What Sinart does

SINART S.A. (Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión) is a Costa Rican state-owned public broadcasting company founded in 1978 and headquartered in San José. It operates Canal 13 (national free-to-air television), Radio Nacional (101.5 FM and 590 AM), and the Sinart Digital platform (sinartdigital.com), forming the only state-owned multi-platform media entity in the country. Its core programming spans news (Trece Noticias), sports (Deportivas del Trece), cultural content, entertainment, and educational programming, supplemented by international content partnerships including Turkish (TRT) and Korean drama acquisitions.

The company's revenue model rests on three pillars: (1) government-mandated advertising allocations under Law 8346, which requires all Costa Rican public institutions to allocate 10% of their advertising budgets to SINART (69 institutions complied in 2023); (2) commercial advertising sales through its wholly-owned subsidiary RTN Publicidad, serving both government and private advertisers with media planning, creative production, and campaign management; and (3) content production services including audiovisual production, webinar equipment, live streaming, BTL marketing materials, and printing services. Pricing is custom and quote-based across all revenue streams.

SINART faces a mixed operational picture: it maintains national broadcasting dominance with established audience reach and cultural programming legacy, but requires financial restructuring (approved by Contraloría General in September 2024) and has experienced multiple leadership changes at the presidential level. The organization employs 251-500 people and is governed by an Executive Council representing state universities, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Government Council. Its distribution spans free-to-air TV, FM/AM radio, digital streaming with international accessibility, and retransmission partnerships extending to Nicaragua.

Name

Sinart

Legal name

SINART S.A. (Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión)

Website

https://sinartdigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SINART S.A. is Costa Rica's state-owned public broadcasting company operating national television (Canal 13), radio (Radio Nacional 101.5 FM/590 AM), and a digital platform, funded primarily through a 10% government advertising mandate under Law 8346 and commercial advertising via its RTN Publicidad subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National General-Entertainment Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Network Distribution & Programming Services (Syndicators, Format Providers) (MPAIAEAH), Live TV Streaming (vMVPD/IPTV OTT) (MPACAAAD), Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)

Keywords

• Public broadcasting services
• Television channel operations
• Radio broadcasting
• Digital media platform
• Advertising sales

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Advertising Allocation (10% Law): SINART collects 10% of the annual advertising budget from each public institution as mandated by Law 8346, which established the legal framework for the organization's funding through government advertising allocations.
2. Commercial Advertising (RTN Publicidad): RTN Publicidad, the advertising agency of SINART, provides advertising services to government and private clients, including ad placement on Canal 13, Radio Nacional 101.5 FM, and digital platforms. Services include media planning, campaign creativity, TV/radio spot production, and digital strategy.
3. Content Production Services: SINART offers content production services for clients including graphic and audiovisual content, custom program development, webinar equipment, live streaming, BTL marketing materials, signage, and printing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sinart (Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión) operates Costa Rica's only state-owned multimedia public broadcasting platform, providing national television through Canal Trece (Channel 13), national radio via Radio Nacional (101.5 FM and 590 AM), and digital media through Sinart Digital. The company also delivers news (Trece Noticias), sports programming (Deportivas del Trece), live broadcasting services, and commercial content production through its subsidiary RTN Publicidad, which sells advertising space to government institutions and private advertisers.

Product overview

SINART (Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión) operates as a Costa Rican public broadcasting company offering a multi-platform media portfolio. The core offerings consist of Canal Trece (Channel 13) television, Radio Nacional 101.5 FM, and the digital platform Sinart Digital. Supporting services include RTN Publicidad for advertising and media buying, live broadcasting capabilities, and commercial content production services. News operations centered on Trece Noticias provide national and international coverage, while Deportivas del Trece covers sports content. The portfolio includes programming across entertainment, cultural, educational, and informational genres, with international content partnerships (Korean dramas, Turkish television via TRT) and commercial production capabilities for government and private clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Canal Trece (Canal 13) Costa Rica's national public television channel operated by SINART, featuring news programs (Trece Noticias), entertainment shows, sports coverage, and international content partnerships including Korean dramas.
• Radio Nacional 101.5 FM (and 590 AM) National radio station operated by SINART featuring generalist programming including opinion shows, music, sports, health content, and cultural productions like the 'Cine y Memoria' series, broadcasting on 101.5 FM and 590 AM.
• Trece Noticias Flagship news program covering national and international news, with editions throughout the day including Estelar (evening) and Meridiana (afternoon), plus digital content across multiple categories including politics, world events, technology, health, sports, and culture.
• Deportivas del Trece
• RTN Publicidad National advertising agency of SINART offering media planning, advertising space sales, content production, BTL marketing, digital strategy, television and radio commercial production, and campaign creative services for government institutions and private advertisers.
• Sinart Digital
• Signal En Vivo (Live Broadcasting)
• Servicios Comerciales y Producción de Contenido

