Pioneer operators (1962–1972)
On April 11, 1962, at 7:30 pm, the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), through its subsidiary, the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company, launched DZRH-TV on VHF channel 11. [1] On January 9, 1972, MBC inaugurated its new building for the TV station. President Ferdinand Marcos attended the ceremony. [2] However, a few months later on September 23, 1972, the government forced the TV station along with DZRH AM 650 and other assets of the company to cease operations in the wake of Marcos' declaration of martial law. The status of the pre-martial law program archives of channel 11 is unknown.
Failed bid of restoration
After the 1986 People Power Revolution, MBC attempted to bring it back on the air; however in January 1992, the NTC disqualified them for a VHF frequency application because the agency found MBC "not legally, technically and financially qualified to operate the station". [3] As a result, the license was eventually acquired by El Shaddai-led Delta Broadcasting System, Inc. in 1995, with the frequency's new callsign DWXI-TV. DBS later moved to channel 35, when ZOE Broadcasting Network. ZBN head Jesus Is Lord Church leader Brother Eddie Villanueva bought channel 11 from DBS in 1998 and created DZOE-TV, which was occupied by GMA News TV (formerly ZOE TV and QTV/Q). It discontinued operations in June 5, 2019, because the blocktime agreement between ZOE Broadcasting Network and GMA Network was not renewed, so GMA News TV moved to DWDB-TV Channel 27 (renamed as GTV on February 22, 2021), for the remainder of the analog transmission run. Channel 11 became affiliated with ABS-CBN as A2Z, 5 months after channel 2's shutdown due to a cease and desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission for an expired franchise on May 5, 2020, and their frequencies were later recalled, with channel 2's frequency taken over by AMBS' All TV.
Ironically, MBC was one of the two remaining pre-Martial Law TV operators who did not revive at the height of the sequestrations months after the 1986 Revolution, along with ABC-5. It relaunched in 1991 with different calls, DWET-TV; and a different corporate name, Associated Broadcasting Company.
MBC returned to TV, albeit on cable as TV Natin in 2007 branded as DZRH News Television.
