DYSS-TV

For the radio station, see DYSS-AM.

GMA TV-7 Cebu (DYSS-TV)

Metro Cebu Philippines
City	Cebu City
Channels	Analog: 7 (VHF) Digital: 26 (UHF) ( ISDB-Tb ) Virtual: 7.01
Branding	GMA TV-7 Cebu
Programming
Subchannels	See list
Affiliations	7.1: GMA 7.2: GTV 7.3: Heart of Asia 7.4: I Heart Movies
Ownership
Owner	GMA Network Inc.
Sister stations	DYLS-TV (GTV) GMA Super Radyo DYSS 999 Barangay RT 99.5
History
Founded	February 1962;63 years ago (1962-02) (soft launch) [1] February 18, 1963;62 years ago (1963-02-18) (launch)
Former call signs	None
Former affiliations	RBS TV (1962-1972)
Call sign meaning	DY Super Radyo Sugbu (also used by sister radio station DYSS Cebu) or Super Serbisyo
Technical information
Licensing authority	NTC
Power	Analog: 60,000 watts (50,000 watts on-operational power output) Digital: 10,000 watts
ERP	Analog: 259,000 watts Digital: 77,700 watts
Transmitter coordinates	10°21′48.7″N123°51′12.4″E / 10.363528°N 123.853444°E / 10.363528; 123.853444
Translator(s)	(see article )
Links
Website	GMANetwork.com

DYSS-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Metro Cebu, Philippines, serving as the Visayas flagship of the GMA television network. The digital service is known as DYSS-DTV by only a few people. It is owned and operated by the network's namesake corporate parent alongside GTV outlet DYLS-TV (channel 27). Both stations share studios at the GMA Skyview Complex, Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City, while DYSS-TV's hybrid analog and digital transmitting facilities are located at the GMA Tower Compound, Mt. Bonbon. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Timeline

