VGC (TV network)

VGC (initialism for its parent's former legal name Villena Group of Companies) is a Philippine commercial broadcast television and radio network owned by VGC as its flagship broadcast property. The network is headquartered at the VGC Plaza in Parañaque City, which also serves as VGC's corporate offices. VGC is commonly referred to by its former name Radio Post, in reference to its parent company's founding newspaper The Manila Post.

One of the oldest broadcast networks in the country, Radio Post operated as the sole rebel network during World War II. Transmission lanes were set up prior to Japanese invasion of the Philippines and it gave the then-small radio station remote access, effectively protecting itself from Japanese seizure after the Post was already forced to stop selling publications in the country. Radio Post was renamed to VGC to coincide with the launching of the TV network as the company diversified its now-multinational assets.

Pioneer rebel: KZRP
Since the late 1930s, the Manila Post newspaper had already set up facilities for their upcoming radio station KZRP. However, when the Second World War began with the Japanese bombing of an American naval base in Pearl Harbor, what was then called the Manila Post Company, owned by newspaper magnate Eduardo "Ka-Eddy" Villena set up shop in Perth, Australia, and began connecting transmission lines in order to continue broadcasting without any physical reprisal from the eventual Japanese invasion of the Philippines, and Radio Post went on the air in normal-like condition on October 31, 1943. Mislabeling the KZRP transmitter in Parañaque as a transmission tower for propaganda station Philippine Islands AM, KZRP managed to stop and dismantling of transmissions by the Japanese-sponsored Second Republic.

By that point, Radio Post began airing radio serials, as well as news bulletins from around the world, free from Japanese interference, giving the currently-exiled company the nickname "rebel radio" by American forces. Radio Post was affiliated with CBS prior to Philippine independence.

Radio Post Network
After the war ended in 1945 and the Philippines' independence from the United States in 1946, KZRP officially broke ground in its domestic soil in Parañaque and in 1948 (as part of the shakeup of Philippine call letters) briefly became DZRP before being renamed as DZVC, coinciding with the "reorganization" of the Manila Post Company as VGC.

However, before the company renamed itself, Radio Post already began a chain of "networking" broadcasting stations, giving Radio Post its own slate of affiliates including San Francisco Chronicle-owned KZKR in Cebu, Westinghouse-owned KZKM in Davao, and Outlet Company-owned KZCL in Clark Air Base (later relocated to Angeles, Pampanga). All three stations were later acquired by VGC and became DYVC, DXVC and DWVP, respectively.

In the 1950s, VGC Radio expanded its reach through new markets, however as time progressed, VGC dropped entertainment shows from the radio. Currently, the Radio Post Network is an all-news network VGC News Radio. VGC Radio later purchased more radio stations, and currently owns Filipino-language talk radio network Usap Radyo. Most VGC-owned FM radio stations are not affiliated with a specific radio network, but are one of the most-listened music stations.

Television
In 1946, the Manila Post Company was granted a franchise by Congress to operate television stations. Soon after, the company set up shop and created an experimental station, simply named TV Post with no callsign. When the Radio Control Division officially granted the company a commercial license in 1948, VGC began broadcasting as DZVC-TV. "Network" television also began to rise when VGC was granted television licenses in several cities. VGC's broadcast operation was closely associated with Eduardo Villena, being used as a vehicle to increase readership in the Post newspaper. VGC also has a long-standing relationship with The Walt Disney Company, starting with the network purchasing productions from the company, including Disneyland and the Mickey Mouse Club.

Martial law
When President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, VGC was internally fearing that it might lose its editorial independence as it reports sensitive stories involving th enational government.

Programming
As of 2019, VGC provides 83 hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week. The network provides 15 hours of prime time programming to affiliated stations Mondays through Saturdays from 8:00–10:00 p.m. and Sundays from 7:00–10:00 p.m.

Daytime programming is provided to affiliates weekdays at 12:30 p.m. through variety show Everest Lunchtime (also airs at Satudays), and at 3:00 p.m. through talk show The View (Philippine TV show), and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. through game show Figure It Out Philippines. VGC News programming includes Good Morning Philippines from 5:00–8:00 a.m. weekdays, 5:00–7:00 on Saturdays, and 7:00–8:00 on Sundays; nightly newscasts VGC Balita and VGC Nightly News (both subject to preemption due to sporting events), the Sunday talk show This Week (Philippine TV show), Sunday business news program World Business Weekly, early morning news program Philippines This Morning and newsmagazine W5 (Philippine TV show). Late nights feature weeknight talk show Jen, Saturday night sketch comedy Crazy Funny Nights, as well as imported US comedy shows Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Mondays 12:35–1:35 a.m.), The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Tuesdays–Fridays 12:35–1:35) and Real Time with Bill Maher (Sundays 11:35 p.m.–12:35 p.m.).

The network's weekend morning children's programming timeslot (7:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Saturdays) is under the umbrella branding VGC Kids. From 1997 to 2003, the block was known as Disney's One Saturday Morning, of which it was handled by The Walt Disney Company. Before One Saturday Morning, the block did not have an umbrella name, but it had the internal name VGC Saturday Mornings, and was largely comprised of Disney productions.

News and sports programming
News coverage is the most important part of VGC's operations and their public image, dating back to the company's roots in newspapers. VGC officially described themselves as a "news company above all else."

Sports programming on VGC includes the National Football League, National Hockey League, the Premier League (shared with Premier Sports), as well as NASCAR events (most notably the Daytona 500). Some VGC stations formerly partnered with government-owned network PBS-2 when that network held rights to the Olympic Games, and as a result the network essentially became a secondary outlet in certain markets. This arrangement was not carried over when PBS lost the rights to TV5.

Video on-demand services
VGC provides VOD access for delayed viewing of network programming through various means, including via its website at VGC.com, its YouTube channels, a traditional VOD service VGC on Demand on VGC Cable, as well as select pay television providers, and through streaming service CVplay.

VGC HD
VGC's master feed is transmitted in 1080i high definition. However, some affiliates broadcast programming in 720p HD, and all affiliates that continue carrying analog signals carry analog programming at 480i standard definition.

VGC Plus
VGC Plus is VGC's international subscription television network based at KVGC-TV studios in Bay Point, California—owned by sister company Legazpi Media Group—which distributes VGC original programming and certain imported programming (through separate syndication contracts) for a worldwide audience.