Canal A  Canal A was a Colombian state-owned privately run national television channel. It was launched January 1, 1974 as "Segunda Cadena", since it was the second television channel in Colombia, and replacing Tele 9 Corazón (which in turn had replaced privately owned Teletigre, a local channel covering Bogotá). Until December 31, 1991, it was known as "Cadena Dos" ("Network Two", sometimes spelled "Cadena 2"). During its existence, "Canal A" (branded as such in 1992 in order to promote competition with Canal Uno, the other national channel) broadcast programs produced or imported by "programadoras" (programming companies), which bid for time slots with the Colombian state. While Canal A had been leading Canal Uno for several years up to, including and even briefly after 1998, the conversion of Caracol TV and RCN TV from "programadoras" to private television channels severely hurt ratings. This, combined with the economic recession of the late 1990s and mounting debts, severely affected the "programadoras", which one after another declared bankruptcy or became merely production companies for Caracol TV and RCN TV. Canal A was hit harder than Canal Uno despite its ratings wins; famous companies like Proyectamos Televisión and Coestrellas were among the last companies that left, but they, too, fell to bankruptcy. In June 2003, RTI Colombia, the only "programadora" which remained on Canal A, was moved to Canal Uno as part of a salvation plan for the failing state TV channels. For five months, the only programs on Canal A came from Audiovisuales, the state production company. On February 1, 2004, it was replaced by the fully state-owned Canal Institucional.