Advertising and media glossary for Costa Rica: cuña, mención, publirreportaje, CPM and more

When you ask a Costa Rican radio station or TV channel for a quote, the rate card arrives full of trade terms, usually in Spanish. This glossary explains what each one means, with examples from the public rate cards we reviewed for the guide to how much advertising costs in Costa Rica.

Radio and television

Cuña (radio spot): A recorded ad aired on radio, usually 30 or 60 seconds long. Central de Radios, for example, prices 30" and 60" spots.
Mención (live mention): An ad read live by the host during a program. In Central de Radios’ rate cards, a mention is 25 to 30 words.
Spot: A TV ad, usually 15, 30 or 60 seconds long. The price depends on length and time slot.
Tiempo (AAA, A, B, D, E time slots): A rate category based on the program’s audience. In Teletica’s 2026 rate card, AAA are the most-watched slots and E the least; a 30-second spot ranges from ₡87,000 in slot E to ₡1,400,000 in AAA, before taxes.
Corte comercial (commercial break): The ad break within a program. Choosing a specific position in the break usually costs more: at Teletica, a 15% surcharge.
Publirreportaje (sponsored report): A paid story in news format, within a newscast or publication. On Telenoticias, a 60-second one ranges from ₡1,549,000 to ₡4,045,000 depending on the edition.
Paquete mensual (monthly package): A set of ads at a fixed monthly price. It almost always costs less per ad than buying single spots.

Print and digital media

Módulo (module): A unit of space on a printed page. Prices are per module and drop with volume; at La Nación they range from $75 to $140 depending on color and day.
Banner: A display ad on a website: on the home page, inside pages or in the header.
CPM: Cost per thousand impressions: what you pay each time an ad is shown a thousand times. Grupo Nación charges a $5 CPM for banners on its sites.
Impression: Each time an ad appears on screen, even if nobody clicks.
Pre-roll: A video ad that plays before a video on the site. Grupo Nación charges a $7 CPM.
Sponsored article: Text published by the outlet at a brand’s request, labeled as paid content.
Brand Day: A brand’s presence across an entire site for one day. On nacion.com it costs $2,500.

Documents and procedures

Tarifario (rate card): An outlet’s official price list. Many publish it as a PDF; these are list prices, before volume discounts.
Kit de prensa (media kit): A document with an outlet’s audience, formats and prices. In the Northern Zone, San Carlos Digital and Radio Santa Clara publish theirs; see the guide to advertising in regional media.
Comunicado de prensa (press release): A text a company or organization sends to the media to publish as news, without paying. See how to send a press release.
Pauta / pautar: To buy advertising space in an outlet.

Taxes and invoicing

IVA (VAT): Value-added tax, 13%. Rate cards almost always show prices before VAT.
Timbre del Colegio de Periodistas (Journalists’ Association stamp): A 1% charge added to advertising on news programs, under Law 5527. Together with VAT, it adds more than 14%.
Factura electrónica (electronic invoice): The receipt the outlet issues for each sale. Always ask for one, with your company’s details.

With these terms, you can compare rate cards: see how much it costs to advertise on radio, TV and digital media. To choose the outlet, use the directory of Costa Rican media.

Sources

Public rate cards from Teletica (2026), Central de Radios and Grupo Nación (2024), consulted on October 17, 2026; Law 5527.