• February, 1962 - GMA Cebu traces its roots to DYSS radio, which launched its first provincial AM station in Cebu City on July 4, 1957, under Loreto F. de Hemedes Inc., led by Robert “Uncle Bob” Stewart. Its early studio was in the Fortunata Building, while its antenna and transmitter were located in Brgy. Mambaling. Building on radio success, the company launched DYSS-TV Channel 7 in 1961, four months after Manila’s DZBB-TV, starting with a 100-watt transmitter and 6.5 hours of daily programming.
• February 18, 1963 - DYSS-TV Channel 7 began commercial broadcasts as Cebu City's second VHF station, following ABS Channel 3. Its studio and transmitter were located on the 10th floor of the Luym Building (now Ludo and Luym) at Plaridel and Juan Luna Streets (now Osmeña Blvd.).
• March 1, 1969 - DYSS-TV, branded as “Greater 7 Cebu,” adopted ABC’s Circle 7 logo and initially aired canned US programs before developing local content.
• September 21, 1972 - Due to President Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law declaration under Proclamation 1081, DYSS-TV was forced to cease operations.
• 1974 - RBS was sold to Felipe Gozon, Gilberto Duavit Sr., and Menardo Jimenez, who rebranded DYSS-TV as GMA Radio-Television Arts with the slogan Where You Belong. The station adopted a light blue square logo and ABC-inspired Circle 7 branding, later transitioning to rainbow-colored stripes. DYSS-TV then became an originating station with its own English newscast, GMA News Digest Cebu, affiliated with GMA News Roundup.
• 1979 - DYSS-TV upgraded to a 5-kilowatt TPO (50 kW ERP), boosting signal coverage across Metro Cebu, GMA News Digest Cebu was rebranded as News at Seven Cebu. This marked the launch of GMA’s first local and one of the longest-running regional newscasts in the Visayas, created to compete with GTV-3’s News Today. DYSS-TV thus became the first GMA regional station to introduce localized news.
• January 20, 1980 - DYSS-TV’s first live coverage of the Sinulog Festival took place at Plaza Independencia in Cebu City
• 1981 - To better serve local audiences, DYSS-TV introduced its first Cebuano-language newscast, Mga Balita sa Kilum-Kilum, along with a business program highlighting Cebuano entrepreneurs.
• 1989 - Goot da Wanderpol, DYSS-TV’s first Cebuano-language local drama, premiered and was also syndicated on GMA Channel 7 Davao.
• 1990 - DYSS-TV relocated its studios and transmitter to the GMA Skyview Complex in Nivel Hills, Apas, upgrading to a 50 kW transmitter (259 kW ERP). This move enhanced broadcast equipment and significantly improved signal reception across Metro Cebu and the Central and Eastern Visayas.
• 1992 - DYSS-TV launched its first relay station in Eastern Visayas through TV-10 Tacloban, with a 5,000-watt capacity to serve Tacloban City. It became the first semi-satellite station of GMA Radio-Television Arts in the Leyte region.
• April 30, 1992 - In line with GMA's coverage expansion following the launch of the Tower of Power in Manila, DYSS-TV joined the Rainbow Satellite Network to relay national programming across the Philippines and Southeast Asia, while continuing local content for Central Visayas, Leyte, and Samar. The rebranding introduced a new rainbow-themed logo with metallic GMA lettering in Futura Extra Bold. GMA also served as the official broadcaster of the 1995 World Youth Day, marking Pope John Paul II’s final visit to the Philippines.
• January 1, 1995 - For its 45th anniversary, GMA refreshed its branding by curving the rainbow and dropping the "Rainbow Satellite" label. On September 1, 1998, the final ident featured only the GMA text and a rounded rainbow, reviving the classic slogan Where You Belong.
• October 4, 1999 - GMA Cebu launched Balitang Bisdak under GMA News and Public Affairs, with Bobby Nalzaro as anchor following his move from Bombo Radyo Cebu in 1997. That same day, the channel debuted Singgit Cebu, a musical variety show taped alternately at SM City Cebu. Around this time, GMA Channel 7 Cebu also produced the Cebuano drama Ang Bastonero, which was simulcast on TV-5 Davao.
• December 31, 1999 - A regional edition of GMA's Global Millennium Day was produced for Cebuano viewers, featuring local hosts. It was simulcast with GMA-7 Manila, highlighting Regine Velasquez’s "Written in the Sands" performance, and included feeds from Regions 7 and 8. The event also aired via radio on DYSS 999 and 99.5 RT Cebu.
• October 27, 2002 - During an episode of the now-defunct variety show SOP, GMA unveiled its new rainbow-colored heart logo, symbolizing its transformation into the Kapuso Network.
• 2010s - GMA Cebu inaugurated a new 60,000-watt transmitter at Mt. Bonbon, significantly enhancing signal quality across Central and Eastern Visayas.
• November 13, 2017 - Following the launch of the GMA Regional TV division, Balitang Bisdak was relaunched in the style of sister newscasts Balitang Amianan and One Mindanao. It began simultaneous broadcasts across key areas in Central and Eastern Visayas via local channels like TV-10 Tacloban, TV-11 Bohol, and TV-12 Ormoc, later expanding to TV-5 Dumaguete, TV-5 Calbayog, and TV-8 Borongan starting in 2021.
• May 23, 2018 - GMA Cebu began ISDB-T digital test broadcasts on UHF Channel 26 with a 15,000-watt power output (77,700-watt ERP), reaching Metro Cebu, Cebu province, Negros Oriental, Bohol, and parts of Leyte and Samar.
• June 29, 2020 - Due to the escalating COVID-19 situation in Cebu City, GMA Regional TV suspended GMA Cebu's program production, temporarily replacing it with One Western Visayas from GMA TV-6 Iloilo. The setup lasted until July 10, with local programming resuming on July 13.
• December 16, 2021 - In the aftermath of Typhoon "Rai" (Odette), GMA Cebu suspended operations for the second time due to damage to power lines and nearby trees affecting its complex and transmitters. It resumed limited broadcasts the following day, airing emergency programming— including Balitang Bisdak and 24 Oras— from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• January 12, 2022 - After power was restored in Brgy. Apas, GMA Cebu resumed local program and religious show production, while continuing to air satellite-fed content from its flagship station in Quezon City. It initially reclaimed 18–19 hours of daily airtime, with primetime limited to 6:30–11:30 p.m. due to Typhoon Rai’s impact. Within weeks, the station fully returned to its regular broadcast schedule.

