DWKC-TV
 | |
| Metro Manila | |
|---|---|
| City | Mandaluyong/Antipolo City |
| Branding | BEAM Channel 31-Manila |
| Channels |
Analog: 31 (UHF) Digital: 32 (UHF/under test broadcast) (ISDB-T) Virtual: 12.1 (LCN) |
| Subchannels | See list of subchannels |
| Affiliations | Independent |
| Owner | Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, Inc. |
| Founded |
October 31, 1993 (RMN TV) July 3, 2011 (BEAM) |
| Former affiliations |
CTV-31 (1993-2000) E! Entertainment (2000-2003) Silent (2003-2011) The Game Channel (2011-2012) CHASE (2011-2012) Jack City (2012-2014) |
| Transmitter power | 50 kW TPO/4,050 kW ERP |
| Website | www.beam.com.ph |
BEAM Channel 31 (DWKC-TV), is the flagship television station of Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, Inc. in the Philippines. Its studios and transmitter are located at Palos Verdes Subdivision, Brgy Sta. Cruz, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City, province of Rizal.[1]
Formerly an affiliate of Solar Entertainment, BEAM TV supplies its DTTV programming with Beginnings at Twenty Plus, Inc., O Shopping of ABS-CBN Corporation and CJ Group of Korea (with ABS-CBN as an affiliate of BEAM-TV's owner, Globe Telecom), and the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Radyo Inquirer (owned by Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation). Since March 2016, BEAM splits all of its blocktimers into digital television subchannels, with infomercial service Shop TV remaining to its analog signal.
History
As CTV-31
On October 31, 1993, Radio Mindanao Network became the second radio-based network to launch a TV station called CTV 31. It is also the first UHF station to be inspired by the format of a cable movie channel.[2]
But recently CTV-31 acquired and aired E! (the American-cable network channel in the US) in mid-1997. Because of the broadcasting rules assigned by National Telecommunications Commission and the matter that they acquired the broadcast rights from E!, CTV-31 stopped its broadcast on August 2000.
E! Philippines 31 and ceased transmission
In mid-1997, it acquired rights to broadcast shows from the E! channel, a U.S. cable TV channel, which broadcast together with RMN's CTV-31. On September 2000, CTV-31 leased the entire channel block and changed its name to E! Philippines. Originally broadcasting 24-hours a day, in 2001 it reduced its broadcasts to 6pm-12mn.[3] However, on June 1, 2003, RMN had to cease their operations on TV due to financial constraints and poor television ratings, and somehow decided to focus only on their 2 radio networks (which is 93.9 iFM and DZXL 558 AM). There were several religious groups who had wished to acquire block programming of CTV but the RMN refused to accept their offers. Some programs of E! were broadcast to QTV Channel 11 via "E! on Q" (now known as GMA News TV), ETC (aired over SBN 21), Solar News Channel (now CNN Philippines and aired over RPN 9), and Velvet (now defunct).
Since July 2011, E! has been available on most major cable/satellite systems in the Philippines distributed by Universal Networks International (a subsidiary of NBCUniversal).[4]
As BEAM Channel 31
Initial Broadcast and The Game Channel
After almost eight years of inactivity in Metro Manila television, on July 3, 2011, UHF 31 returned its operations as a test broadcast.[5] The station (along with some RMN-owned UHF stations nationwide) was occupied by Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, after the latter bought up the acquisition by Bethlehem Holdings, Inc. (funded by Globe Telecom's Group Retirement Fund) from RMN.[6][7] And as the first broadcast TV operations under new ownership, BEAM began its affiliation partnership with Solar Entertainment Corporation.
The network was branded on July 13 as BEAM Channel 31. On August 15, 2011, it started its initial broadcast carrying The Game Channel.[8] However, on December 24, The Game Channel limited its broadcast every morning and afternoon, to give way to its new sister network station CHASE, which is used its evening block.
As CHASE
On December 24, 2011, The Game Channel limited its broadcast on daytime sharing with a new programming service called CHASE which takes over the evening block. In February 2012, both services aired a promotion, announcing the split of CHASE and TGC to form themselves as separate channels, which entitled "CHASE goes 24". The changes took effect on February 15, 2012, when The Game Channel bade goodbye to the viewers after its 7-month run on free TV and became a cable-only channel; while CHASE leased and took its entire BEAM airtime on free TV.
As Jack City
On September 7, 2012, Jack TV plugged their announcement thru CHASE programs bearing the title "Another Jack TV is rising, coming soon on this channel" (BEAM Channel 31). This indicated that CHASE was being replaced; finally, on October 20, 2012, Jack City was then launched, marking October 19 as the end of CHASE's broadcasts. Jack City still does carry some of CHASE's programs however.[9][10] The full broadcast was initiated on November 11, 2012. On June 28, 2013, Jack City was forced to reduce its Free TV broadcast to 18 hours a day on BEAM in compliance with the National Telecommunications Commission's guidelines. However, it still continues to air as a cable channel 24 hours a day.
On July 16, 2014, the day that Metro Manila was crippled by "Typhoon Glenda", the station became inactive. It was later found out that the transmitter located in Palos Verdes in Antipolo City, Rizal received a total damage to some of its facilities done by the said typhoon. As a result, the station shuts down temporarily for another maintenance, and continued its telecast on cable networks. Somehow it resumed telecast on August 10, 2014 at 9:00 PM, but still under observation.
Digital Television broadcast
On September 1, 2014, Jack City was no longer aired and affiliated on BEAM Channel 31 and its provincial affiliates, as BEAM prepares its ISDB-T digital television. However, Jack City continues to broadcast on pay TV networks until March 21, 2015, when the channel was rebranded as CT a day later on March 22, 2015.
