DWDB-TV channel 27 was a television station in Metro Manila, owned and operated by the GMA Network. Originally an independent station, DWDB was the first UHF TV station operated by a major radio-television network.

[edit] History

[edit] Citynet Television channel 27 (August 1995)

On August 27, 1995 seen another new UHF channel via DWDB-TV channel 27.^[1] It was the first UHF television station operated by a major broadcast network. GMA officially launches its new channel under the Citynet Television brand and decided to expand its programming business via UHF. While incorporating the standard red, green and blue colors with some extra color in grey, Citynet Television logo differs from the traditional GMA insignia. It uses in oblique oblong circles in an abstraction of three-rings to indicate richness in color.

It was simplified in keeping with the symbol’s pared-down design. Underneath its oblique rings, a rectangular box embossing the text “citynet” in lower case and uses a San Serif font beneath it is the text “TELEVISION” in upper case and also uses the same San Serif typescript. But when displaying channel logo while programming, it was written CITYNET 27.

The goal of GMA Network for making the very first TV network-owned UHF station is to transfer all of its American programming to have broadcast time space for the GMA local TV shows. Transmitting on a 30,000-watt power capacity with an effective radiated power of up to 60,000 watts, Citynet's telecast on channel 27 covers the Metro Manila Area and its neighboring provinces in Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite. This station branding was known to have dubbed the first and only Philippine-dubbed Hispanic telenovela in English, entitled Ka Ina (until May 28, 2009 when Amanda O is debuted on Q in English dubbed telenovela).

[edit] Entertainment Music Channel (1999)

Due to high programming cost, Citynet Television was rebranded into a music channel. EMC or Entertainment Music Channel uses a single logo adaptation. A simple with a modern glossier style was used. There are no other recorded insignia, due to the fact it only lasted months after it was turned into a branded music channel owned by Star TV Network. After months of commercial broadcast, EMC Inc. through GMA Network signed a leased broadcast agreement with Star TV Network to transmit a localize Channel [V]. On December 15, 1999, Channel [V] Philippines was launched on terrestrial channel 27.

[edit] Channel [V] Philippines (December 1999)

In December 15, 1999, Star TV Network leased the airtime of Citynet Television to launch Channel [V] Philippines^[2] through EMC also known as Entertainment Music Channel. This was revived when the then Citynet broadcasted taped Channel [V] International shows from 1995 - March 1999. This programming made Trey Farley and Joey Mead, former VJ-TV hosts of part-Filipino descent, familiar to the Citynet televiewers in 1995. Also, if previously, both Channel [V] and Citynet logos appear on the right corners of TV screens, this time, only Channel [V] International and Channel [V] Philippines logos appear one at a time. Part of the strategy to localize Channel [V] programming produced both by Star TV and GMA through Alta Productions, its logo was shifted to a brand from a music television mark into a live product that has a vigorous position in its audience's lives. Channel [V] had inherited essentials of its distinctiveness, as well as the brackets around the V from its parent offshore. It dimensionalized the name Channel [V], making it into an object that could then became an environment for its broadcast design and a stage for live events. Instead of being a stylistic device, the brackets have a real purpose. Part of the brief also involves reflecting Channel [V]'s changing in programming that was part of the relaunch, which was a shift to genre-specific rather than continuous hits. Building on the 3D logo method and in a more intrinsic Filipino, it formed themed rooms for each kind. Each attributed its own shade and animated transition from the main logo to a genre-specific version of the mark. On the middle of 2001^[3], Channel V Philippines forced to shutdown due to intense competition of MTV Philippines provided by Nation Broadcasting Company, a PLDT sister company, when PLDT bought a controlling stake in GMA.

Regardless of the fact that this is the first UHF station owned by big radio-television company, the programming of the whole DWDB ended from changing its name to another. This was surpassed by the popularity of another UHF station owned by another big radio-television company, Studio 23 (DWAC 23), which was established a year after the start of DWDB.

However on March 1, 2009, Channel V Philippines is now under the new management with Makisig Network as a new network partner with STAR TV. It was successfully music channel launch last June 1, 2009. ^[4]

[edit] As Q's repeater station

In November 2005, GMA Network used this station after GMA and ZOE Broadcasting Network entered an agreement to rebroadcast DZOE-TV channel 11, the flagship of GMA's new subsidiary network QTV (now simply known as Q) as VHF with equal status to main GMA Network, in exchange of upgrading ZOE's facilities and airing ZOE-produced programming on GMA. Since 2007, this practice was discontinued to make use of station frequency for digital television test broadcasts of GMA's flagship station, DZBB-TV.

[edit] Slogans

• "Your Window to the World"

[edit] See also

• GMA Network
• Q (television network)
• List of programs broadcast by Q
• List of programs broadcast by GMA Network
• List of GMA Network affiliate stations

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• PhilMusic News: Channel V Philippines bids goodbye
• Philippine Television History