AN ONLINE MUSEUM OF THE COUNTRY'S STORIED PRESS PAST

Golden Era

I. Golden Era – Overview

The “Golden Era” is characterized by the creation and dominance of several media conglomerates owned by prominent families and the
subsequent creation of the “media oligarchy”, the confluence of technological advances and cultural changes which contributed to the
proliferation of radio and television, the emergence of advertising, as well as the creation of “the freest press in Asia”.

MEDIA OLIGARCHY

The era saw several wealthy families with prominent businesses owning a combination of radio stations, television stations and newspapers. This
resulted in the creation of the “media oligarchy”, where a relatively small number of people controlled the majority of the media. The most
prominent ones are summarized in the table below.
 NEWSPAPERS
RADIO TELEVISION AND PRINT OWNED
STATIONS STATIONS MEDIA BY NOTES

ABC – 5
DZTM, (Associated
DZMT, Broadcasting The Manila Roces Today’s
DZWS Company) Times family TV5

ABS-CBN
(from merger
of Alto
Broadcasting Today’s
System and ABS-CBN
Chronicle -1959
Broadcasting merger of
Network) the first
-formerly two
Channels 3 television
and 9, then channels
Channels 2 in the
DZAQ, and 4 The Manila Lopez country.
DZBC, DZXL Chronicle family

MBC-11
(Manila
Broadcasting The Evening Elizalde
DZRH Company) News family

IBC – 13
(Interisland
Broadcasting The Philippine Soriano
DZTV Corporation) Herald family
 RBS-7
(Republic
Broadcasting Robert Today’s
DZBB System) – Stewart GMA

RPN-9 (Radio Today’s

Philippines Roberto Solar
DZKB Network) – Benedicto News

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

In 1955, Radiowealth, a local company, began its assembly operations of Motorola television sets. By 1967, Radiowealth was producing 19-, 21- and
25-inch models of color TV sets. With this, the Philippines became the third country in the world with color television. The effect of a local company
selling television sets at relatively attainable prices resulted in many middle class families obtaining television sets and tuning in.

Radiowealth advert
 II. Golden Era – Philippine Media (Radio, Television and Cinema)

I. Philippine Cinema

As history would show, the pre-Martial Law era cinema of the Philippines would eventually turn out to be a sort of lull between the First Golden
Age of Philippine Cinema during the 1950s characterized by the big 4 film studios and the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema during the
1970s, characterized by the rise of avant garde filmmaking.

Initially attempting to keep up with the large numbers of foreign imported movies, studios produced local versions of James Bond knockoffs and
Westerns. The film genres of the time were direct reflections of the “disaffection with the status quo” at the time. Particularly, the emergence of
this revolt can be seen in the proliferation of the “bomba” films, ranging from softcore erotica to hardcore pornography. Youth revolt, represented
by the Beatles and rock and roll, also emerged during this era. To keep up with this, the studios created teen “love team” romantic musicals and
comedies. Through this, movies and teen love teams were created, including the pairings of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III, known as “Guy & Pip”, as
well as the pairing of Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz, known as “Vi & Bot”.

Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III “Guy & Pip”

 Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz “Vi & Bot”

The era would see the decline and fall of the 1950s era studio system due to constant labor management conflicts and the declining profits. The
so-called “Big Three” would later close one by one. The first studio to close was Lebran followed by Premiere Productions then LVN. These studios
were replaced by new and independent producers like Regal Films, which was established by Lily Monteverde in 1962.

Technologically, the era also saw the first color movie technology, called Eastmancolor, arrive in the country and these helped Filipino filmmakers
create full-length color films. One of the first color productions was Ito ang Pilipino, which was starred and produced by Joseph Estrada. After the
release of Ito ang Pilipino, movie producers completely stopped producing movies in black and white.

Prominent films of the era include:

 Noli Me Tangere (1961)

 El Filibusterismo (1962)
 Iginuhit ng Tadhana – starring Gloria Romero as Imelda Marcos; was said to be a political ploy to capture the vote of the masses for then-
presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos
 Huwag mo Akong Limutin (Never Forget Me)(1960)
 Kadenang Putik (Chain of Mud) (1960)

II. Philippine Radio

 DZTM, DZMT, DZWS – owned by Roces family

 DZAQ, DZBC, DZXL – owned by Lopez family
 DZRH – owned by Elizalde family
  DZTV – owned by Soriano family
 DZBB – owned by Robert Stewart
 DZKB – owned by Roberto Benedicto

Aside from the aforementioned, several other entities also operated radio stations.

 DZEC – Eagle Broadcasting Corporation

 DZEM – Christian Broadcasting Service
 DZFE – Far East Broadcasting Company
 DZUP and DZLB – University of the Philippines
 DZST – University of Santo Tomas
 DZTC – National Teachers College
 DZFM and DZRM – Government Radio
 DZTR – Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation
 DZBM – Mareco Broadcasting Company
 DZTR established in 1965 owned by Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation
 DZRJ – Rajah Broadcasting Network

III. Philippine Television

A. Overview

The first television network in the country was operated by Alto Broadcasting System which was owned by Antonio Quirino, the brother of then-
President Elpidio Quirino. The next one would be operated by the Lopez-owned Chronicle Broadcasting Network in 1957. In 1958, the Lopezes
would purchase ABS from Quirino. Thus did they control the first two television stations in the country.
Others would follow soon after. By the 1960s, television sets had become the most sought-after appliance in urban areas. This explosion in
consumers also saw the growth of the television industry in the country.

