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{{Short description|Spanish-language religious broadcast television network}}
{{multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{cleanup rewrite|date=February 2021}}
{{update|date=March 2021}}}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name            = Enlace
| logo            = Enlace Televisión logo.svg
| logo_size       = 225px
| logo_caption    =
| launch_date     = {{Start date and age|1988|9|9}}<br />(as Canal 23 Costa Rica)<br />{{Start date and age|1996|11|1}}<br />(as Enlace)
| country         = [[Costa Rica]]
| area            = Worldwide
| picture_format  = [[1080i]] [[HDTV]] <br />(downscaled to [[480i]]/[[576i]] for the [[SDTV]] feed)
| owner           = Enlace Internacional
| replaced        =
| replaced_by     =
| sister_channels = [[:es:Enlace Juvenil|EJTV]]
| website         = [http://www.enlace.org/ Enlace]
| terr_serv_1     = [[Digital terrestrial television|Digital UHF]] <br />(Costa Rica)
| terr_chan_1     = Channel 23.1 (Main Feed)<br />Channel 23.2 (Enlace+)<br />Channel 23.4 (Enlace Costa Rica)
| terr_serv_2     = [[Digital terrestrial television]] <br />(United States)
| terr_chan_2     = x.4 on TBN stations (select markets)
}}
'''Enlace''' is a [[Latin American]] [[Christianity|Christian]]-based [[terrestrial television|broadcast]] [[television network]]. The network primarily broadcasts faith-based programming targeted to the [[Hispanic]] community.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=TBN Enlace USA Brings Quality Faith-Based Television to the Hispanic Community - Announcements |url=http://www.tbn.org/announcements/tbn-enlace-usa-brings-quality-faith-based-television-to-the-hispanic-community |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831034629/http://www.tbn.org/announcements/tbn-enlace-usa-brings-quality-faith-based-television-to-the-hispanic-community |archive-date=2011-08-31 |access-date=2011-08-31 |website=tbn.org}}</ref> Enlace's primary headquarters are in [[San José, Costa Rica]], with studios, offices, and call centers in most Latin American countries.
In the United States, Enlace is distributed by [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]] (as '''Enlace TBN''') and the broadcast facilities for Enlace's US feed are located in [[Irving, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ncta.com/OrganizationType/CableNetwork/1701.aspx?hidenavlink=true&type=orgtyp2 |title=TBN Enlace USA - NCTA.com |access-date=2011-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203059/http://www.ncta.com/OrganizationType/CableNetwork/1701.aspx?hidenavlink=true&type=orgtyp2 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> TBN stopped distributing Enlace on February 12, 2024 to pay-TV providers and many of its stations to accommodate [[Phil McGraw]]'s new joint venture network [[Merit Street]], but readded it in several markets with a large Hispanic population due to feedback against the removal of the channel.
Around the world, the channel is broadcast free-to-air via satellite as well on [[digital terrestrial television]] in Peru, Costa Rica, Spain, Panama, and Bolivia.
== History ==
[[Jonas González Rodriguez]] first got the idea for Enlace in 1981, and in 1984 Rodriguez sent a letter to Costa Rica's National Radio Control Department. On July 17, 1986, he was awarded a television license under Number 167 for use of the channel 23 UHF frequency in the Metropolitan region of Costa Rica.
In 1987, Rodriguez established an office for Enlace in [[San Antonio, TX]] in the [[Continental Building]]. In August 1988, [[Trinity Broadcasting Network|TBN]] founder [[Paul Crouch]] donated a 10-watt transmitter to Channel 23, and engineer [[Ricardo Jarquín]] installed it. Channel 23 began transmitting on September 9, 1988. In January 1990 they installed a transmitter with 1000 watts in the Irazú volcano.  In 1991 a trademark was filed for the name Enlace. In 1992, Channel 23 installed three repeaters in [[Limón]], [[Santa Elena, Costa Rica|Santa Elena]] and [[Cerro de la Muerte]]. In 1994, Channel 23 opened its first studio, and on August 2 of that year, Channel 23 began transmitting via satellite during [[Trinity Broadcasting Network|TBN]]'s flagship program ''[[Praise (TV series)|Praise the Lord.]]''
In 1996 Enlace launched a 24/7 broadcast on the Mexican satellite [[Soldaridad 2]], thus extending their signal all over Latin America. In 1998 they upgraded their satellite to [[Pas-5]], thereby extending the network's reach all over Europe. In 2000 they upgraded their satellite once again to [[Pas-9]], also on that year Enlace Juvenil TV was launched. In 2002 TBN Enlace USA was launched as part of TBN's digital lineup. In 2003, Enlace started transmitting on the satellites [[Hispasat-1C]] and [[Hotbird 6]], thus extending to the Middle East. In 2005, Enlace started transmitting on [[Galaxy 23]] and [[Galaxy 19]] extending to North America. In 2006 they moved transmission to the satellite [[Galaxy 14]].
In 2007, Enlace started retooling their infrastructure in Costa Rica, in addition to launching on the [[:pt:Nossa TV|Nossa TV]] platform in Brazil transmitting from satellite [[Galaxy 28]]. In 2008, Enlace and Enlace Juvenil received new imagery and look, and they started transmitting on [[DirecTV Latin America]] for the first time from the satellite [[Galaxy 3C]].
== Background  ==
The network's lineup consists of faith programs including church services, music videos, concerts, talk shows, children's programs, and movies. Over 80% of its programs are produced in Latin America by ministries such as [http://www.claudiofreidzon.com Claudio Freidzon] of [[Argentina]], Cash Luna of Casa De Dios in [[Guatemala]], and U.S. Hispanic organizations such as [http://www.elreyjesus.org Guillermo Maldonado] of [[Miami]], [[Florida]], and [[Danilo Montero]] of [[Lakewood Church]] in [[Houston]], [[Texas]].
== Availability ==
The network is accessed via free-to-air satellite. Having been launched in the United States on May 1, 2002, Enlace is currently available through various cable providers nationwide, and previously was carried over-the-air on [[digital subchannel]]s of TBN [[owned-and-operated station|owned-and-operated]] and affiliated stations, usually on the fourth subchannel until February 2024. Enlace is also available across North America, including Mexico on [[Glorystar|Glorystar Christian Satellite]]. The network is also streamed on Enlace and TBN's official website for use externally in browsers and media players, available at different speeds for dial-up and broadband connections, and is also available through TBN's [[iOS]], [[Google Play]] and [[Roku]] apps.
On December 16, 2009, [[DirecTV]] in the United States began carrying Enlace on channel 448, making it available for part of its various English, Spanish and international packages.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-12-16 |title=DIRECTV Launches Enlace TBN Christian Television |url=http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=430806 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716052736/http://dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=430806 |archive-date=2011-07-16 |website=dtv.client.shareholder.com}}</ref> In February 2011, [[Dish Network]] began carrying Enlace on channel 9411.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.enlace.org Enlace Internacional]
{{TBN|state=collapsed}}
{{Costa Rican television channels}}
{{American broadcast television}}
{{Costa Rica TV}}
[[Category:Christian mass media companies]]
[[Category:Evangelical television networks]]
[[Category:Religious television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Trinity Broadcasting Network]]
[[Category:Spanish-language television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2002]]