Rede Bandeirantes


Rede Bandeirantes, or simply Band, is a television network from Brazil, based in São Paulo. Part of the Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação, it aired for the first time in 1967. Currently it is the fourth TV network in Brazil by the ratings.

History

Rede Bandeirantes was founded on May 13, 1967, by :pt:João Saad|João Saad, nephew of São Paulo state governor Ademar de Barros and owner of Rádio Bandeirantes. In 1969 the main TV building suffered a massive fire, which forced Saad to replace his broadcasting equipment. By 1972, TV Bandeirantes was the first Brazilian television network to broadcast fully in color, the same year that Rede Globo did the same. Later in the 1970s Bandeirantes became a national broadcasting network, helped partly by the hit Saturday afternoon program Clube do Bolinha, the Japan-theme program Japan Pop Show and a 2nd wave of drama programs which started in 1979.
Walter Clark took over the network in 1982 and remodeled the station's programming after Rede Globo, while the network's present logo debuted that same year, with Cyro Del Nero as its designer. The logo was also shown nationwide given the fact that it – together with Rede Globo – had also at the same time begun nationwide satellite broadcasting as well. This was also the same year that the network began an 18-year tradition of broadcasting the biannual electoral debates at the local levels.
In 2007, the network launched a digital over-the-air feed in São Paulo.
In 2008, Band began to have the support of the Argentinean production company Cuatro Cabezas. Since then, the station has gained more ratings and media attention, thanks to the comedy show CQC - Custe o Que Custar and later to other Cuatro-Cabezas-produced shows. In 2012, the founder and head of the production company, Diego Guebel, became artistic director of the network. With his direction, Band enjoyed a new growth of ratings; those responsible for this new achievement were the shows Pânico na Band - comedy show with the cast of former Pânico na TV, on RedeTV!, Quem Fica em Pé? - Brazilian version of Who's Still Standing? - and MasterChef.

Programming