People's Television Network

People's Television Network (Filipino: Telebisyon ng Bayan, abbreviated PTV) is the flagship government television network owned by the Philippine Government through People's Television Network, Inc. (PTNI). Its head office, studios and transmitter are located at Broadcast Complex, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

History


The country's government television network began operations in 1974 as Government Television (GTV-4). It was renamed Maharlika Broadcasting System in 1980 followed by switching into color TV. Following the People Power Revolution in 1986, it was rebranded as People's Television (PTV).

On March 26, 1992, President Cory Aquino signed Republic Act 7306 turning PTV Network into a government corporation known formally as People's Television Network, Inc.

Shortly after he took over the mantle of government in June 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed PTV Network's first board of directors. The Network was given a one-time equity funding for capital outlay. Since 1992, PTV has been operating on revenues it generates on its own. Republic Act 7306 stipulates that the government shall not appropriate funds for the operations of the Network.

PTNI is on full satellite transmission nationwide since 1992 using PALAPA C2. Its flagship station PTV-4, which is based in Quezon City, boasts of a 40-kilowatt brand-new transmitter sitting on a 500 ft tower. With its 32 provincial stations across the country, the network has extended its reach and coverage to approximately 85 percent of the television viewing public nationwide.

So far, PTNI has come up with the kind of programs that have earned for itself the Hall of Fame Award for Best Station and for Most Balanced Programming in 1987 and two succeeding years thereafter, from the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA). It has, to its name, several pioneering and award-winning educational, cultural and public service programs for their relevance and production excellence. In 1996, PTV won the award for Best TV Station ID in the PMPC Star Awards for Television.

PTNI has pioneered educational and cultural programming. Some of its award-winning programs were Tele-aralan ng Kakayahan (which predated ABS-CBN's The Knowledge Channel by decades), Ating Alamin, Small World (and its successor) Kidsongs, For Art's Sake, Coast to Coast and Paco Park Presents. In 1990s, at the core of its educational programming is the Continuing Education Via Television or CONSTEL, a program aimed at upgrading teaching skills of elementary and secondary teachers of Science and English. Institutionalized by Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), CONSTEL Science and English are being used in teacher training by the Regional and Divisional Leader Schools of the Department of Education, culture and Sports and in Teacher Education Institutions of the Commission on Higher Education.

PTNI has also been the official broadcaster of major international sports competitions. It has covered the Olympic Games, starting with the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, except Barcelona Olympics in 1992 (covered by ABS-CBN), the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (covered by Solar Entertainment Corporation) and the London Olympics in 2012 (covered by TV5). PTNI was the carrying station of the South East Asian Games in 1991, 1995, 2005, and 2007, missing in 2009, Asian Games from 1986 to 2006 and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2007 and 2009. During these coverage, PTNI has received commendations from various sports organizations. In 1996, it received a presidential citation from then President Fidel V. Ramos for the successful coverage of the Atlanta Olympic Games.



On July 16, 2001, under the new management appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, PTNI adopted the name National Broadcasting Network (NBN) carrying a new slogan "One People. One Nation. One Vision." for a new image in line with its new programming thrusts, they continues the new name until the Aquino administration in 2010.

NBN expanded its broadcast reach with the launching of NBN World on February 19, 2003 in cooperation with the Television and Radio Broadcasting Service (TARBS). This global expansion signals new directions for NBN as it becomes accessible to the rest of the world, particularly the millions of Filipinos overseas. NBN can be seen in Australia, North America and the Asia-Pacific. NBN is transmitting via satellite nationwide using Agila 2 but now moved to ABS 1 last September 2011.

Before the year 2010, NBN main studios in Quezon City and its regional stations in Baguio, Cebu and Naga will be equipped with the most modern news gathering equipment for them to compete with the major television networks. Also, a new Harris Transmitter has been installed. NBN's transmitter power shall be increased from 40 kW to 60 kW. NBN's digital channel is now available on channel 48 using the Japanese digital TV standard.

In 2011, NBN continued to enhance its digital broadcasting capabilities with equipment donated from the Japanese government.

This equipment will also allow NBN to begin broadcasting emergency alerts when necessary (similar to the Emergency Alert System in the United States, but it is more likely, due to the usage of the Japanese digital TV standard, that the system would be based on the Japanese J-Alert system).



Although the branding is officially known as the National Broadcasting Network, in August 2011, the "People's Television" brand which was retired in 2001 was reintroduced as a secondary brand until a few months later, PTNI became a primary brand, and the branding National Broadcasting Network was retired.

On March 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act 10390, superseding the old Charter, in which the government will infuse P5 billion to PTV to revitalize the station and make it "digital competitive" in spite of GMA Network's questionings of the law, fearing that it may enter competition, while ABS-CBN and TV5 intend not to worry about it.

Programming
PTV airs several news and public service shows, documentaries and other programs. PTV serves as the main television broadcast arm of the government. The network is a part of the Messaging Division of the government's newly-formed Presidential Communications Group. Its programming is diverse from the two other state-controlled networks IBC & RPN since PTV focuses on its function as the government's voice, while IBC and RPN are general entertainment channels due to its programming.

PTV's International Subsidiaries

 * PTV America


 * PTV World


 * PTV Middle East

PTV Website
The PTV Website is another initiative of People's Television Network to reach out to Filipinos worldwide using the internet. PTV features free live video streaming of PTV's flagship station programs from Quezon City, Philippines.