started its trial broadcasts on 11 September 1983 but its regular broadcasts started a few months later, on 16 January 1984. TV3 was the first television channel to broadcast only in Catalan. In 1985, TV3 expanded its coverage to Andorra, Northern Catalonia and the Valencian Community. One year later, TV3 inaugurated its new headquarters, a 4.5-hectare facility in Sant Joan Despí, near Barcelona. Since 1987, TV3 has broadcast a second audio channel on almost all foreign-language series and movies with the original programme audio, first using the Zweikanalton system and currently using NICAM. Local series and movies are usually broadcast in NICAM stereo, although sometimes an audio narration track for blind and visually impaired viewers is provided as well. In 1988, TV3 started a decentralisation process, first broadcasting programmes in the Aranese language for the Aran Valley and, one year later, opening branch offices in Tarragona, Girona and Lleida and creating the Telenoticies Comarques, a regional news programme broadcast simultaneously in four different editions, one for each of the four Catalan provinces. During the 1992 Summer Olympics, TV3 and TVE created the Olympic Channel, a joint network to provide coverage for the Olympic Games using Canal 33's frequency. In 2002, Televisió de Catalunya started broadcasting in the Digital terrestrial television system. It has quickly embraced technologies like the internet and mobile phones, as well as internal technological innovations.
Coverage
Televisió de Catalunya's terrestrial channels are available in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands thanks to an agreement between the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Balearic Islands government. Unofficially, it can also be received in the Valencian Community, Andorra, Northern Catalonia and La Franja. TV3CAT is broadcast via satellites Astra and Hispasat. The TVCi signal is also carried by satellite platform and cable operators: Ono, Movistar TV, Euskaltel, Digital+, Freebox, Digi TV, Kabel BW, Evrotur, Sofiacable and Cable Mágico. TV3CAT is also available worldwide via its online TV service "3alacarta".
Channels
TV3
TV3 is TVC's first and main channel. A generalist channel, it broadcasts news and entertainment programmes, as well as fiction series and movies, and important sports events, including La Liga football matches.
3/24
3/24 is TVC's 24-hour news channel, launched in 2003.
Super3
Super3 is a children's and teenagers' channel, that broadcasts from 6:00 to 21:30. It broadcasts both entertainment and educational programmes, for a wide range of ages. Early morning programmes are usually directed to younger children, while the afternoon is directed more towards teenagers. It started on 18 October 2009, replacing K3. Initially, it broadcast from 7:00 to 21:30 and the rest of the day was broadcasting Canal 300. In September 2010, 300 was replaced by 3XL and Super3 changed its broadcasting hours.
33
TVC's second channel, 33 is a cultural channel. Its programming consists of cultural programmes, documentaries and debates. Until 2011 and the creation of the sport channel Esport 3, it also broadcast sport events and programmes. Originally called just Canal 33, in 2003 it underwent a restructuring that split it into two channels that shared the same frequency: 33 and K3. While this is still true for analogical broadcasting, since December 2006, 33 has a channel of its own in digital terrestrial television.
Esport 3
Esport 3 is TVC's sports channel. It started its emission tests in October 2010 and started its regular emissions in early 2011. It broadcasts sports events and sports programmes.
TV3CAT
TV3CAT is TVC's satellite channel, launched in 1995. It broadcasts a selection of TV3 and 33 programmes, as well as fiction series and movies.