Quantifiable outcome

• 69 public institutions complied with 10% advertising payment in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Costa RicacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 November 2024A new agreement between the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and SINART provides three new Korean drama series (doramas) to Costa Rican audiences. The partnership allows Canal 13 to broadcast Korean dramas including 'Pon tu nombre en alto', 'La otra señorita Oh', and 'Abogado sin ley' in prime time slots, offering free access to quality Korean cultural content.
• TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2024SINART signed a cooperation agreement with TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) at the First Broadcasting Summit in Istanbul. The agreement provides SINART access to Spanish-language content produced by TRT, which operates 17 TV channels and 17 radio stations producing content in over 41 languages. The partnership enables content sharing, knowledge exchange, and technology collaboration with one of the world's largest broadcasters.
• Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe INA (National Learning Institute) partnered with SINART to restore the organization's first mobile TV unit, originally donated by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain. The restored unit will be exhibited at the Children's Museum.
• Embassy of Spain in Costa RicaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Embassy of Spain collaborated with SINART and INA on the restoration project of the first mobile TV unit donated by the Spanish royal family, which marked a milestone in Costa Rican television history.
• Opa-Canal 38coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSINART formed a successful alliance with Opa-Canal 38 for the transmission of Zapote bullfighting events. This partnership expanded entertainment programming across both digital platforms and social media, with 16 animation professionals working together across both channels.
• Centro Costarricense de Cine y Audiovisual (CCCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSINART partnered with the CCCA (Costa Rican Center for Film and Audiovisual) under the Ministry of Culture to broadcast 'Cine y Memoria', a 24-episode radio series exploring Costa Rican cinema history. The series aired on Radio Nacional 101.5 FM and is available on Spotify and SINART digital platforms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN): Chile's state-owned public broadcaster with national TV channels and digital platform. Comparable regional public broadcaster operating under state ownership with cultural and educational obligations.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): US public broadcasting entity combining TV, digital, and educational content. Directly comparable as a nonprofit/public broadcasting network with multi-platform distribution and cultural-educational programming mandate.
• Deutsche Welle: Germany's public international broadcaster with multilingual TV, radio, and digital. Comparable as a publicly-funded broadcaster with international content partnerships and a strong digital platform extending reach globally.
• RTVE (Radio Televisión Española): Spain's public broadcaster, comparable as a state-owned national TV and radio operator with public service obligations, multi-channel structure, and content production capabilities. Highly relevant given SINART's deep ties to Spanish cultural heritage.
• Canal 7 (Argentina - TV Pública): Argentina's state-owned public television channel. Directly comparable as a Latin American public broadcaster with state funding, news, cultural programming, and national reach.

Broad incumbents

• NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation): Japan's national public broadcaster combining terrestrial TV, satellite, and radio plus digital platforms. Comparable as a publicly-funded multi-platform broadcaster serving a defined national audience with cultural and educational mandates.
• ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): Australia's national public broadcaster operating TV, radio, and digital. Comparable as a publicly-funded multi-platform broadcaster with comprehensive national coverage and cultural mandate.
• France Télévisions: French public television group operating multiple national channels and digital platforms. Comparable in role as a state-backed national broadcaster delivering cultural, educational, and news programming funded through mandated mechanisms.

Regional players

• Canal Once (Mexico): Mexican public television channel operated by cultural institutions. Comparable regional public broadcaster focused on cultural and educational content in the Latin American market.
• RTM (Radio Televisión Martí): US government-funded Spanish-language broadcaster for Latin America. Comparable in serving Spanish-speaking audiences with news and cultural programming, though focused on cross-border broadcasting rather than domestic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sinartdigital
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SinartCostaRica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sinart
• Facebookfacebook.com/sinartdigital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sinart