole anchorman for the 6&nbsp;p.m. newscast. Soon after, Carlos Ruben Ortiz joined the news staff for the 6&nbsp;p.m. broadcast. Otero remained alone on camera, until his departure from WAPA in 1980 to take the senior editor position at the [[Voice of America]] in Washington. Ortiz shared the anchor slot at 6&nbsp;p.m. with then newcomer [[Guillermo José Torres]], a former radio announcer born in [[Juana Diaz]] who has since become the longest standing news anchor on the island, with a career spanning 43 years (Torres retired on August 5, 2013). The format predated the ''NewsCenter'' format which became popular on NBC affiliates in the 1970s.

In its beginnings, {{lang|es|NotiCentro 4}} ran for only fifteen minutes in the afternoon, with a half-hour edition at 10&nbsp;p.m.; there was also a weekend edition. Eventually, the program's running time was increased to a full hour. After Otero's departure, New York City–born William "Bill" Pérez became WAPA's news director (Torres held the post for a while, but eventually asked to serve only as a news anchor). In the late 1970s, Enrique Cruz, [[Luz Nereida Vélez]], [[Sylvia Gómez]], Luis Rigual, [[Cyd Marie Fleming]], [[José Esteves (reporter)|José Ésteves]], [[Luis Francisco Ojeda]] and others joined the news department.

In 1980, {{lang|es|NotiCentro 4}} inaugurated a new studio. In 1981, [[Pedro Rosa Nales]] joined the team. In 1982, Enrique Cruz, also known as "[[Kike Cruz]]", replaced Torres as show director. In 1983, Rigual died, and was replaced as main sports anchor by [[Rafael Bracero]]. Bobby Angleró joined the team of reporters as Bracero's main helper in 1983, the same year that the ''[[Coquí]] Satellite'' was inaugurated by the station. ''Coquí Satellite'' helped the station deliver breaking news quicker, and helped deliver the news on occasions such as the [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger]] explosion, when Torres interrupted [[Ángela Meyer]] on her ''Chanita Gobernadora'' comedy section to break the news to the public only minutes after it had happened.

In the early 2000s, WAPA-TV began using a [[helicopter]] for newsgathering called {{lang|es|SuperCóptero}} ("SuperChopper"). The {{lang|es|SuperCóptero}} had mostly been used to report on traffic conditions in the metropolitan area on the 4 and 5&nbsp;p.m. newscasts. WAPA-TV was the only local station to have a helicopter, but regular use of the ''SuperCóptero'' was soon discontinued due to budget cuts; WAPA now only uses the helicopter for special events such as elections and breaking news coverage.

{{lang|es|NotiCentro}} ran a local cable channel, WAPA Tiempo, which featured weather forecasts for Puerto Rico 24 hours a day. Originally named {{lang|es|El Canal del Tiempo}} (its name changed to avoid confusion with [[The Weather Channel]] cable network), it could be seen on all three cable companies then serving Puerto Rico at the time (OneLink Communications, Choice Cable TV, and [[Liberty Puerto Rico]]; all of them now merged as the latter); it was also broadcast on WAPA-TV [[digital subchannel]] 4.3. WAPA Tiempo was discontinued on September 1, 2012, due to WAPA Deportes (subchannel 4.2) upgrading to Full HD resolution to broadcast MLB postseason games; the channel was also dropped from Liberty cable.

WAPA-TV uses the same logo for {{lang|es|NotiCentro}} (formerly {{lang|es|NotiCentro 4}}), only changing the word WAPA to {{lang|es|NotiCentro}}. The music package previously used for the newscast was "News Authority" by 615 Music and has been used since 2004. In the past, the station used "WNDU 1986 News Theme", "Turn to News", "Newswatch 24", "News One" and "Impact" among others. {{lang|es|NotiCentro}} now uses the same music for all its segments and bumpers except for its news résumé {{lang|es|En Una Semana}} ("In One Week"), which used the ''NotiCentro 4'' graphics and music package from 1999 but now uses the current graphics and music package. Since 2012, WAPA-TV uses the "Truth" music package by 615 Music with "Truth V1" from 2012 to 2017, and "Truth V2" since 2017 for all newscasts.

On May 20, 2019, {{lang|es|NotiCentro}} expanded to {{frac|1|1|2}} hours beginning at 4&nbsp;p.m., renaming itself as {{lang|es|NotiCentro Edición Estelar}}, with Normando Valentín serving as an anchor for the early evening newscast. Valentín has been with the station since 2003, and was morning anchor from 2008 to 2019. On February 3, 2020, Katiria Soto returns to WAPA-TV after five years working at [[WXTV-DT]] in New York, this time as a co-anchor of the 4 p.m. newscast.

