DXZD-TV

DXZD-TV, channel 2 (digital UHF channel 14), is a Central Television owned-and-operated station licensed to Zamboanga City, Philippines. The station is owned by the Central Television Group subsidiary of Central Communications. DXZD's studios are located at 2 Broadcast Plaza in Zamboanga City, and its transmitter is built atop the studio building.
== History ==
=== Early history ===
After launching its first television station DWDV-TV in Legazpi City, Davao-based South Mindanao News, owned by veteran journalist Felipe Dela Vera, which had recently incorporated itself as the Dela Vera Company, got the channel 2 allocation in Zamboanga, and picked the call letters DXZD-TV, a nod at both at the company, its family, and the city the station serves. As with DWDV, the News tied the station with VGC, and DXZD-TV signed on the air on January 25, 1961 as a VGC affiliate. The event, filled with a dinner buffet party, was to be hosted by Dela Vera, but he, a longtime smoker, was suffering from lung cancer and needed to rest in Davao, so the event was hosted by his son and heir apparent Roberto; the older Dela Vera died about 5 months later.
=== Brief stint as an independent station ===
Then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law and ordered shutdowns of private media. However, the News and its then 5 stations (which also included DYPI-TV in Iloilo, DYNI-TV in Bacolod, and DXCD-TV in Cagayan de Oro) were not sent any orders, so they decided to stay on the air. Despite the missing orders, the VGC network temporarily went off the air for a few months until the company got limited permits. In the interim, DXZD effectively operated as an independent station. The Dela Vera family got in touch directly with production companies associated with VGC's imported US programming, most notably Walt Disney Productions, to continue putting their shows on the air. But even with repeats of VGC's original programming and exclusive syndicated airing rights to its imported shows, the station's newscast Eyewitness News was expanding to the morning. The newspaper was critical to the Marcos administration, which in turn influenced the stations, including DXZD, to slant its coverage against the government; both the Dela Vera family and the Villena family (owners of VGC) were outspoken on press freedom. VGC went back on the air in January 1973, and channel 2 returned with the network.
=== 1986 affiliation swap; 1995 reversal ===
In March 1986, Central Newspapers (now current parent Central Communications), signed a 10-year affiliation agreement with VGC on two of its stations, including newly purchased DXEZ-TV (channel 10), which was purchased from EMedia the previous month.
As a result, channel 2 and channel 10 swapped afiliations, with DXZD joining ENetwork, which while chipping in on VGC's ratings, is still underperforming. EMedia executives were reportedly happy about DXZD's affiliation, given that it was one of VGC's strongest affiliates, which turned DXZD into one of E's strongest.
Despite the ratings boost of ENetwork in Zamboanga, DXZD ultimately rejoined the VGC network when DXEZ's contract expired. The previous year, the Dela Vera Company decided to disaffiliate itself from ENetwork over the company's suggestions about reverse compensation. While DYPI and DYNI ended its affiliation in 1995 and joined the NBS network—which owns DXNZ-TV (channel 6)—as VGC was in the middle of contracts with stations in those areas, DXZD had to wait for about a year before channel 10's contract with VGC expired, and channel 2 rejoined in May 1996.
=== Ownership under Central ===
==== Dela Vera merger ====
In 1999, DXEZ's parent company, which has renamed itself Central Communications, merged with Dela Vera, which resulted in both stations becoming a duopoly. However, the stations' general managers were against a joint operation, which led Central to keep the two stations operationally independent.
Unlike the other former Dela Vera stations which picked up Central News after the merger, due to Central's ownership of DXEZ and the station's carriage of the syndicated news program, DXZD did not pick up the program.
==== Network owned-and-operated ====
In 2003, Central sold DXEZ and DZLG-TV (DWDV's then-sister station) to Pilipinas Clear Channel Television, Inc. (now DZLG Media Group), owned by a consortium of top executives at Naga VGC affilitate DWHP-TV (Central-owned DWBT-TV's rival), signaling a prospect of DXZD being part of a new network venture owned by Central and Tribune Broadcasting. Despite the sale, Central News stayed on channel 10 until the Central television network launched (see below).
In 2004, Central confirmed the network venture, but has let its stations continue to promote their current networks' programs. However, in October 2004, DXZD rebranded as simply "Channel 2" instead of its famous "VGC 2" branding. VGC knew the path when the company purchased high-profile independent DXTS-TV (channel 27) from NBS partner company Greater East Media.
In 2005, the Central network launched to big fanfare, and due to its ownership, DXZD was and still is an owned-and-operated station.
In January 2017, VGC purchased 50% of Central Television (the television network) and Central Television Group (the company's station group), which resulted in channel 2 becoming indirect sisters with channel 27, which rebranded in 2005 as DXVZ-TV. VGC later sold that share in late 2020.
== Digital television ==
Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming
2.1 	1080i	16:9 	DXZD-TV 	Main DXZD-TV programming / Central
2.2 	480i 	4:3 	DXZD-SD 	SD simulcast of DXZD-TV
2.3 	240p 	4:3 	DXZD-1SEG 	1seg simulcast of DXZD-TV
DXZD-TV is set to shut down its analog signal on VHF channel 2 by 2023. Central Communications announced it will cease analog operations of its stations by May 12, 2022, three days after the 2022 Philippine general elections.
== Programming ==
DXZD-TV clears all of Central's programming. Though it does not have a secondary affiliation with CNP, the program is set to carry CNP and Central's new joint morning program The Early Show, as CNP does not have a full affiliate that can carry its morning programs.
=== News operation ===
DXZD-TV's newscasts only had one branding: Eyewitness News. The newscast initially had 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm newscasts, but was expanded to morning (5-9am, later 7-9am, now 5-7am), noon, and afternoon (3pm, 4pm) newscasts. During its affiliation with ENetwork and later when it became a Central network O&O, the station has a 7pm newscast.
Category:Fictional television stations
Category:Zamboanga City