GMA TV-7 Cebu programs

• Balitang Bisdak
• Word of God Network
• Sunday Catholic TV Mass Cebu
• Sinulog Festival (annually, every 3rd Sunday of January)

GMA TV-7 Cebu former programs

• 24 Oras Central Visayas
• Ang Bastonero
• Araguy
• Buena Mano Balita
• Coffee with Us
• Eat Na Ta! ^[5]
• GMA Musicale
• GMA News Cebu
• GMA Regional TV Live!
• Goot da Wanderpol
• Holy Mass
• Istayl Nato
• Central Visayas Isyu Karon
• Ka Ina
• Kape at Balita
• Let's Fiesta
• Mga Balita sa Kilum-Kilum
• News at Seven Cebu
• News Digest Cebu
• Oi!
• Sabado Box Office Hits
• Siete Palabras @ Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral ^[6]
• Siete Palabras
• Singgit Cebu
• The Visayan Agenda
• Visita Iglesia

Digital television

Digital channels

DYSS-TV's digital signal operates on UHF channel 26 (545.143 MHz) and broadcasts on the following subchannels:

Channel	Video	Aspect	Short name	Programming	Note
7.01	480i	16:9	GMA	GMA Cebu (Main DYSS-TV programming)	Commercial broadcast (10 kW)
7.02			GTV	GTV
7.03			HEART OF ASIA	Heart of Asia
7.04			I HEART MOVIES	I Heart Movies
7.31	240p		GMA 1SEG	GMA Cebu (relay station of DZBB-TV Manila)	1seg

Areas of coverage

• Cebu City
• Cebu
• Portion of Bohol
• Portion of Negros Oriental
• Portion of Leyte
• Portion of Northern Mindanao

Rebroadcasters

Red: Home location of GMA Cebu
Light red and red: Market audience of GMA Cebu
Violet: Areas that may receive signals from GMA Cebu

DYSS-TV's programming is relayed to the following stations across the Central Visayas, and most of the Eastern Visayas.

Station	Location	Channel	TPO
DYVB-TV	Borongan	8 (VHF)	1 kW (25 kW ERP)
DYAS-TV	Calbayog	5 (VHF)	1 kW (15  kW ERP)
D-5-YB-TV	Dumaguete	5 (VHF)	1 kW
D-11-YE-TV	Tagbilaran	11 (VHF)	2 kW (10.39 kW ERP)
DYIL-TV	Ormoc	12 (VHF)	1 kW
DYCL-TV	Tacloban	Analog: 10 (VHF) Digital: 34 (UHF)	5 kW 10 kW

See also

• DZBB-TV
• DYRT-FM
• DYSS-AM
• GMA Network
• List of GMA Network stations

References

1. "International TV Directory". Television Factbook (PDF). Television Digest, Inc. 1970. p. 1056. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
2. "NTC Region 7 Radio and TV Broadcast Station". region7.ntc.gov.ph. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
3. "2023 financial report" (PDF). Retrieved June 17, 2024.
4. "NTC List of TV Stations as of Dec 2021 via FOI website" (PDF). foi.gov.ph. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
5. Eat Na 'Ta, December 29, 2007 episode
6. "Former OFW, scavenger join Seven Last Words activity". Cebu Daily News. March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.

External links

GMA Regional TV