Citynet Network Marketing and Productions, Inc.

Citynet Network Marketing and Productions, Inc. (CNMPI) is a Philippine media company associated with GMA Network, Inc. It functions as a licensee and operating subsidiary for television services, most visibly the Metro Manila station DWDB-TV. Although the company is less publicly prominent than the GMA Network brand, its corporate role has been connected to several important stages in the development of GMA’s secondary television services. CNMPI’s best-known broadcasting project began with the launch of Citynet Television 27 on August 27, 1995. The service was conceived as an independent-style UHF television outlet that could carry imported programs, particularly material from the United States, while GMA’s principal channel concentrated on locally produced programming. The station also carried selected Philippine productions, including Citynet Television News and Citycourt, a dramatic anthology based on notable legal cases in Philippine history. CNMPI’s news and public-affairs work was linked to GMA News and Public Affairs and included cooperation with regional business-news organizations such as CNBC Asia and Asia Business News. The independent-programming model was difficult to sustain. Competition from ABS-CBN-associated Studio 23 and the high costs of running a separate schedule led GMA to alter the station’s format. In 1999, the service briefly adopted the EMC, or Entertainment Music Channel, identity before becoming Channel V Philippines under an arrangement with STAR TV. Channel V Philippines officially began on December 19, 1999, making DWDB-TV a locally operated music-television outlet. The arrangement ended on July 25, 2001, after ownership changes involving PLDT created a conflict with the company’s existing relationship with MTV Philippines and amid intensifying competition. After a period off the air, the station returned in 2004 as a relay of GMA-7 Manila. From November 2005, it also served as a repeater for QTV, GMA’s secondary television service created through an agreement with ZOE Broadcasting Network. The analog UHF service was later vacated as GMA prepared digital-television tests. Beginning in February 2013, GMA used the channel 27 frequency for digital test transmissions based on the Japanese ISDB-T standard. CNMPI again became strategically important in 2019 when GMA ended its long-running blocktime arrangement with ZOE Broadcasting Network for channel 11. To preserve the availability of GMA’s news service in Metro Manila, DWDB-TV’s channel 27 frequency was returned to analog broadcasting and became the originating Manila outlet for GMA News TV on June 4, 2019. GMA’s digital transmissions were moved to UHF channel 15, the frequency assigned by the National Telecommunications Commission for its primary digital feed. On February 22, 2021, the service carried by the station was relaunched as GTV. The new network broadened the format beyond the predominantly news-oriented GMA News TV identity by combining news, entertainment, and sports programming. DWDB-TV’s feed is now distributed through GMA’s digital television infrastructure, including a digital subchannel associated with DZBB-TV. The station and its sister services also moved to 16:9 widescreen presentation in February 2023. CNMPI therefore represents an operating and licensing vehicle behind a succession of GMA-affiliated television concepts rather than a consumer-facing product brand with a broad standalone portfolio.

CNMPI’s documented public history is closely tied to the GMA Network television station DWDB-TV. The station launched as Citynet Television 27 on August 27, 1995. GMA designed it as an independent-style UHF service whose imported programming would complement, rather than duplicate, the locally focused schedule of the main GMA channel. Its limited original programming included Citynet Television News and Citycourt, while the station also experimented with internationally sourced content. The original model did not remain viable. High operating costs and competition from Studio 23 encouraged GMA to replace the independent schedule with a music-oriented format. The station temporarily became EMC in 1999 and then, following a deal with STAR TV, launched Channel V Philippines on December 19 of that year. The music channel ended on July 25, 2001. The ending was associated with PLDT’s investment in GMA and the resulting conflict with PLDT-related MTV Philippines interests, as well as the competitive environment. Programming returned to the frequency in 2004 through a relay of GMA-7 Manila. In November 2005, DWDB-TV became a repeater for QTV, a secondary GMA service operated through a relationship with ZOE Broadcasting Network. The arrangement helped extend reception into parts of southern Metro Manila. The analog frequency was later vacated as GMA prepared digital-television trials. GMA began ISDB-T digital tests using channel 27 in February 2013. These transmissions carried GMA and GMA News TV services. In 2019, the station’s role changed again when GMA and ZOE ended their channel 11 blocktime agreement. GMA repurposed channel 27 for the analog Manila feed of GMA News TV, which resumed transmission on June 4, 2019. At the same time, GMA’s primary digital transmission moved to UHF channel 15. The channel was relaunched as GTV on February 22, 2021. GTV adopted a broader news, entertainment, and sports format while retaining substantial news content. The station’s digital feed is distributed through GMA’s digital television system and, according to the cited station history, is carried through a DZBB-TV digital subchannel. In February 2023, the feed moved to 16:9 widescreen presentation. These developments illustrate CNMPI’s role as a corporate vehicle supporting successive GMA broadcast services, rather than as an independently marketed entertainment brand.

