Television in the Philippines


Television in the Philippines was introduced in October 1953 with the first commercial broadcast by Alto Broadcasting System. This made the Philippines the first Southeast Asian country, and the second country in Asia, to air television broadcasts. During the late 1940s, Filipino engineers and students conducted academic experiments related to broadcasting.
From 1975 to 1978, the Philippine Academy for Television Arts and Sciences presented the SINAG Awards.
The Star Awards for Television, the country's oldest existing television awards, are presented annually by the Philippine Movie Press Club after voting by members of the press.
The Philippines does not operate any independent public broadcasting television networks; however, there are several government-owned networks.

History

The Early Years (1946–1959)

, nicknamed the "Father of Philippine Television", was an American-born Filipino engineer who established Bolinao Electronics Corporation on June 13, 1946 following his work of assembling transmitters. The company was named after his wife's hometown, Bolinao, Pangasinan. In 1949, he became one of the first individuals to apply for a license from the Philippine Congress to establish a television station. Lindenberg's application was approved on June 14, 1950. However, due to the scarcity of raw materials and strict import restrictions under the Import Control Act, he shifted to radio broadcasting instead.
Lindenberg's failed attempt to establish a television station resulted in BEC falling under new management. Antonio Quirino, a judge and brother of then-president of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino, who had tried to get a license from Congress that would allow him to set up a television station. Congress denied his request, primarily out of fear that he would use the station as a vehicle for propaganda for his brother, who was running for a second term in the presidential elections of 1953. As a result, Quirino bought a 70% share in BEC, which indirectly granted him control of a television franchise. He changed the name of BEC to Alto Broadcasting System after the names of its new owners: Aleli and Judge Antonio Quirino. After the name change, Lindenberg continued to serve as co-owner and general manager.
Before its official launch, the television station encountered numerous challenges. The Central Bank of the Philippines, for instance, refused to grant Quirino credit, stating the venture was too risky. For this reason, Quirino asked for help from his friend Marvin Gray, whose family was friends with David Sarnoff, then-president of Radio Corporation of America. Through the intervention of Gray, Quirino was able to get assistance from the RCA.
Before the first telecast, Quirino imported 120 television sets using the 60,000 peso loan that he had received from the owner of Joe's Electric. In exchange for the loan, Joe's Electric was the first corporation granted the rights to sell television sets in the Philippines.
On October 23, 1953, Quirino marked the first official television broadcast in the Philippines with the launch of ABS DZAQ-TV Channel 3. With the help of RCA, four men underwent technical training in the United States: Arcadio Carandang, Romualdo Carballo, Harry Chaney, and Jose Navarro.
The ABS studio was first established in a makeshift barn along Florentino Torres Street in Manila. Using a transmitter acquired from RCA, its telecasts reached neighboring provinces—far beyond initial expectations that broadcasts would only cover Manila. While the four engineers were sent to the United States for training, most ABS personnel gained their expertise through hands-on experience. The station's first transmitter was located in San Juan, Rizal.
DZAQ-TV 3 began with a four-hour daily broadcast schedule, airing from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Although ABS secured 52 advertisers for its premiere telecast, selling commercial spots for regular programming proved challenging as radio advertising remained a more cost-effective option for advertisers than television at the time.
The programs aired at that time were usually borrowed films from foreign embassies, imported cowboy movies, and coverage of a variety of real-world events. When the station ran out of new features, stage plays were adapted to television. In 1953, less than a month after the first telecast, Father James Reuter, who had radio and television training, produced the first play on Philippine television entitled Cyrano de Bergerac. The three-hour-long play was aired live, and all the actors were students.
In the beginning, Philippine TV networks would buy the rights to air American TV programs and serials since it was cheaper than producing local shows. To entice advertisers, as well as to encourage increased viewership, simultaneous airing of programs on radio and television resorted to promotional gimmicks. Many popular radio shows, including Tawag ng Tanghalan, Kuwentong Kutsero and Student Canteen, started their life on TV this way.
In 1955, Radiowealth, Inc. was one of the first companies in the Philippines to begin manufacturing television sets, with other local manufacturers like Carlsound and Rehco following close behind. As more assembly lines were established and the industry continued to grow, the normally prohibitive cost of having to buy television sets or their various components overseas was dramatically reduced. The following year, businessmen Eugenio and Fernando Lopez started the Chronicle Broadcasting Network which was initially a radio-centric enterprise. However, when the Philippines lifted a high tax on imported TV shows in 1958, CBN began to branch out into the television industry as well.
Early that same year, CBN acquired ABS from Quirino and merged the two companies under a new name: the Bolinao Electronics Corporation. With the establishment of DZXL-TV Channel 9 on April 19, 1958, the Lopez brothers were now in control of two of the largest networks in the Philippines. As a result of this merger, the combined ABS and CBN television stations moved to their new studios in Roxas Boulevard in Pasay, and the ABS radio facilities moved to the Chronicle Building in Manila’s Intramuros District, which also housed the CBN Radio studios.

