It was originally launched on 25 January 1988 as Canal 10 España, but that channel was closed down on 1 September that same year. Later, the following year, it was replaced by a new channel called Antena 3 which was launched on Christmas Day, 25 December 1989 when it began test transmissions, and then later, it commenced its official broadcasts throughout Spain exactly one month later on 25 January 1990 with a programme fronted by journalist Miguel Ángel Nieto, thus becoming Spain's first nationwide private television station; before this, RTVE had a state monopoly.