DZBB-TV

DZBB-TV, channel 7, is the flagship VHF television station of GMA Network in the Philippines. Its studios are located at the GMA Network Center, at the corner of Timog Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Quezon City. Its transmitter station is located at GMA Compound, Tandang Sora Avenue, Barangay Culiat, in Quezon City.

History

DZBB-TV traces its history to Metro Manila radio station DZBB, owned by Loreto F. de Hemedes, Inc., later renamed Republic Broadcasting System, Inc. of Robert "Uncle Bob" Stewart. After the success of its radio station, the company ventured into television. On October 29, 1961, RBS Channel 7, the third television station in the Philippines (after ABS Channel 3 and CBN Channel 9, which were owned by ABS-CBN which now owns Channel 2 in Manila), started operations with just 25 employees (other stations had 200), a surplus transmitter, two old cameras and no lighting equipment and props.

The station was always in the red and Stewart was about to give up when the program "Dancetime with Chito" became a big hit and advertising revenues rolled in. Canned programs from the United States further sustained its success.