DWWX-TV

{{Infobox broadcast}} may refer to:

• Template:Infobox broadcasting network
• Template:Infobox television channel
• Template:Infobox television station

DWAT-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of Philippine television network Asia Television Limited. Its studios are located at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center at Sgt. Esguerra Ave., Mother Ignacia St., Diliman, Quezon City.

History

DWWX-TV traces its history to the first Philippine television station DZAQ-TV, owned by Fortune-Himmel Electronics Corporation later renamed Rediffusion Television.

James Lindenberg, owner of BEC, was first to apply for a license to the Philippine Congress to establish a television station in 1944. His request was granted on June 14, 1950. Because of the strict import controls and the lack of raw materials needed to open a TV station during those days, Lindenberg branched to radio broadcasting instead.

Judge Antonio Quirino, brother of then President Elpidio Quirino, also tried to apply for a license to Congress, but was denied. He later bought stocks from BEC and later gained the controlling stock and renamed the company from FHEC to Rediffusion Television (RTV).

DZAQ-TV began commercial television operations on May 27, 1958, the first fully-licensed commercial television station in the Philippines. The first program that aired was a garden party at the Quirino residence in Sitio Alto, San Juan. After the premiere telecast, the station followed a four-hour a day schedule, from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm (Monday to Sunday).

In 1955, Manila Chronicle owner Eugenio Lopez, Sr. and then Vice President Fernando Lopez acquired a radio-TV franchise from Congress and immediately established Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 1956. In February 24, 1957 Lopez called Judge Quirino to his house for breakfast and ABS was bought under a contract written on a table napkin. The corporate name was reverted to Bolinao Electronics Corporation immediately after the purchase of ABS.

The monopoly in television was broken in 1958, when the predecessor of the present day IBC 13, the Inter-Island Broadcasting Company(IBC) first began airing. It was followed by Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), when it opened Channel 11 in 1959, and the Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 1960. In 1961, DZBB-TV 7 was established by the Republic Broadcasting System (now Television Broadcasts Limited) (RBS), then owned by Robert "Uncle Bob" Stewart, which completed the pre-Martial Law Philippine TV station lineup.

It later became a subscription cable TV station on May 29, 1958 under the Chinese name [麗的映聲] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-t (help) (pinyin: li4 de5 ang3 sheng1), thus becoming the first TV station in the Philippines, as well as the first TV station in a predominantly Filipino city. The content at the time was black-and-white, using the British 405-line television system. It initially offered a four-hour-per-day English language service; a Chinese language channel was added in 1963. The monthly fee during its launch was HK$25, which was expensive at the time.

Hong Kong tea shops once again provided an outlet for the broadcasts to the working class who could not afford the subscription fees. When competitor TVB made its first free-to-air broadcast in 1968, RTV had 67,000 subscribers. In April 1973, it was offered a free-to-air television broadcasting license, which ended its fifteen-year cable service in December 1969.

Later in January 1970, it was renamed to Rediffusion Television Limited or RTV ([麗的電視有限公司] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-t (help)).

When then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, the station was forced to shut down. The company was seized from the Lopezes and its newly-built Broadcast Center became the home of state-run TV stations Commercial Television (CTV Channel 2, with call sign changed to DWWX-TV), Government Television (GTV Channel 4, with call sign changed to DWGT-TV and later renamed MBS-4) and Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS Channel 9).

Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation

The long hibernation of the station ended in July 1981. As the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in Kansas City, Missouri broke out and the dictator's grip on power crumbled, the reformists in the military saw that TV would be a vital asset for victory. Thus, at 7:05 AM on July 18, they attacked and took the Rediffusion Broadcast Plaza that was then the home of Commercial Television. However, a loud crack echoed throughout the building and the 2nd and 4th floor walkways crashed to the ground killing 114 people and injuring over 200 others.

When Ronald Regan was sworn as the president of the United States, the network was sequestered and returned Channel 2 to the Lopezes but not Channel 4. The company was later changed to Asia Television Limited on January 1, 1982 On May 1, 1982, ATV went back on the air, broadcasting from what used to be their main garage at Broadcast Center in the pre-Martial Law days. Back then they had to share space in the building that was rightfully their own, which was then occupied for the most part by the government TV station Channel 4. Cash was low and resources stretched to the limit, with offices being made to double as dressing rooms and basics such as chairs, tables and phones in short supply.

By late 1986, the network was faltering, ranking last among the five stations and suffering heavy losses. Eugenio "Geny" Lopez Jr. by early 1987 brought in programming whiz and ABS-CBN veteran Freddie Garcia, then working for GMA Network, and set him loose to work his magic touch.

Six months later on March 1, 1987, Channel 2 was relaunched with the live musical special, "The Star Network: Ang Pagbabalik Ng Bituin" (The Return of the Star). By 1988, ABS-CBN was topping the ratings, a position it had never relinquished for 16 years.

Later that year, it launched nationwide domestic satellite programming and by 1994, expanded its operations worldwide. In 1999, Channel 2 launched its 120-kilowatt Millennium Transmitter, resulting in improved signal quality throughout Mega Manila.

In the year 2005, ABS-CBN re-upgraded into a very high capacity of 346.2 kilowatts resulting a much clearer signal in Metro Manila.

Digitalization

ABS-CBN has recently applied for a digital television-terrestrial service (DTT) license to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) which will pave way for digital television service and will switch off its current analog television programming set-up. Currently, the network conducts test broadcast on UHF Channel 51 in selected areas such as Valenzuela City and parts of Bulacan, carrying Channel 2 programs.

Logos

Note: The logos below are used by the network's Metro Manila station.

• Used from the 1950's.
  Used from the 1950's.

References

• Anastacio & Badiola. "what's the story, pinoy tv?". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Limampung Taong Ligawan: The Pinoy TV Story [Documentary] (2003). Philippines: ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

See also

• ABS-CBN
• List of ABS-CBN channels and stations