Early history
The successor network not only to Rede Tupi but to Rede Excelsior, two former Brazilian television networks, it was owned by Adolpho Bloch, the Ukrainian – Brazilian founder of the publishing group called "Bloch Editores", from half of the defunct Rede Tupi (the other half became SBT in 1981). Its slogan in 1983 was the unofficial slogan "A Televisão do ano 2000" (The Television of the year 2000) and the official slogan "A TV de 1ª Classe" (First Class Television). Initially planned to launch between September and November 1982,[3] and then March 1983,[5] Manchete began operations at 7:00 pm on 5 June 1983[6] with a speech by Bloch, followed by a segment with the network's logo flying over Brazil and then stopping on a building.[7] The network received high ratings in Rio de Janeiro, and as a result, it suddenly moved to second place in viewership in that area.
In the beginning, the network broadcast various shows and operas, like TV Record in 60s, bringing the focus for the A and B Classes. In 1984, model and actress Xuxa presented the Clube da Criança program in 1984, beating sometimes TV Globo's morning show, Balão Magico. This was the year it began a rival coverage of the Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, its most successful one.
In 1985, with two years of existence, losses of Manchete were evident. The network entered its first financial crisis.[8] Bloch, in 1988, wanted to sell the network and asked for US$350 million.[9] In the 1990s, congressman Paulo Octávio made a proposal to Adolpho Bloch of the proposed purchase of TV Manchete for US$200 million. The Paulo Octávio partner was the businessman João Carlos Di Genio,[10][11][12] but the sale was not made.[13] Editora Abril also showed interest in the network.[14] Then the IBF company took Manchete, but then had revoked its management justice. Adolpho Bloch took control of the network, with staff salaries six months late.[7] Within four months, Bloch had brought staff pay back up to date.[citation needed]
By 1987, for the first time, Rede Manchete and Rede Globo jointly broadcast the Brazilian Carnival to all over the country. The next year, however, the network was in a weak financial situation after just 5 years, but came out stronger.
The Pantanal phenomenon
1990 saw the launch of the telenovela Pantanal (named after the Pantanal wetlands on which it was set), which would beat the TV Globo telenovela Rainha da Sucata (Queen of the Junk) in popularity and score. The story mixed romance, very beautiful images of the Mato Grosso Pantanal and a bit of the supernatural. The plot centered around a son of a big farmer of Mato Grosso that came to know his father for the first time, and also Juma, a wild lady that lives in a forest cabin and transforms herself in a jaguar when she's angry, with which he falls in love. Afterwards, Manchete continued making telenovelas that were well known for their good image and content quality. They were exported to various countries, but never proved as successful as Pantanal or competing telenovelas from the Rede Globo.
However, beginning in 1992 and continuing through the end of the decade, the network was forced off the air three times; the first of those shutdowns was due to an invasion of employees at the network's transmission tower in São Paulo.[15]
Closure
After Bloch's death in 1995, his nephew Pedro Jack Kapeller became president of Manchete.[16] Manchete's financial troubles deepened after the 1998 FIFA World Cup, when the network's income fell 40 percent. As a result, the network laid off 540 employees, as well as pay day wages of the remaining employees. In October 1998, the network cut the production of almost all of its programs, including the telenovela Brida [pt].[15] The network was to be sold to Reborn in Christ Church in January 1999, but in February of the same year, the proposal was withdrawn due to a breach of contractual clauses. On 8 May 1999, Rede Manchete's license was sold to TeleTV Group for US$608 million.[17]
