UNTV (currently known as UNTV Networks) is the flagship Philippine television network of the Progressive Broadcasting Corporation (known on air as UNTV-PBC), together with Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International (known on air as UNTV-BMPI), the network's content provider and marketing arm, and Christian religious organization Members Church of God International (MCGI), its major blocktimer. DWAO-DTV is one of the few NTSC-System M stations in the world that broadcast on Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Channel 37. In 2019, UNTV transferred its studios from the old UNTV Building at 907 EDSA Quezon City to its temporary studios in La Verdad Christian College Building, 351 EDSA, Brgy. Bagong Barrio West, Caloocan. UNTV transmitter is located at Emerald Hills, Sumulong Highway in Antipolo, Rizal. The sixteen-storey UNTV Broadcast Center, also referred to as The Millennial Tower and now called The Philippine Broadcast Hub along EDSA Philam is currently under construction to serve as its new headquarters.
UNTV is known for its broadcast of Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path), the longest-running religious program in the Philippines, hosted by radio and televangelist Bro. Eli Soriano of the Members Church of God International (MCGI).
UNTV's public service programs and free services are manned by BMPI chairman and CEO, Daniel Razon. Razon is also known as the co-host of Ang Dating Daan and MCGI's Overall Servant.
Network profile PBC Blocktime UNTV Manila and Cebu were part of a blocktime programming agreement between Progressive Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) majority owned by Alfredo "Atom" Henares and Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International Inc. led by Daniel Razon. BMPI is the broadcast arm of Members Church of God International (MCGI) in the Philippines.
Assigned to PBC is the broadcast license, the radio frequency spectrum (UHF) necessary for broadcasting in key populated areas. The owners entrusted Razon with the network's programming and marketing through BMPI.
UNTV is referred to as "The Kasangbahay Network", a Filipino word which means "household", a group of people, often a family, who live together. It was introduced in 2007.
History
Original network, 2001 to 2004
In July 2001, the Progressive Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) owned by businessman Alfredo "Atom" Henares ventured into UHF television through UNTV 37, which initially branded as NUTV Channel 37. After almost a year of test broadcast, UNTV (pronounced as "un-TV", implying "the opposite of TV") was launched in May 2002 as a television counterpart to PBC's FM radio station NU 107 (DWNU 107.5 FM), airing rock and alternative rock music videos. NU 107 was a brainchild of Henares and radio veteran Mike N. Pedero. It carved a niche in the radio broadcast history as one of the first alternative radio stations that played artists who break new ground in music. In its early years on television, UNTV gained a cult following through comedy and reality show Strangebrew. The channel also aired the TV version of the iconic NU107 radio show "In the Raw"; as well as clips from the previous editions of the now-defunct NU Rock Awards; and NU 107 events such as Summer Shebang, NU 107 Pocket Concerts, and Party Monsters on the Loose.
Overhauled network, 2004 to present In 2004, UNTV gradually reduced and eventually ceased airing rock music videos (The rock-oriented programming format would later be picked up in 2019 through RJ DigiTV's digital subchannel Rock MNL, formerly known as Rock of Manila TV and RJ Rock TV, owned by the Rajah Broadcasting Network) after its blocktime slots were acquired by Tapatan, Inc., a multimedia and consultancy firm headed by veteran broadcaster Jay Sonza as chairman and CEO. Later, news and public affairs programs were introduced and Sonza became its station manager.
Henares also had a deal with MCGI for religious programming at night since 2003. Since then, UNTV started airing and eventually became the permanent home of the religious program Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path) after leaving GemCom Holdings-owned UHF TV network SBN 21 (later sold to Solar Entertainment Corporation in 2010 for Php 368.8 million).
Later, the station was re-branded as "UN Television (UNTV)" (the letters were spelled out, and did not appear to have any meaning). The relaunch aims to introduce the station to a larger demographic range of audience. It comes with a new Station ID, own website, and new tagline "In Service to Humanity. Worldwide."
UNTV started from scratch with a one-room broadcast studio located at the AIC Gold Tower in Ortigas Center, Pasig. 2004 marks UNTV's entry into satellite broadcasting using Agila 2 satellite then moved to ABS 5/ABS 3 satellite in late 2011, and later moved to Measat 3A satellite; as well as the start of its 24-hour broadcast through its official website.
In November 2005, UNTV became a household name as one of its cameraman captured an exclusive four-minute raw footage of a shooting incident in front of its studio in Ortigas, and was then aired on TV Patrol World, the top-rated primetime newscast of ABS-CBN.
As it needs a larger space for its growing public service initiatives, the station transferred to Brgy. Damayang Lagi New Manila, Quezon City in 2006 and later to its own building at 907 Philam Homes along EDSA Quezon City on July 21, 2008 (until 2019).
BMPI era (2007 to present) Since the takeover in 2004, UNTV became a 24-hour free TV network (though it continues to sign-off on free TV every Monday mornings for regular transmitter maintenance; however, programming continues online, pay TV and satellite) broadcasting not only religious programs of ADD, but also news and current affairs, public service, informative and entertainment programs. In 2007, UNTV was relaunched as a public service channel, a first in Philippine TV history.