• 2023

  Digital feed changes to 16:9

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  GMA’s digital stations, including the DWDB-TV feed, begin widescreen presentation.

• 2021

  GTV launches

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the GTV identity and a combined news, entertainment, and sports format.

• 2019

  Channel 27 returns to analog broadcasting

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  DWDB-TV resumes analog transmission as the Manila originating station for GMA News TV.

• 2013

  Digital television testing begins

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  GMA starts ISDB-T digital test transmissions using the channel 27 frequency.

• 2005

  DWDB-TV becomes a QTV repeater

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins repeating programming for GMA’s QTV service under the GMA–ZOE arrangement.

• 2001

  Channel V Philippines ends

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The locally operated Channel V service signs off.

• 1999

  Transition to EMC and Channel V Philippines

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station moves from independent programming to the EMC music format and later becomes Channel V Philippines.

• 1995

  Citynet Television 27 launches

  [1]DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org

  DWDB-TV begins broadcasting as Citynet Television 27, an independent-style GMA UHF service.

A GMA Network operating subsidiary focused on television-channel licensing, broadcast distribution, and media production in the Philippines.

• Television station · 1995

  DWDB-TV

  CNMPI’s principal publicly documented broadcast asset is DWDB-TV, a Metro Manila station associated with successive GMA services. Its history includes Citynet Television 27, EMC, Channel V Philippines, QTV relay operations, GMA News TV, and GTV. The station’s facilities include a transmitting site at GMA’s Tower of Power in Quezon City, while studio and network operations are associated with the GMA Network Center.

• Television network service · 1995

  Citynet Television 27

  The original identity of DWDB-TV, launched in 1995 as an independent-style UHF service. Its schedule emphasized imported programming while also carrying selected local productions, including news and public-affairs material.

• Music television channel · 1999

  Channel V Philippines

  A locally operated music channel carried by DWDB-TV after the station’s brief EMC phase. It was launched through a partnership involving GMA and STAR TV and ended broadcasting in 2001.

• Television network service · 2021

  GTV

  The current broad-format service associated with DWDB-TV. Launched in 2021, GTV combines news, entertainment, and sports programming and retains a substantial news component inherited from GMA News TV.

• 2021

  Relaunch the service as GTVGeneration change

  Background

  GMA sought a broader identity after the end of its long-running association with ZOE’s channel 11.

  Action taken

  The service was relaunched as GTV with news, entertainment, and sports programming.

  Aftermath

  GTV became the current network identity associated with the DWDB-TV service.

  Source

• 2019

  Reallocate channel 27 after the ZOE agreement endsStrategy

  Background

  GMA and ZOE Broadcasting Network ended their blocktime arrangement for GMA News TV on channel 11.

  Action taken

  GMA restored analog service on channel 27 and used DWDB-TV as the Manila originating outlet for GMA News TV.

  Aftermath

  GMA’s primary digital transmission operated on channel 15, while channel 27 continued as an important analog outlet until the later transition toward digital broadcasting.

  Source

• 2013

  Use channel 27 for digital television testingStrategy

  Background

  GMA began preparing for digital terrestrial television using the Japanese ISDB-T standard.

  Action taken

  The network used DWDB-TV’s UHF channel 27 frequency for digital test broadcasts carrying GMA and GMA News TV.

  Aftermath

  The digital test service later moved to UHF channel 15, while channel 27 returned to analog use for GMA News TV in 2019.

  Source

• 1999

  Replace the independent Citynet format with music programmingStrategy

  Background

  The independent-programming model faced high operating costs and competition from Studio 23.

  Action taken

  GMA shifted the station first to EMC and then to the Channel V Philippines format.

  Aftermath

  The Channel V arrangement ended in 2001, after which the frequency later returned to GMA relay and secondary-network uses.

  Source

1. 1DWDB-TVen.wikipedia.org