Ole! The national arts channel SINART (Channel 13) left Channels 6 & 7 out in the cold this year,  The lucrative Tico Style Bullfights are the mainstay of the traditional end of year festivities and the basis of the end of year broadcasts. Each year the tranmission rights for the "Festejos Populares" (People’s Festivals) are auctioned off by the Festival Commission. Other important TV events between Christmas and New Years are the TOPE (show horse parade December 26 and Carnival (parade of dance/percussion groups December 27).  But  these are only one day events, so the bull fights are used to bind all the transmissions together. 

So this year SINART S.A. (The National System of Cultural Radio and Television) will transmit the majority of the year end activities.  The funding for the bid was provided by entrepeneur Alfredo Chavarría Ferraro, who is the son of the popular magnate Fernando Chavarría Ardón, known as the "Pollo Macho” (blonde chicken, don’t ask!). The bid was for 51,2 million colones (a bit over $100 000), interestingly enough just over 100,000 colones more than the joint offer placed by Channel 7 y Channel 6.

The other bidding on Saturday was not fruitful for the Festival Commission.  The stand space on the MIdway, where they promote games of skill (chance), food, beverages, and other items for sale; was open for bidding but no offers were received.  Business owners said the base prices were to high and abstained from bidding.  The commission will try again this Saturday.