Rising popularity (1960–1973)

At the turn of the next decade, TV set demand in urban areas soared. Other VHF TV stations also opened around this period. These include DZTV-TV, DZBB-TV, DZFM-TV, DZRH-TV, DZTM-TV, DZFU-TV, and DZKB-TV. Among the top-rated programs in the 1960s were The Nida-Nestor Show, Buhay Artista, and Pancho Loves Tita. Another top-rated local show was Tawag ng Tanghalan, the amateur singing contest hosted by Lopito and Patsy.
Following the success of the first-ever locally produced television drama Hiwaga sa Bahay na Bato in 1963, BEC's DZAQ-TV Channel 3 staged the first colorized test television broadcast using the NTSC system of the Radio Corporation of America and would begin to broadcast in color in 1966. Channel 3 also surpassed competitors when it came to educational television initiatives with a one-hour daily slot in the early years of the decade, with Inter-Island 13 following suit.
On February 1, 1967, the corporate name of BEC was changed to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. In August 2007, the company changed its name to ABS-CBN Corporation to reflect the media conglomerate's diversification, with the name ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation being used secondarily in some contexts since then. During the same year, Radiowealth Inc. pioneered the production of 19-, 21-, and 25-inch models of color TV sets. Moreover, ABS-CBN was favored by advertisers like Procter and Gamble, the Philippine Refining Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Del Rosario Brothers, and Caltex. On November 14–15, ABS-CBN broadcast a 36-hour marathon coverage of the 1967 Philippine Senate elections under its coverage name Halalan '67.
In 1969, Filipinos witnessed the live television coverage of the Apollo 11 historic Moon landing. It was the first live telecast via satellite in the country. Channels 5, 7, and 13 tied up for this, while ABS-CBN produced its color coverage on DZXL-TV Channel 9 under the name Man on the Moon. On November 14, 1969, DZAQ-TV transferred from Channel 3 to Channel 2, while its sister station DZXL-TV transferred from Channel 9 to Channel 4. On October 15, 1969, Kanlaon Broadcasting System launched its television network with DZKB-TV Channel 9, which would broadcast in full color. On November 11, ABS-CBN became the first network to use chroma key in Halalan '69, for the 1969 Philippine Presidential elections, while ABC-5, RBS-7, and IBC-13 once again collaborated for the multi-network coverage with Election '69.
By the late 1960s, news and public affairs programs were pioneered by ABS-CBN and ABC. The Big News on ABC's DZTM-TV Channel 5, first anchored by Bong Lapira and later, Jose Mari Velez and The World Tonight on ABS-CBN's DZAQ-TV Channel 2, anchored by Henry Halasan, were the first news programs on Philippine television, followed in that same period by NewsWatch of KBS's DZKB-TV Channel 9 and NewsBreak on ABS-CBN's DZXL-TV Channel 4 featuring Lapira. ABS-CBN pioneered Filipino-language news programming in the primetime slots, with DZAQ-TV Channel 2 having Balita Ngayon, once anchored by Ric Tierro, and DZXL-TV Channel 4 having Apat na Sulok ng Daigdig, with Orly Mercado as its first presenter. IBC-13 followed up with Mayor Villegas Reports, co-produced with the Manila city government, and National Television News featuring future NewsWatch anchor Harry Gasser. MBC's DZRH-TV Channel 11 dominated late-night news programs with The 11th Hour News. In 1969, ABS-CBN debuted This Week's News, the first weekend news broadcast in the nation.
By 1971, the Philippines, through Radiowealth Inc., had become the third country in the world to manufacture color TV sets. By January 1972, the growth of the Philippine television industry had become unstoppable. Following ABS-CBN's pioneering satellite broadcasts, television stations began opening across the country, starting in 1961 with DYCB-TV Channel 3 in Cebu City, the first provincial television station. It featured four hours of locally produced programming alongside relays of Manila-based shows.