In 2013, UNTV ceased using its old analog transmitter tower in Crestview Heights Subdivision, San Roque, Antipolo, Rizal (which is now acquired by Radio Philippines Network and Nine Media Corporation for digital TV broadcasts purposes), and began using its newly constructed tower located near Emerald Hills on Sumulong Highway, Antipolo, Rizal for a clearer and better signal reception and used to broadcast UNTV both in both analog and digital and radio station Wish 107.5.
From June 25 to 26, 2014, the network marked its tenth anniversary in the broadcast industry with a two-day UNTV Elderpowerment Expo and UNTV Rescue Summit held at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) and World Trade Center (WTC) both in Pasay; as well as the soft-relaunching of DWNU under management of UNTV-BMPI. On its last day, UNTV held the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of UNTV Broadcast Center, a 16-storey building that will serve as its new headquarters strategically located along EDSA, in front of Ayala Land's Vertis North project and TriNoma mall, just a few meters away from its headquarters for more than a decade, the old UNTV building, the lot formerly occupied by Kamanggagawa Foundation's Transient Home.
On August 10, 2014, UNTV-BMPI formally relaunched DWNU 107.5 as 107.5 Wish FM with a free concert featuring OPM singers at the WTC and UNTV's newest station jingle entitled "Maaasahan Mo" sung by Shane Velasco and Beverly Caimen.
UNTV Life (2015 to 2016) From August 25 to 26, 2015, as part of UNTV's 11th anniversary celebration, a two-day event was held including the opening of the basketball league of Philippine government agencies, the UNTV Cup Season 4 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Public Service Expo and the second UNTV Rescue Summit at the SMX Convention Center. On August 26, the unveiling of the new UNTV was held at the MOA Arena and it was officially rebranded as UNTV Life along with its upcoming shows and a new colorful 3D cube logo was introduced which was followed by a free concert courtesy of Wish 1075. On the following day, UNTV started airing with its new and refreshed look.
On May 18, 2016, President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10820 which renewed PBC's license for another 25 years. The law granted PBC a franchise to construct, install, operate, and maintain, for commercial purposes, radio broadcasting stations and television stations, including digital television system, with the corresponding facilities such as relay stations, throughout the Philippines.
UNTV News and Rescue/Public Service (2016 to present) On July 18, 2016, UNTV Life underwent a major rebranding and rebranded to a global news and rescue company known as UNTV News and Rescue. The network meanwhile retained its long-time slogan, "Your Public Service Channel". After the refresh, its programs were classified into two programming blocks, UNTV News and Rescue and UNTV Public Service. The News and Rescue block is composed of newscasts such as Ito Ang Balita, UNTV Central News (UNTV C-News) and Why News and rescue-oriented program 911-UNTV. The Public Service block consists of public service and informative programs, including the network's newest public service program Serbisyong Bayanihan, religious programs like Ang Dating Daan and Itanong Mo Kay Soriano and entertainment and sports-oriented shows like ASOP Music Festival and UNTV Cup.
On August 19, 2019, UNTV has migrated to high-definition television broadcast. However, selected programs like Ang Dating Daan and Itanong Mo Kay Soriano still use a 4:3 aspect ratio, but stretched in an anamorphic 16:9 widescreen format.
As it needs more space, while waiting for the completion of the UNTV Broadcast Center, the station transferred its studios and production facilities to the La Verdad Christian College Building in Caloocan.
2020s COVID-19 pandemic As the world faces the global challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 16 to July 31, 2020, UNTV launched new slogans, "We serve the people, we give glory to God" for English-language newscasts, and the slogan "Diyos ang aming sandigan, serbisyo publiko ang aming pinahahalagahan" () for Tagalog newscasts.
During the Luzon-wide ECQ, UNTV pioneered purely remote, live online shows on Philippine television. Its morning program Good Morning Kuya went live on March 17, 2020, with all of its hosts at home and online. This is duplicated in all of UNTV's news programs.
On April 8, 2020, UNTV aired the remote broadcast of Serbisyong Bayanihan hosted by UNTV-BMPI President and CEO Kuya Daniel Razon, live from a makeshift studio at his residence. The public service program caters to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and educates the audience with updates about health protocols and announcements from authorities, including reports from UNTV's international correspondents. It also served to carry out small acts of kindness and opened direct access to government agencies and officials.
Also during the COVID-19 pandemic, UNTV launched its telemedicine platform for free medical consultations dubbed as UNTV Digital Clinic for outpatient, non-emergency cases.
On October 8, 2020, UNTV and Members Church of God International inaugurated a free-service, quarantine facility in the City of Malolos, province of Bulacan for probable and mild cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The health facility has 32 individual isolation rooms manned by full-time doctors, nurses, and non-medical personnel to assist the patients.
New programs In June 2020, UNTV aired the pilot broadcast of Hataw Balita Pilipinas (later Hataw Balita Probinsya) newscast with live reports from its provincial correspondents. It was followed by UNTV News Worldwide newscast filled with live reports from international correspondents.