DYSS-TV


DYSS-TV, channel 7, is a commercial VHF television station owned and operated by GMA Network Inc.. Its studios, offices and former transmitter are located at the GMA Skyview Complex, Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City, while its new transmitter facilities is situated at Mt. Busay, Brgy. Bonbon, Cebu City.
Upon the establishment of GMA's first provincial television station in Cebu in 1963, DYSS-TV currently serves as the formation of the network's Central and Eastern Visayas market consisting of the Cebu-based station as its studio facility, and relays across Bohol, Negros Oriental, Leyte and Samar, which culminating in 2017.

History

Inception as RBS (1963-1972)

The origin of GMA Cebu can traced back to radio station in Cebu, DYSS, which began airing its radio operations on July 4, 1957, and launched its first provincial AM station in Cebu City. DYSS was then owned by GMA Network's predecessor Loreto F. de Hemedes Inc. through DZBB in Manila, later Republic Broadcasting System, Inc. of Robert "Uncle Bob" Stewart. Upon the launch, their old studios of radio operation in Fortunata Building, at the corner of Magallanes & Lapu-lapu Streets, Cebu City, with the location of 1-kilowatt BC Gates Transmitter is at Mambaling Seaside. After the success of its radio station, the company ventured into television and started operations on November 20, 1963 as DYSS Channel 7 Cebu. With this venture, DYSS-TV Channel 7 became the third VHF television station established in Cebu City after the establishment of provincial stations of ABS Channel 3 and ABC Channel 11 which began its broadcasts on June 14, 1961 and September 11, 1963 respectively. The original studios of TV operations was inaugurated since then at the Sundowner Centrepoint Hotel along Plaridel St. cor. Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City and at that time, the station broadcast with a power output of 5,000 watts.
On March 1, 1969, RBS was then known as "Greater 7 Cebu", using the Circle 7 logo that ABC was using for all of its owned-and-operated stations at the time. The station's programming is composed of canned programs from the United States and it later produced local programs.

Martial Law era; Returns to operations, GMA Radio-Television Arts and Rainbow Satellite Network era (1972-1999)

Following the proclamation of Martial Law by then President Ferdinand Marcos, DYSS-TV was forced to shut down on September 21, 1972, though it only lasted for more than 3 months. In December of the same year, DYSS-TV was given the green light by the National Media Production Center to return on the air, however with limited three-month permits.
In 1974, RBS were sold to a triumvirate composed of Felipe Gozon, Gilberto Duavit, Sr., and Menardo Jimenez. Under the new management, DYSS-TV reopened with a new identity as GMA Radio-Television Arts and introduced the Where You Belong slogan to catch the attention of local viewers around the world. Despite its network rebranding, Republic Broadcasting System, Inc. remained as its corporate name until 1996. The relaunch of GMA, aside from sporting a light blue square logo with the network name in white, also had a circle 7 logo in use. In its final years, the blue circle 7 logo used was similar to those used by the ABC in some United States cities. In the same year, DYSS-TV was converted into an originating station with its English local news bulletin "News Digest Cebu", a local newscast show of GMA News Roundup. GMA Radio-Television Arts Cebu launched its local newscast "News at Seven Cebu" in 1979 using the English-language after GMA-7 Manila's News at Seven, which premiered 3 years ago. It also launched its first live coverage of Sinulog Festival in Plaza Independencia, Cebu City on January 20, 1980.
In 1990, GMA Channel 7 Cebu transferred to the studio and transmitter facilities located at GMA Skyview Complex in Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City for better broadcast equipments and an upgraded transmitter tower, with increased transmitting power output to 60,000 watts to replace an old 5-kilowatt TPO located at the Sundowner Centrepoint Hotel in Plaridel St. for 3 decades. The transmitter upgrades resulted in clearer and better signal reception in Metro Cebu, and the Central and Eastern Visayas.
On April 30, 1992, as part of the network's expansion of coverage which started exactly four years after with the inaugurated its Tower of Power, GMA Channel 7 Cebu was launched as the Rainbow Satellite Network. Through its nationwide satellite broadcast, GMA's national programmings were seen across the Philippine archipelago and Southeast Asia which became a relay station of the network's flagship station DZBB-TV Channel 7 Manila to reach Cebuano viewers around the Central Visayas Region, Leyte and Samar. With the launch, GMA utilizes a new logo to correspond with the rebranding and a satellite-beaming rainbow in a multicolored striped based on the traditional scheme of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, with GMA in a metallic form uses a San Serif Futura Extra Bold and analogous gloominess of Indigo as its fonts in the letters. GMA was the official broadcaster of the 1995 World Youth Day, which was the last visit of Pope John Paul II to the country. On May 16, 1996, Republic Broadcasting System formally changed its corporate name to GMA Network Incorporated, with GMA now standing for Global Media Arts.