The Interisland Broadcasting Company, owned by Andres Soriano, began operations on what would become Channel 13 in 1960. The Philippine
Government and an American, Robert Stewart would also set up shop the following year, with TV-10 and TV-7, respectively. In 1962, the Roces
family starts up the Associated Broadcasting Network on Channel 5. Finally, the last pre-Martial Law television station is established by Roberto
Benedicto on Channel 9 and named the Radio Philippines Network.
B. Content

Initially, economic constraints forced the content on these television networks to be dependent on imported American television programs.
Imported programs were cheaper than producing them locally. Eventually, there would be a “Filipinization” of the local television scene as it
became more economical to produce local television content.

Advertising in the Philippines would also undergo a similar “Filipinization”. Initially, advertisers used television ads imported from the US. In 1960,
Procter and Gamble paved the way with their first local television ad. In 1966, when it changed from black and white to color, Colgate-Palmolive
was the first to advertise in color.

In 1961, the National Science Development Board was established; it was the earliest initiative to use local TV for education, “Education on TV”
and “Physics in the Atomic Age.” In 1963, the Bolinao Electric Company (a forerunner of ABS-CBN) held its first television broadcasts in color.
In 1969, Filipinos joined the world in witnessing the Apollo 11 moon landings. It was the first satellite telecast in the country and the first in color
as well.

Aside from these, there were also several prominent programs in the 1960s. These include the RPN sitcom John en Marsha, Puruntongs, The Nida-
Nestor Show, Buhay Artista, Pancho Loves Tita, Tawag Ng Tanghalan and Student Canteen. Most of these would last until Martial Law.

The late 1960s also saw the beginnings of television news. The first news and public affairs programs were The Big News on ABC Channel
5 and The World Tonight on ABS-CBN Channel 2, currently on ANC. These were then followed by Channel 9’s Newswatch. Among the most
prominent news broadcasters of the era was Jose Mari Velez, anchor of TV5’s The Big News and later member of the 1987 Constitutional
Convention.
 III. Golden Era – Philippine Journalism
PHILIPPINE JOURNALISM

The Philippine press began to be known as “the freest in Asia.” The press functioned as a real watchdog of the government. It was sensitive to
national issues and critical of government mistakes and abuses.

I. Increasing Professionalism

Logo of Philippine Press Institute

A. Philippine Press Institute

Founded in 1964, the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) was organized “to foster the development and improvement of journalism in the country.”
However, it would later become inactive during the Martial Law regime. In its heyday, it was known as the national association of newspapers and
represented the interests and concerns of the print media. The institute conducts training programs and organizes educational activities for Filipino
journalists, seeks to protect their rights and freedoms in the pursuit of their practice, creates and introduces opportunities for the development of
the journalist as a practitioner.

Among its contributions to the traditions of Philippine Journalism include the publication of the Law of the Press: A PPI Manual in 1965, Clear
Effective Writing: A PPI Manual in 1967 and with the National Press Club, the later formulation of the Journalist’s Code of Ethics.

B. Establishment of formal training and degree programs

In 1960, the Philippine Women’s University established a school in journalism.

1966 saw the re-establishment of the BS Journalism degree under the Institute of Mass Communication in the University of the Philippines.
In 1971, the University of Santo Tomas begins offering its BA Journalism degree under its Faculty of Arts and Letters

II. Prominent Print Media and Journalists of the Era

A. Manila Times; Chino Roces

Possibly the most famous figure associated with The Manila Times was Joaquin “Chino” Roces, ‘Grand Old Man’ of Philippine journalism and long-
time editor of The Manila Times. He was one of the founders of the Philippine Press Institute and was responsible for the Manila Times Style
Book (1960) and the Manila Times Journalism Manual (1963).

Joaquin “Chino” Roces

B. The Evening News; Maximo Soliven

Maximo Soliven became the editor and publisher of The Evening News at the tender age of 27. Under his tenure, The Evening News jumped from
6th in circulation to the second largest newspaper in the country. He, like the other journalists mentioned in this paper, would be detained during
Martial Law. He would later co-found The Philippine Daily Inquirer (1985) and The Philippine Star (1986).
 Maximo Soliven

C. Philippine Free Press; Teddy Locsin Sr.

Teddy Locsin Sr. was another prominent journalist detained during Martial Law. Before this, he was the editor of the Philippine Free Press, one of
the oldest and most respected weekly magazines in the country. It was due to the magazine’s stance of repeatedly warning against a plan by then-
President Marcos to implement military rule to stay in power that Locsin was detained.

Teddy Locsin Sr.

D. Napoleon G. Rama

Napoleon Rama was the editor of the El Observatorio, the only Spanish language newspaper in Cebu, which regularly published news stories about
Spain and South-America. Aside from these, he was known for an article published in the Philippine Free Press entitled “North Borneo Belongs To
US”. This would later become the basis of the government’s negotiations in reclaiming Sabah. Eventually he would become the floor leader of the
1987 Constitutional Convention.

Napoleon G. Rama