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DWWX-TV

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DWWX-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of Philippine television network ABS–CBN Broadcasting Corporation. Its studios and transmitter 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 Bolinao Electronics Corporation later renamed Alto Broadcasting System.

James Lindenberg, owner of BEC, was first to apply for a license to the Philippine Congress to establish a television station in 1949. 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 BEC to Alto Broadcasting System (ABS).

DZAQ-TV began commercial television operations on October 23, 1953, 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 six to ten in the evening.

In 1955, Manila Chronicle owner Eugenio Lopez, Sr. and 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.

With the establishment of DZXL-TV 9 of CBN in 1956, the Lopez brothers controlled both television channels in the archipelago. The monopoly in television was broken in 1961 when DZBB-TV 7 was established by the Republic Broadcasting System (now GMA Network, Inc.) (RBS), then owned by Robert "Uncle Bob" Stewart.

In 1967, the company was renamed ABS–CBN Broadcasting Corporation. This company became the formal merger of the two stations DZAQ-TV 3 (ABS) and DZXL-TV 9 (CBN).

In 1966, ABS-CBN became the first TV station to broadcast selected shows in color and by December 18, 1968, ABS-CBN opened its present day Broadcast Center complex in Bohol Avenue, Quezon City; it was then the second most advanced broadcasting facility of its kind during its time in Asia after Japan.

In 1969, DZAQ-TV transferred to channel 2, while its sister station DZXL-TV transferred to channel 4. This was in response to frequency adjustments, so that the television station of the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (later Radio Philippines Network) can occupy the Channel 9 frequency.

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 Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC 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).

The long hibernation of the station ended in February 1986. As the People Power Revolution 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 10 AM on February 24, they attacked and took the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center that was then the home of MBS-4.

When Marcos was deposed, the network was sequestered and returned Channel 2 to the Lopezes but not Channel 4. On September 14, 1986, ABS-CBN TV 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, Eugenio Lopez Jr. died of cancer. Channel 2 launched its 120-kilowatt Millennium Transmitter, resulting in improved signal quality throughout Mega Manila.

In 2005, ABS-CBN re-upgraded its transmission capacity into a very high capacity of 346.2 kilowatts, resulting in an even 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.[1]

References

  1. ^ Station is currently on test broadcast. (Full Article)
  • Anastacio & Badiola. "what's the story, pinoy tv?". Retrieved August 23, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  • Limampung Taong Ligawan: The Pinoy TV Story [Documentary] (2003). Philippines: ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

See also

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