The evolution of broadcast media in the Philippines is a story intertwined with its colonial and post-colonial history, starting with the introduction of foundational communication technologies.
The Foundations: Telegraph, Telephone, and Early Radio
The first seeds of the broadcast industry were planted with the arrival of the telegraph and telephone system in the late 1800s. During the Spanish colonial period, the British company Eastern Extension was granted permission to lay submarine telegraph cables from Hong Kong to Manila via Bolinao, Pangasinan. This technological link paved the way for the country’s first telephone system, which began operations in 1890.
When American rule took over, they inherited and managed these communication systems until they were eventually handed over to the local colonial government in the early 1900s. Riding on these established systems, the first experimental radio broadcasts began in the 1920s.
The introduction of commercial radio is primarily credited to Americans. In 1922, American businessman Henry Herman operated a small radio station intended to serve as a product demonstration platform for his Electrical Supply Company. These successful tests led Herman to officially upgrade his station in 1924, adopting the call letters KZKZ and establishing the Radio Corporation of the Philippines. Although KZKZ eventually closed, the oldest existing radio station today is DZRH, which first broadcast in 1939 as KZRH, connected to the popular department store, the H.E. Heacock Company.
Radio: The Voice of the Masses and the Advertiser
Radio sets quickly became standard fixtures in Filipino homes. The medium proved highly accessible—a “friendlier” technology since it could deliver news, information, and entertainment to people regardless of literacy. Popular phonograph records from overseas reached the public via radio, helping to popularize American English and slang through canned programs, subtly ushering in American culture.
The medium also cultivated local talent, giving rise to Filipino singers, comedians, and radio drama artists, many of whom later transitioned to television and film. Crucially, advertising became a huge enterprise thanks to radio, with product-sponsored programs and catchy radio ads—complete with memorable jingles—becoming staples of pre-war pop culture.
War, Education, and the Father of Philippine Radio
The promising growth of radio was halted during the Japanese occupation, when the colonizers seized control of stations to use them for propaganda. Popular stations either closed or operated under heavy censorship.
After the war, the stations reopened and flourished. Beyond commercial interests, the new government recognized radio’s powerful educational potential. The Philippine Broadcast System (PBS) was established to further educate the public, initially focusing on informational programs for farmers. The extensive reach of radio, which could reach anyone with a radio set and access to a transmitter, made it ideal for distance learning.
This system was overseen and developed by the Father of Philippine Radio, Francisco “Koko” Trinidad. As the PBS general manager from 1947 to 1970, Trinidad pioneered instructional radio programs—similar to the public service shows of the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC)—which were aired for classroom listening-learning across the nation.
The Dawn of Television
Television arrived later than radio. The initial attempt was made by American engineer James Lindenberg, who established the Bolinao Electronics Corporation (BEC) in 1946 and was granted a license by the Philippine Congress in 1950. However, high costs and import regulations eventually forced him to abandon the project.
The dream was revived by Judge Antonio Quirino, who faced initial resistance from Congress due to fears he would use the medium to promote his brother, then-President Elpidio Quirino, for reelection. Judge Quirino circumvented this by acquiring a majority of Lindenberg’s BEC stocks, which he promptly renamed Alto Broadcasting System (ABS).
Through connections with a family friend, Judge Quirino secured the assistance of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a leading US broadcast company. RCA provided training for the country’s first television practitioners and helped establish DZAQ-TV Channel 3, which aired the very first television broadcast in the Philippines in 1953.
The operation of ABS eventually caught the eye of businessmen Eugenio and Fernando Lopez, who owned the Manila Electric Company and various media assets, including The Manila Chronicle newspaper and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN). With their purchase of ABS, the landmark merger of ABS-CBN began, establishing what is now one of the country’s top media corporations.
Dictatorship, Suppression, and Revolution
Much like the press, the Philippine broadcast industry faced severe suppression under the Marcos dictatorship. Recognizing that the far-reaching and persuasive nature of radio and television made them powerful enemies, Marcos heavily censored and controlled the media. Prominent figures, including ABS-CBN head Eugenio Lopez Jr., were imprisoned, and anti-dictatorship media practitioners were actively hunted down, dealing a devastating blow to media freedom.
Despite this, broadcast media proved crucial in the restoration of freedom during the 1986 People Power EDSA Revolution. The far-reaching messages of radio and the powerful images of television successfully urged Filipinos to gather on EDSA to stand against the dictatorship. Cardinal Sin used Radio Veritas to broadcast live, calling on the people to support the military leaders who had defected from Marcos.
When government troops attempted to knock down Radio Veritas’s main transmitter, dedicated broadcasters swiftly switched to an emergency transmitter and continued to relay vital information. Operating under the name “Radyo Bandido” and spearheaded by journalists June Keithley and Angelo Castro, Jr., they ensured that the Filipino people remained informed about the unfolding events, a decisive moment in Philippine history.
Modern Broadcast Landscape
Today, the broadcast industry remains a primary source of mainstream mass media products and services. Top networks like ABS-CBN (Channel 2) and GMA-7 continue their mandates of serving and entertaining the public. Radio maintains a healthy existence, particularly catering to the masses and music listeners with popular public affairs programs and pop music stations. Furthermore, cable television enjoys strong subscription numbers, providing Filipinos with extensive access to Asian and worldwide television programming.