Martial law era (1973–1986)

When President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972, he ordered the takeover of media firms. Government troops entered radio and television stations and placed them under military control. All media outlets that were critical of the Marcos administration were padlocked and sequestered.
ABS-CBN was seized by the Office of Press Secretary and the National Media Production Center, and DZXL-TV Channel 4 was renamed DWGT-TV Channel 4, the government-owned channel. KBS, IBC, and RBS were later allowed to operate with limited three-month permits. ABS-CBN was seized from the Lopez family, and Eugenio Lopez Jr., president of ABS-CBN, was imprisoned. By late 1973, RBS, which was then under blocktimer Philippine Productions, was sold to Felipe Gozon, who was also the lawyer of Robert Stewart, because foreigners were not allowed to own businesses in the Philippines. RBS later changed its name to GMA Radio-Television Arts, popularly known as GMA-7.
On June 6, 1973, a fire destroyed the KBS television studios on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay. Benedicto took control of the ABS-CBN broadcast center on Bohol Avenue, Quezon City. ABS-CBN, as a network, ceased operations for the next 14 years, and its studios became the broadcasting center of Benedicto's KBS and the government's GTV. A year later, ABS-CBN's DZAQ-TV Channel 2 would reopen as DWWX-TV Channel 2 under Benedicto's Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation. In 1976, GTV-4 began color broadcasts.
The Benedicto networks—BBC, KBS, which became Radio Philippines Network in 1975, and IBC—served as vehicles of propaganda for the Marcos government while also broadcasting local and overseas entertainment and sports. In 1979, the Benedicto networks moved to the newly built Broadcast City in Diliman, Quezon City. In the same year, Gregorio Cendaña was named Minister of Information. In 1980, GTV-4 was relaunched as Maharlika Broadcasting System.
Initially, the Department of Public Information reviewed everything that was to be aired on radio and TV and set up the rules and regulations. Through other government agencies, policies on ownership, allocation of frequencies, station distribution, and program standards were promulgated. In 1973, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas was created, and this agency allowed for self-regulation. A year later, a presidential decree created the Broadcast Media Council.
The 1974 Miss Universe Pageant, the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier heavyweight fight, and the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II were shown worldwide. When Benigno Aquino was assassinated in 1983, it was a small item on television news. During his historic funeral procession, GMA was allowed only ten seconds of airtime coverage exclusively on the late-night news program The 11:30 Report. For most of the late 1970s to the early 1980s, RPN and IBC were the most-watched channels in terms of ratings. However, in the years leading up to the People Power Revolution, GMA – which was the only independent station – managed to beat the Benedicto-owned duopoly and stayed in the position for the next two years.
The martial law era also jump-started the beginnings of satellite broadcasts linking the entire country by ABS-CBN through trial runs, soon followed by RPN and MBS, which started simulcasts of programs from Manila to the provinces across the country, followed by GMA and BBC. Cable television also began in the late 1970s when the government, through the DPI, created the first true cable television firm after years of trials that began in 1969: the Benedicto-owned Sining Makulay Inc..
In 1984, Imee Marcos, daughter of Ferdinand Marcos, tried to take over the GMA network, but she was successfully prevented by GMA executives, Menardo Jimenez and Felipe Gozon. Afterward, GMA founder Robert Stewart decided to move back to the United States and retire following his utter dissatisfaction with the Marcos regime. The resistance of network leadership would trigger the beginning of the end of Marcos's dominance in the television industry. In 1985, GMA broke from the pack when it began airing interviews by Benigno's widow, Corazon, in the lead-up to her presidential campaign and the 1986 snap presidential elections that followed.
In addition, the martial law period also jump-started an offshoot of current affairs programming – public service and non-news informative programs. GMA Network's Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, launched in the fall of 1975, was the first and longest public service TV program in the Philippines. It helped millions of viewers to be aware of medical issues, especially among the poor and lower middle class. Its success in providing medical care to indigent and poor families, as well as its revelations on the state of health facilities in far-flung communities, led to the creation of the namesake foundation in 1976. This would also begin a new form of Philippine TV programming, that of medical and health-related programs, which would inform the public on health matters and on healthy living. This concept helped BBC-2 launch its medical affairs TV program in the early 1980s.