====Notable current on-air news staff====
* [[Juan Dalmau]] – political analyst
* [[Jay Fonseca]] – general assignment reporter/analyst
* [[Pedro Rosa Nales]] – anchor and reporter
* [[Ángel Rosa]] – political analyst
* [[Luz Nereida Vélez]] – health reporter

====Local program hosts====
* [[Junior Abrams]] – {{lang|es|Pégate al Mediodía}} (Host at {{lang|es|Analisis Neutral}} with [[Sunshine Logroño|Eleuterio Quiñones]])
* [[Angelique Burgos]] – {{lang|es|Burbu Nite}}
* [[Melwin Cedeño]] – {{lang|es|Pégate al Mediodía}}
* [[Jailene Cintrón]] – {{lang|es|Pégate al Mediodía}}
* [[Alba Nydia Díaz]] – {{lang|es|Viva la Tarde}}
* [[Rafael José]] – {{lang|es|Viva la Tarde}}
* [[Sunshine Logroño]] – {{lang|es|Pégate al Mediodía}}, {{lang|es|El Remix}} (producer)
* [[Jaime Augusto Mayol|Jaime Mayol]] – {{lang|es|Viva la Tarde}}
* [[Marian Pabón]] – {{lang|es|El Remix}}
* [[José Vega Santana]] Remi – Collaborator at {{lang|es|Noticentro al Amanecer}}

====Notable former on-air staff====
* [[Raymond Arrieta]]
* [[Efren Arroyo]] – investigative reporter and historian
* [[Rafael Bracero]] – sports anchor
* [[Josue Carrion]]
* [[Gredmarie Colón]]
* [[Sonya Cortes]]
* [[Carlos Díaz Olivo]] – political analyst
* [[Cyd Marie Fleming]] – anchor/reporter
* [[Roque Gallart]]
* [[Juan Manuel García Passalacqua]] – investigative reporter
* [[Sylvia Gómez]] – anchor/reporter
* [[Keylla Hernández]] – anchor and reporter
* [[Carmen Jovet]] – reporter
* [[Zoe Laboy]] – political analyst
* [[Carlos Mamery|Topy Mamery]]
* [[Hector Marcano]] – producer and host at {{lang|es|El Super Show}}
* [[Luis Francisco Ojeda]] – investigative reporter
* [[Ivonne Orsini]]
* [[Tommy Ramos]]
* [[Gary Rodríguez]]
* [[Johnny Ray Rodriguez]] – comedian
* [[Rubén Sánchez (journalist)|Rubén Sánchez]]
* [[Kobbo Santarrosa]]
* [[Guillermo José Torres]] – anchorman
* [[Hector Travieso]]
* [[Jennifer Wolff]] – anchor/reporter

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WAPA-TV<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WAPA#station |title=RabbitEars TV Query for WAPA |access-date=July 20, 2013 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213640/http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WAPA#station |url-status=live }}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.1
| |[[1080i]] ||rowspan="3"|[[16:9]] || WAPA-HD || Main WAPA-TV programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.2
| rowspan="2"|[[720p]] || WAPA2HD || WAPA Deportes 
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.3
| WAPA3 || WAPA 4.3
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WTIN-TV<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTIN#station |title=RabbitEars TV Query for WTIN |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031101806/https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTIN#station |url-status=live }}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|- style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | [[WKAQ-TV|2.11]]
| [[720p]] || rowspan=2| [[16:9]] || WKAQ-DT || [[Telemundo|Telemundo West]] ([[WKAQ-TV]])
|- style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | [[WKAQ-TV|2.21]]
| [[480i]] || WKAQ.2 || Punto 2 ([[WKAQ-TV|WKAQ-DT2]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.1
| rowspan=2| 720p || rowspan=3|16:9 || WTIN-DT || Main WTIN-TV programming / WAPA-TV
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.2
| WTIN-D2 || WAPA Deportes
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.3
| 480i || WTIN-D3 || WAPA 4.3
|}
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WAPA-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 4, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition [[UHF]] channel 27,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 4.

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist|2}}
'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book|title=¡Juan, Juan, Juan! Crónicas de la televisión en los tiempos de don Tommy| first=María "Beba"|last=García|publisher=Terranova Editores|date=2009|isbn=9781935163206|ref={{sfnref|García|2009}}}}

==External links and sources==
* {{Official website|https://www.wapa.tv/}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/puertorico/puertorico.htm The Museum of Broadcasting – Puerto Rico TV Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026153940/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/puertorico/puertorico.htm |date=October 26, 2008 }}

{{Puerto Rico TV}}
{{Superstations}}
{{LocalCableNews}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wapa-Tv}}
[[Category:1954 establishments in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Independent television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Television stations in San Juan, Puerto Rico|APA-TV]]
[[Category:Superstations in the United States]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:Television pioneers]]