The Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was a Philippine television network that began operations on November 4, 1973, and ceased transmission on March 20, 1986. The network was well-remembered for its theme song, "Big Beautiful Country", composed by José Mari Chan and sung by Chan with Basil Valdez, Tillie Moreno, Alice Bell and Nonong Pedero.

History

Following the declaration of Martial Law in September 1972,

ABS-CBN Corporation ABS-CBN Corporation is a Filipino media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation which is owned b ...

's frequencies and facilities were seized by the government. In June 1973, Roberto Benedicto, a

crony Cronyism is the spoils system practice of Impartiality, partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations. For example, cronyism occurs ...

of then-

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Ferdinand Marcos and owner of the

Kanlaon Broadcasting System Radio Philippines Network, Inc. (RPN) is a Philippine television and radio company based in Quezon City. It is the flagship media property of Nine Media Corporation of the ALC Group of Companies; along with the Office of the Press Secreta ...

(KBS), took over the ABS-CBN frequencies and facilities in Quezon City. Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation was established to take over DZAQ-TV 2. Upon commencement of operations, the callsign DZAQ-TV 2 was changed to DWWX-TV 2 (BBC-2), complementing its new sister radio stations DWWK 101.9 FM and DWWA 1160 AM. DZXL-TV 4 was appropriated to the Philippine government to become GTV-4 in 1974. Both stations as well as KBS' DZKB-TV 9 (later RPN-9) shared the use of the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center (renamed Broadcast Plaza during the Martial Law era). By December 1973, the network also operated DYCB-TV 3 in

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...

and DYXL-TV 4 in Bacolod, both originally owned by ABS-CBN. Their call signs were also changed to DYCW-TV and DYBW-TV, respectively. The Cebu and Bacolod stations switched affiliations to GTV (Government Television; later the Maharlika Broadcasting System) in 1978 and reverted to their original call letters respectively. In 1978, BBC-2 and RPN-9 would relocate from Broadcast Plaza to Benedicto's new Broadcast City complex, along with

IBC-13 DZTV-TV, Channel 13 (analog) and Channel 17 (digital), is the flagship VHF station of Philippine television network, IBC. The station is owned and operated by Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation with its studios and broadcast facilit ...

(

Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a Philippines, Philippine State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government Communications Group under the Presidential Communications Group (Philippines)#Presidential Communicat ...

) (originally from San Juan) which was also controlled by Benedicto. GTV-4 would remain in Broadcast Plaza and became MBS-4 (Maharlika Broadcasting System) in 1980. BBC-2 was rebranded as City 2 Television from 1980 to 1984 when it reverted back to BBC-2. City 2 was the first in the Philippines to incorporate computer-generated graphics using the

Scanimate {{about, the computer animation system, the animation effect, Barrier grid animation and stereography Scanimate is an analog computer animation (video synthesizer) system developed from the late 1960s to the 1980s by Computer Image Corporation of ...

system for its station identity and promo spots, followed only by RPN in 1981. Beginning in 1983, BBC-2 trailblazed another first, as it became the first-ever television network to broadcast 24 hours every Fridays and Saturdays. At the height of the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...

in 1986, the operations of the Benedicto networks were halted after reformist soldiers disabled the transmitter that was broadcasting Marcos' inauguration from

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...

. Upon Corazón C. Aquino's subsequent accession to the presidency, BBC, RPN, IBC and the Broadcast City complex were sequestered by the new government and placed under the management of a Board of Administrators tasked to operate and manage its business and affairs subject to the control and supervision of

Presidential Commission on Good Government The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) is a quasi-judicial government agency of the Philippines whose primary mandate is to recover the ill-gotten wealth accumulated by Ferdinand Marcos, his immediate family, relatives, subordin ...

. BBC ended its operations on March 20, 1986. The

approved the return of the network's flagship station Channel 2 and a portion of the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center to the Lopezes in June 1986. The Lopez family continued to own ABS-CBN during the Marcos regime and all lease arrangements it entered into with the Philippine government and the Benedicto group for the use of its frequencies and facilities were never entirely recovered. Despite the handover of ownership, DWWX-TV continued to be used as the callsign of the network's flagship station in

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...

. In 1992, ABS-CBN fully recovered the remaining portion of the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center which was used by the

People's Television Network People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...

(PTV) since 1974.

Programming

Radio stations

* DWWA 1160/1206 - Metro Manila. Call letters were changed to DWAN; it was later owned by

and then under the management of

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pagpapaunlad ng Kalakhang Maynila) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital ...

. This station is defunct. * DWWK-FM/DWOK-FM 101.9 - Metro Manila. The frequency was awarded to

in 1986.

References

External links

Supreme Court decisions on BBC