Restoration and expansion (1986–2007)

Following the 1986 People Power Revolution, which ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, television networks previously controlled by Roberto Benedicto—BBC, RPN, and IBC—were taken over by the government through the Philippine Commission on Good Government. BBC was returned to ABS-CBN by executive order, while RPN and IBC were placed under the Government Communications Group.
ABS-CBN began satellite and international broadcasting in 1989, becoming the first Philippine television network to broadcast internationally. By the late 1980s, it had overtaken its competitors in ratings and became the country’s leading network from 1988 onward. During the same period, RPN and IBC experienced financial and management problems that led to declining viewership. GMA Network, which retained its original owners, remained a major competitor but ended the decade as the second-ranked network.
Despite financial difficulties, RPN became the first Philippine television station to broadcast 24 hours a day in 1990. By then, ABS-CBN had established a significant lead over GMA, RPN, and IBC.
On 24 February 1986, during the third day of the EDSA Revolution, the government-run station MBS was taken over by supporters of President Corazon Aquino and renamed New TV-4. It was officially renamed the People's Television Network in April 1986, rebranded as the National Broadcasting Network in 2001, and reverted to PTV in 2011. The network has operated from studios on Visayas Avenue since 1992.
ABC resumed broadcasting on 21 February 1992 and was rebranded as TV5 on 9 August 2008. In the 1990s, IBC became a fully government-owned station under a compromise agreement between the PCGG and Benedicto, with management and marketing returned to the IBC Board of Directors.
ZOE TV was launched on Channel 11 in 1998. The channel was block-timed by GMA Network in 2005—meaning GMA leased airtime and supplied its programming—and was relaunched as QTV later that year. It was relaunched as GMA News TV in February 2011 and, in 2020, was block-timed by ABS-CBN and relaunched as A2Z in October.
From the mid-1990s through the 2000s, numerous UHF stations were launched, including SBN 21, Studio 23, Net 25, Citynet 27, RJTV 29, CTV 31, UNTV 37, and NBC 41.
During this period, Philippine television programs began reaching international audiences. Eat Bulaga! became the first Philippine variety show to be franchised abroad, beginning with Eat Bulaga! Indonesia.
Cable television ceased to be a state responsibility in 1988, in line with the 1987 Constitution and Aquino administration policies. This shift led to the growth of private cable operators, including Sky Cable, established in 1990. In 2001, Dream Satellite TV began operating as the country’s first Direct-broadcast satellite television service and continued until 2017.

Shift to digital (2007–present)

