President Luis Abinader used the platform of his weekly press conference, La Semanal on Monday, 18 August 2025, to present the achievements of the modernization of public television, RTVD under Ivan Ruiz, with Ellis Perez on the board. RTVD, Channel 4 in Santo Domingo, has been rebranded as a public TV station. RTVD is in its 73rd year.
President Abinader spoke of the sweeping modernization initiative at Radio Televisión Dominicana (RTVD), highlighting significant upgrades to infrastructure, studio equipment, and content production as part of a national effort to strengthen public broadcasting.
President Abinader said when he named TV producer Ivan Ruiz (El Show del Mediodia) to direct the transformation at RTVD, he had requested Ruiz adapt the Spanish public TV station model. He agreed to political independence in programming. Abinader is proud, he said, that the news coverage and analysis today is critical, plural and open.
During his presentation of achievements, Ivan Ruiz said he is proud of the Instituto de Produccion de Television, with 155 graduates in TV production. He mentioned the “Trinitarios” series that tells the story of the independence effort against Haitian domination from 1822 to 1844. This is the first locally-produced animated series of 10 chapters in the Avatar movie technology that will premier in September. The series is shown in public schools. Ruiz also spoke of “La Familia Espejo,” also filmed in house, as a first series that focuses on values.
He said he appreciates the independence of criteria that the Abinader administration has allowed. The new programming has resulted in an increase of 262% in viewing in the past three years.
Ruiz says the RTVD budget is RD$228 million a month. He said the Ministry of Education will be producing educational content because it has a large budget.
TV expert Ellis Perez and RTVD board member commented that Ruiz had taken the station to be a “true national pride.”
During the presentation for the weekly press conference, President Abinader detailed the full remodeling and re-equipping of studios dedicated to production, editing, post-production, and animation. Among the most notable achievements is the construction of the country’s first and only studio specifically for the award-winning children’s program Topi Tok, as well as the creation of a dedicated studio and set design for the national news center – both unprecedented in the Dominican Republic.
As part of the modernization effort, a broadcasting station has been designed and built for each of RTVD’s signal channels: RTVD Canal 4, TV Quisqueya Canal 17, and RTVD Internacional. Additionally, the RTVD website (RTVD.gob.do) has been relaunched with an integrated streaming platform to expand its digital presence and accessibility.
To elevate production standards, the government has invested in state-of-the-art broadcast equipment. This includes new Ikegami, Hitachi, and Sony cameras, video streaming receivers, full LED lighting systems, and newly constructed sets for various programs. A fully operational earth station for satellite transmissions has also been installed.
On the content side, President Abinader emphasized that Topi Tok has been recognized with two Premio Soberano awards, while the series La Familia Espejo received six pre-nominations for the prestigious Premios Platino.
RTVD’s updated programming lineup now features shows like Mangú, Luna Llena, Quisqueya TV, and La Joya de la Corona.
He said Los Trinitarios is the first animated historical series in Latin America that uses motion capture technology, the same used to produce Avatar. The series narrates the story of the Dominican Republic’s founding fathers, covering the historical period from 1822 to 1944.
According to President Abinader, these advancements have led to RTVD achieving full digital signal consolidation, a boost in local production, strategic international partnerships, and progress toward the country’s analog switch-off.
RTVD has broadcast over 18,144 hours of live content, with audience growth soaring by more than 262.8% between 2022 and 2025.
“These improvements not only modernize public broadcasting but also reinforce our cultural identity and bring Dominican content to broader audiences, both at home and internationally,” President Abinader concluded.
Read more in Spanish:
La Semanal 18 August 2025
El Caribe
19 August 2025