High above us, the PTV Network Tower pierces the sky. It is not just steel and wire. It is a symbol of information, resilience and the enduring spirit of Cebu.
PTV, People’s Television Network, began its journey here in Cebu on September 11, 1963. Back then, it broadcast on Channel 11. The station used the call sign DYMT-TV. This was under the Associated Broadcasting Corporation.
But this chapter was interrupted. In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. DYMT-TV was temporarily silenced.
However, the story of PTV in Cebu did not end there. On February 2, 1974, the station was reborn. It reappeared as DYGT-TV. It became part of the National Media Production Center as Government Television or GTV. Lito Gorospe headed the station. Later, Press Secretary Francisco Tatad took over. DYGT-TV marked a significant milestone. It was the first television station in Central Visayas.
In 1978, changes came again. DYGT-TV became DYCW-TV. It switched its affiliation to Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation. That same year, GTV moved to Channel 3. It adopted the call sign DYCB-TV. In 1980, it was renamed Maharlika Broadcasting System or MBS.
A pivotal moment arrived on February 24, 1986. The station was rebranded. It became People’s Television or PTV.
PTV then returned to Channel 11 in 1988. Channel 3 was taken over by ABS-CBN. The call letters changed to DYPT-TV. The studios were then located along A.C. Cortes Ave. in Mandaue. The old NMPC Building was demolished in 2011.
Unfortunately, PTV-11 Cebu went off the air suddenly on January 15, 2011. This was for facility upgrades.
After four years of silence, PTV-11 Cebu roared back to life. It resumed operations on August 29, 2015. A brand-new 10,000-watt transmitter was installed. This came from Advanced Broadcasting Electronics of Italy. A 250-foot tower in Sitio Babag, Brgy. Busay became its new home. This coincided with the APEC Summit in the city.
PTV Cebu began ISDB-T digital test broadcasts on UHF Channel 42 on June 1, 2018.
PTV Cebu went off the air again on December 16, 2021. Typhoon Rai or Odette caused this. The transmitter was struck by the typhoon.
But like a phoenix, the station returned to air in January 2022. Power was restored in Brgy. Babag.
Today, PTV Network Tower continues its mission. It provides information. It connects communities. It stands as a testament to the power of media. It shows its power to inform, engage and unite. It rose again and again after every fall. Its spirit remains unbroken.