In 2007, ABS-CBN Corporation applied for a license from the National Telecommunications Commission to operate a digital terrestrial television service in the country. In August of that same year, the media conglomerate's primary and corporate name of its namesake television network was changed from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation to simply ABS-CBN Corporation to reflect the former's diversification.
In 2008, Sky Cable became the first cable network to adopt digital television, and Cignal, the country's first digital direct-broadcast satellite television service, made its debut in February 2009.
In 2009, ABS-CBN started to test digital transmission using the European DVB-T standard. On July 11, 2009, ABS-CBN launched Balls HD in Sky Cable, the first-ever high-definition television channel in the country. On the same day, Balls also showed the live broadcast of the first-ever locally produced coverage of an event in high definition.
In 2010, Government-controlled television stations in Manila started to test digital transmission using the Brazilian ISDB-Tb standard. In June 2010, NTC announced that the country would formally adopt the ISDB-Tb standard for digital terrestrial television. In 2011, ABS-CBN started to test ISDB-Tb transmission and released a trial version of its set-top boxes manufactured by American communications equipment supplier Atlanta DTH, Inc. GMA Network, TV5, and other commercial television networks also started their tests during this time. However, GMA Network opposed the decision made by NTC and asked NTC to reconsider the European DVB-T for its superior quality.
On February 11, 2015, ABS-CBN Corporation formally launched its ABS-CBN TV Plus service to the public during a ceremony in Quezon City. On October 3, 2015, ABS-CBN became the first national Philippine television network to broadcast in high definition on cable.
On May 25, 2018, Solar Entertainment Corporation released a DTV product called Easy TV (Philippines). Originally a mobile TV dongle service, it later distributed digital set-top boxes, as well as freemium digital TV channels until its discontinuation on September 30, 2019.
On July 30, 2018, ABS-CBN TVplus conducted a free trial of the new set of freemium channels using UHF Channel 16. It includes cable channels from sister company Creative Programs: O Shopping, Jeepney TV, and Myx. Also included in the lineup are two new exclusive digital channels, Asianovela Channel and Movie Central. Initially, the five new channels will be beamed from Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, with plans to extend their coverage to existing ABS-CBN DTV stations.
On June 1, 2019, ABS-CBN launched a digital TV dongle called ABS-CBN TVplus Go for Android smartphones. It was originally available in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Benguet, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Iloilo, Bacolod, Metro Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Metro Davao.
On May 5, 2020, ABS-CBN TVplus was affected by the cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission and Solicitor General Jose Calida due to the expiration of ABS-CBN's franchise. ABS-CBN's main channel and S+A ceased broadcasting, as well as the regional digital stations operated by ABS-CBN. Some TVplus channels resumed broadcasting on May 8, but in a limited coverage through a blocktime agreement with an unnamed third-party broadcast company. On June 1, 2020, Jeepney TV and Asianovela Channel resumed broadcasting and took over the channel spaces of ABS-CBN and S+A, respectively.
On June 26, 2020, GMA Network launched its digital set-top box service, GMA Affordabox to the public.
On June 30, 2020, all the digital channels of ABS-CBN TVplus stopped operations due to the alias cease-and-desist order (ACDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission, until it was resumed in 2021 as Digital TV Receiver.
On September 10, 2021, TV5 Network Inc. launched its digital set-top box service, Sulit TV to the public.
Philippine TV news indicates the NTC has set a November 2026 deadline for shutting down analog TV in Mega Manila to finalize the transition to digital broadcast.

Programs

Weekdays

While TV programs vary from station to station, some generalizations can be made. Most commercial television stations sign on between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. every morning. Early morning hours are dominated by breakfast and news programs, and these run from around 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. They are then followed by acquired cartoon or anime programming that targets children, and later programs movie blocks which air blockbuster films, whether foreign or Filipino-made films. Some television stations air morning talk shows. For example, GMA airs a mid-morning variety noontime show at 11:00 a.m., while TV5 airs mid-morning teleseryes at 11:15 a.m. from June 10, 2024, to April 11, 2025. These run until noon, when the noontime shows start. These shows also air on the channel frequencies that both were formerly used by ABS-CBN. These run until 2:30 p.m. which is followed by afternoon teleseryes or movie blocks in some TV stations.
GMA starts airing regional newscasts at 5:10 p.m. for around 30 minutes. After these regional newscasts, most stations air either an afternoon game/variety show or Korean dramas. At 6:00 p.m. and/or 4:00 p.m. flagship newscasts like Ulat Bayan, TV Patrol, 24 Oras, Tutok 13 and Frontline Pilipinas start airing to deliver the latest updates for up to 90 minutes. They formerly only ran up to 60 minutes. These newscasts run until 8:00 p.m.
After the updates, GMA starts airing primetime teleseryes that run until 10:20 p.m. with delayed telecast on GTV weeknights from 9:40 p.m. to 11:05 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. to 12:10 a.m. on Monday-Thursday and 9:35 p.m. on Friday. On the other hand, Kapamilya Channel/A2Z/All TV runs these teleseryes until 9:30 p.m with delayed telecast from 10:15 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Jeepney TV weeknights. TV5 starts airing their teleseryes from 8:00 p.m. until 10:45 p.m., with delayed telecast on Sari-Sari Channel weeknights at 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Around 10:45 p.m., 11 p.m., or 11:30 p.m., they start to air late-night newscasts, which air for 30 to 45 minutes. Formerly, they aired weekly current/public affairs programs after late-night newscasts, but now these only air during weekends; they were replaced by K-dramas or religious programs. During the 2000s to 2010s they aired late-night programs like Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman ; The Medyo Late Night Show with Jojo A. ; Games Uplate Live, Music Uplate Live, O Shopping. These programs ran from around 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Formerly, stations also aired weekly primetime programs, whether they be comedy, drama, or horror. These also included foreign series, cartoons, and anime. The programs used to air between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., but the usage was stopped sometime between August 28, 2006, for ABS-CBN and April 12, 2010, for GMA due to the competition for higher ratings in primetime. From the 1990s to 2001, they also used to air weekly foreign cartoons and anime targeted to children 12 years old and below on their evening timeslots. These shows included the likes of Pokémon ; The Simpsons, Dragon Ball ; The Real Ghostbusters, Teenage [Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles], Batman: The Animated Series, Beast Wars: Transformers, and Digimon.