GMA Cebu; expansion across Central and Eastern Visayas (1999-present)

In October 1999, GMA Channel 7 Cebu launched its local newscast Balitang Bisdak with Bobby Nalzaro as its sole anchor, two years after he was resigned with Bombo Radyo Cebu and joined with GMA/RGMA Cebu. In 2005, "Balitang Bisdak" and "Singgit Cebu" were re-launched and were taken under the wing of GMA News & Public Affairs and GMA Entertainment TV Group respectively. In October 2005, GMA Entertainment TV Group in Cebu re-launched "Oi!", a local variety show which saying it was dynamic, interactive and stylish, leveling to the standards of GMA-7's Sunday variety show SOP. GMA News & Public Affairs Cebu's local morning show, "Buena Mano Balita" was launched on October 8, 2007, patterned from GMA Manila's morning news program Unang Hirit. In November 2007, GMA Cebu and Television And Production Exponents Inc. launched its first ever regional version "Eat Na Ta!", which was a daily game show on radio through DYSS Super Radyo Cebu 999 kHz, and later evolved into a live TV program aired on this channel. It served as a pre-programming for Eat Bulaga! in Visayas until 2008.
On November 10, 2014, as part of their changes of graphics and theme music of the network's flagship newscast of 24 Oras, GMA News & Public Affairs Cebu was re-launched and adopted the branding of its flagship regional newscast "24 Oras Central Visayas". However, on February 1, 2016, in preparation for the newly launch of GMA's Regional TV division, GMA News & Public Affairs Cebu's flagship regional newscast 24 Oras Central Visayas reverted to the original title Balitang Bisdak, just after more than a year hiatus together with GMA Dagupan's Balitang Amianan. Follow the return, DYSS became the oldest local newscast of GMA Network in the Central and Eastern Visayas since it was premiered in 1999. Balitang Bisdak was relaunched on November 13, 2017 similar to sister newscasts Balitang Amianan and One Mindanao, which will be simultaneously broadcast in key cities and provinces in Central and Eastern Visayas through GMA Network's local channels in Tacloban, Bohol and Ormoc. On May 23, 2018, GMA Cebu started digital test broadcasts on UHF 26 covering Metro Cebu and the provinces of Cebu, Negros Oriental and Bohol, as well as several parts of Leyte and Samar.

GMA Cebu local programmings

As of April 20, 2019, DYSS-TV currently produces around 1 hour of local programming. However, the station does not produce nor distribute local contents to its coverage area on weekend, with exceptions of The Word of God Network; which airing every Sundays, and major events held in the city covered by GMA Regional TV. During Paschal Triduum of the Holy Week annually, DYSS-TV was closed down as an originating station, as GMA Cebu would report to a direct satellite station of DZBB-TV in Metro Manila for its Lenten special programmings.

Current

Digital television

Digital channels

UHF Channel 26
ChannelVideoAspectPSIP Short NameProgrammingNote
7.01480iGMAGMA Cebu Commercial broadcast
7.02480iGNTVGMA News TVCommercial broadcast
7.03480iHEART OF ASIAHeart of AsiaCommercial broadcast
7.04240pGMA1SEGGMA Cebu1seg broadcast

Rebroadcasters

DYSS-TV's programming is relayed to the following stations across the Central Visayas, and most of the Eastern Visayas.
StationLocationChannelsTPO
DYVB-TVBorongan8 1 kW
DYAS-TVCalbayog5 1 kW
D-5-YB-TVDumaguete5 1 kW
D-11-YE-TVJagna, Bohol11 2 kW
DYIL-TVOrmoc12 1 kW
DYCL-TVTacloban10 5 kW

Current personalities