MTV Tres

MTV Español

On August 1, 1998, MTV Networks launched a 24-hour digital cable channel, MTV S (the "S" standing for "Spanish"). On October 1, 2001, the channel was relaunched as MTV Español, focusing on music videos by Latin rock and pop artists. The rebranded network mainly utilized the eight-hour automated music video playlist wheel used by sister networks MTV2, MTV Hits and MTVX (later MTV Jams) without any original programming, except for repurposed content from MTV's Latin America networks.

Acquisition of MásMúsica TeVe

Más Música TeVe, founded in 1998, was a network distributed in the United States on cable, satellite and broadcast television that aired music videos from various Latin American music styles, including salsa, cumbia, regional Mexican, and contemporary Spanish-language hits. Founded by Eduardo Caballero of Caballero Television, MásMúsica TeVe carried the minimum requirements of educational and public affairs programming on weekends, and it was carried mainly on low-power television stations throughout the United States.

In December 2005, Viacom acquired MásMúsica and ten of the network's affiliated stations. The sale was finalized in January 2006.

Launch of MTV Tr3s

MTV Tr3s unofficially launched on September 4, 2006, when it became available on all cable and satellite providers that previously carried MTV Español. On September 25, 2006, MTV Español and MásMúsica TeVe officially merged. The first program to air on the newly formed channel was the premiere of Mi TRL at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

In its beginnings, MTV Tr3s's programming schedule was significantly more repetitive than MTV Español was in its last days. The channel aired shows such as Hola, My Name is MTV Tr3s, the Top 20 Countdown, Los Hits, Mis #1s, Sucker Free Latino (only running two new shows per week), Latina Factor, Mi TRL, MTV Tr3spass, Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica 2006, Making the Video and Diary; the latter two and many other programs from MTV are merely subtitled into Spanish rather than carrying re-dubbed versions. These programs were repeated for most of the day, which greatly reduced the amount of freeform music videos played on the channel. As months passed, however, the programming became more varied and diverse, with changing music video blocks airing several times in the day.

MTV Tres also ran short clips promoting the channel, which continue to air to this day, which were intended as transitions out of commercial breaks. These included the "MTV Tr3s: We Speak Your Language" original launch ad campaign, showing a short clip of a situation where the behavior and attitude of a younger Latino of the present generation was different from that of an older person of Latino heritage. Also, artists of Latino or Hispanic descent were shown voicing their opinions on certain aspects of culture of their native country or of Latinos living in America; such clips included "Pitbull on Cuban Women", "Jeannie Ortega on Parties", and "Frankie J on being Latino".

On February 5, 2007, the channel held its first "Spankin' New" week, which featured daily music video premieres, the premiere of Wrestling Society X (although the program had been already airing on MTV back on January 30), and the debut of a new episode of Making the Video, which covered the first single, "Qué Hiciste" from Jennifer Lopez's first full-length Spanish-language album, Como Ama una Mujer.

Relaunch as Tres

On July 12, 2010, MTV Tres dropped the MTV name from its logo and name, officially rebranding as simply Tr3s. With the rebrand, the network expanded its programming to include additional acquired MTV programs and series from Viacom's Latin American networks. Eventually, Viacom re-sold some of the stations acquired in the Más Música deal in California and Texas back to Caballero Television, and has drawn down the amount of broadcast stations carrying the network.

Programming

Tr3s broadcasts on an Eastern Time schedule (with programs shown at earlier or later times depending on the location) and does not timeshift its programming for other U.S. time zones due to the lack of an additional feed for the Pacific Time Zone. As such, promos for Tr3s programs reference airtimes for both the Eastern and Pacific time zones (for example, the now-defunct Mi TRL, is promoted as airing on Mondays at 4:30 p.m. Eastern, and simultaneously airs at 1:30 p.m. in the Pacific Time Zone).

Music video programs

Since 2014 Tr3s broadcasts music videos for at least 22 hours each day. Music blocks that are airing and have aired on the station are as follows:

Current

Former

The following music video programs were hosted by VJ's who primarily host in English:

MTV Tr3s used opening sequences for music video shows similar to those seen on MTV2. To indicate the beginning of a music video program, a still photograph of a point of interest from a city or neighborhood would be displayed, with MTV Tr3s' "accented three" (3́) logo animating and leading to a monochrome title card with the music video program title displayed. These opening sequences were revised in late August 2008.

Tr3s has also broadcast other MTV music-related specials such as MTV Goes Gold: New Year's Eve 2007 and Common and will.i.am Present: The Music of Freedom Writers. Occasionally, Making the Video may air on Tr3s, if the video is performed by or features an artist of Latino or Hispanic origin. In addition, during the last two weeks of September 2007, the channel rebroadcast the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, in conjunction with its broadcast of the MTV Latin America Video Music Awards.

During the week of September 17 to 20, 2007, the channel showed highlights from the Rock am Ring music festival daily at midnight Eastern Time (9:00 p.m. Pacific Time), focusing on one band's set each day.

Non-music programming

Some reality and scripted series also air on the channel, which are acquired from the flagship U.S. MTV channel (and subtitled in Spanish) as well as from MTV Latin America and Nickelodeon Latin America (which are natively broadcast in Spanish and subtitled in English for broadcast on American television). These types of programs air for no more than three hours at a time, thus allowing more music videos to be played during the day. Some of the programs may have little or nothing to do with Latino culture and possibly only air on Tr3s to allow Viacom to maintain syndication rights to the programs without threatening ratings on higher-profile networks.

Tr3s introduced "Tr3s Jr.", a Spanish-language version of the Nick Jr. block, in July 2010, featuring Spanish-language dubs of Nick Jr.'s Blue's Clues (branded as Pistas de Blue and only including the episodes hosted by Steve Burns) and Wonder Pets. The block was discontinued in October 2010.

Class A affiliates (and previously, former full-power affiliate KBEH-TV) aired archived Nick Jr. series Allegra's Window and Gullah Gullah Island in order to fulfill E/I programming requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission.

Since 2014 Tr3s has removed almost all of their non-music programming and broadcasts music videos for at least 22 hours each day.

Current programming

Former programming

Broadcast affiliates

KVMM-CD, (Channel 41) in Santa Barbara, California is the only MTV Tres affiliate that still broadcasts over-the-air as of August 2015, as well as the only over-the-air broadcast asset Viacom has remaining.

Most of the broadcast stations that aired Tr3s served communities with large Hispanic populations. Upon the merger of Más Música and MTV Tr3s, however, former Más Música affiliate WZXZ-CA in Orlando, Florida switched to MTV2, before affiliating with America TéVé, and WUBX-CA and WBXU-LP in the Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, North Carolina market ceased operations completely. Eventually Viacom let their affiliation agreements lapse with their broadcast affiliates, and those other stations have become affiliates of other networks, or ceased all operations. Viacom's carriage agreements with cable providers also often saw the Tr3s cable channel preferred for carriage over a local affiliate, and most stations were unable to find cable coverage with Tr3s programming, notwithstanding existing complications involving low-power stations and cable carriage.