Weekends

Weekend programming differs from weekday programming. Depending on the network, they start signing on from around 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. They air medical programs at 6:00 a.m. like Pinoy M.D. on GMA at 6:30 a.m., Health @ Home on PTV at 7:00 a.m., Dok True Ba? on IBC at 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays and air Sunday Mass for Sundays. Around 7:00 a.m., they air educational programs targeting children. Later, they start airing cartoons or anime that also target children. After that, the stations air movie blocks from around 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m.. They start to air noontime shows and noontime newscasts. For Sunday, they air musical variety shows reserved specifically for the day.
After airing noontime shows, they air either a movie block or an original series. These include Sunday Blockbusters on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z and All TV at 2:15 p.m., Cine Cinco Astig Sunday on TV5 and RPTV at 3:15 p.m., FPJ sa ''GMA on GMA also at 3:15 p.m., Sine Date Weekends at 12:00 p.m. and Afternoon Movie Break at 2:00 p.m. on GTV.
During the afternoon, they air current/public affairs programs and switch to weekend newscasts that formerly aired around midnight. These include TV Patrol Weekend on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, All TV, ANC, DZMM TeleRadyo and PRTV Prime Media, Ulat Bayan Weekend on PTV, Frontline Pilipinas Weekend on TV5, One PH and RPTV, and 24 Oras Weekend'' on GMA and GTV. Comedy programs are aired around 6:00 p.m.. By 7:00 p.m., reality programs, and sometimes acquired game shows, are aired.
By 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m., they start to air anthology programs on Saturdays and public service programs and news magazine-type programs on Sundays. Current/Public affairs programs start to air around 10:00 p.m. until midnight.

Drama

Teleseryes are a staple and popular genre on Philippine television, typically broadcast on weekdays. All television networks in the Philippines produce a variety of drama series, including genres such as romance, comedy, horror, and fantasy.

Fantaserye and telefantasya

Fantaserye and telefantasya are genres of Philippine television programming that blend elements of soap opera, telenovela, fantasy, myth, magic, and enchantment. The episodes are typically 30 minutes long and are broadcast daily during the evening primetime slot. Popular fantaseryes include Marina, while notable telefantasyas include Encantadia.

Sitcoms

Sitcoms are popular on Philippine television, typically aired on weekends, although they were formerly broadcast on weeknights. Notable sitcoms include Palibhasa Lalake, Pepito Manaloto, Iskul Bukol, O, Mare Ko, and Everybody Hapi.

Variety shows

Since 1958, network television programs in the Philippines have featured variety shows as staples at the midday hour. The popularity of bodabil in the first half of the 20th century had an impact on the earliest noontime variety television shows in the Philippines. Since then, the format has changed to reflect the times, adding aspects of reality television in the 2000s. The majority of noontime variety shows on television are independently produced by blocktimers, who pay television networks a certain length of time to screen their show. However, a few TV networks have succeeded in producing only these kinds of shows, with varying degrees of success in terms of viewership and ad income.
Most of the variety shows air around the noontime slot. Willing Willie was the first variety show that aired in primetime, airing against TV Patrol of ABS-CBN and 24 Oras of GMA. It was a variety show that aired in primetime after the main host Willie Revillame left ABS-CBN, ending the second iteration of Wowowee and began the show's short-run third and final without Revillame from May 5, 2010 that led to its overall end on July 30, 2010.

Free-to-air television networks

Major television networks

Defunct/Inactive television network(s)