At the same day, it began using blocktime programs from O Shopping (of ABS-CBN Corporation and CJ Group of Korea) and several programs from TBN Asia (including The 700 Club Asia and Praise the Lord) along with religious programming produced by the Essential Broadcasting Network under the leadership of Bro. Greg Durante of Greg Durante Ministries.
On November 15, 2014, the channel is carried over SkyCable, Destiny Cable and other Pay TV subscribers (per compliance with NTC's "must-carry" basis), displacing Jack City to a different cable channel assignment, which is only available for subscribers residing in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. This also makes BEAM available to cable viewers 24 hours a day once again when it took effect four months later, on March 12, 2015.
On March 1, 2015, TV Shop Philippines (also known as revival of Value Vision) began airing on this channel in the afternoon, followed by selected Tagalog-dubbed telenovelas carried from the Telenovela Channel on nighttime.
On March 9, 2015, the channel also added Shop Japan to its programming during morning hours, and recently they added Shop TV as their newest shopping network partner on February 22, 2016 (ironically Shop TV is owned by BEAM's former blocktime partner Solar Entertainment).
By March 1, 2016, all of BEAM's programs were split into digital television streams. O Shopping, TBN, TV Shop and Shop Japan were relocated as their respective digital subchannel of its own; while BEAM became an affiliate of Shop TV in its analog signal, allowing it to cover most of BEAM's airtime (Tagalog-dubbed telenovelas remained on the analog channel during primetime). Also, its 24-hour cable feed was discontinued following the split.
In May 2016, BEAM added the live video streaming service of Philippine Daily Inquirer and Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation's Radyo Inquirer 990 as its new subchannel affiliate, coinciding with the 2016 Philippine elections.[11] Within the same month, Bacolod City-based travel and lifestyle cable channel Island Living (broadcasting its programs through provincial cable operators including some provincial affiliates of SkyCable from Visayas and Davao in Mindanao) became BEAM's new subchannel, followed by the replacement of TBN Asia with Taiwan-based Christian pay TV channel GOOD TV (which is in fact aired as a former blocktime program from Light Network-33 and as a standalone channel on Destiny Cable and Cignal). GOOD TV PH, however, was replaced by infomercial service EZShop weeks later. Its channel space on digital television remains vacant since July 2016.
The channel split of BEAM was finally completed on August 2016 with the addition of Pilipinas HD.
Programming
Digital television
Digital channels
UHF Channel 32 (581.143 MHz)
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.1 | H.264 | 4:3 | Shop TV on BEAM | Main DWKC-TV Programming/Shop TV | |
| 12.2 | O Shopping on BEAM | O Shopping | Test Broadcast | ||
| 12.3 | TV Shop on BEAM | TV Shop (Vision TV Shopping) | |||
| 12.4 | Shop Japan on BEAM | Shop Japan | |||
| 12.5 | Pilipinas HD on BEAM | Pilipinas HD | |||
| 12.6 | 16:9 | Inquirer 990 on BEAM | Radyo Inquirer 990 | ||
| 12.7 | PHTV & ILC on BEAM | Island Living Channel | |||
| 12.8 | 4:3 | GCTV on BEAM | GOOD TV Philippines | ||
| 12.31 | n/a | BEAM 1 Seg | 1 Seg simulcast of DWKC-TV | 1 Seg mobile test broadcast | |
With the exception of Radyo Inquirer, programming for the analog signal and digital subchannels is supplied by BEAM's management. Though Radyo Inquirer has a round-the-clock broadcast (Radyo Inquirer would air music on its livestream during off-air hours of its radio counterpart), BEAM's digital signal follows the analog signal's broadcasting hours.
Transition to digital television
According to BEAM president Steve Macion, the station is expected to replace the 60 kW (4.05 million watt ERP) analog transmitter with a new, DTT-ready transmitter which is currently under transition and will be complete by the end of 2015. Cebu, Davao and Iloilo stations are also expected to upgrade to digital broadcast.[12][13]
Aside from blocktimers, BEAM is now looking for local and foreign partnerships to allocate and generate content up to six digital free TV channels.[14]
In the first quarter of 2016, BEAM's station in Cebu conducted its DTT test transmission on UHF 31. Before the end of 2016, stations in Davao (UHF 31) and Iloilo (UHF 26) are expected to conduct DTTV test transmission.
BEAM TV stations in the Philippines
Further information: BEAM TV Stations
References
- ↑ "RMN TV Station Networks". Asiawaves. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LpUVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2QoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6592%2C5297183
- ↑ Vanzi, Sol Jose. "RMN Joint Venture for E! Philippines". PHNO: Showbiz Center. Philippine Headline News Online. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ↑ The launch of E! Entertainment Television in the Philippines PEP.ph. Retrieved 07-06-2011.
- ↑ DWKC-TV BEAM Channel 31 Test Broadcast retrieved via www.youtube.com 08-10-2011
- ↑ Lectura, Lenie. "Globe buys into two broadcast firms". Business Mirror. ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ↑ Iglesia, Myla. "NTC favors Japan digital TV". Business Insight. Business Insight. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ↑ THE GAME CHANNEL commercials retrieved via www.youtube.com 10-27-2011
- ↑ Sallan, Edwin. "Solar launches new free channel JackCITY". News5. InterAksyon.com. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ↑ Redefining Drama Solar Entertainment Corporation Launches 'JackCity' ClickTheCity.com. Retrieved 12-01-2012.
- ↑ The Election Coverage with Inquirer 990 TV. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/tech-biz/08/05/14/beam-upgrades-transmitters-support-digital-tv
- ↑ http://www.globe.com.ph/press-room/beam-supports-ntc
- ↑ Globe seeks content partnerships for digital TV venture ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved 04-22-2015.
