DWNW-TV

DWNW-TV, UHF analog and virtual channel 48 (UHF digital channel 17), is an FV+ owned-and-operated television station licensed to San Fernando, Pampanga. It is owned by the VGC Television Stations subsidiary of VGC, Inc., based in Parañaque City.
The station operates its analog operations on the main studios in San Fernando, while operating its digital operations in Porac, which currently runs on half of its original power as it is still being reconstructed after the massive earthquake.
== History ==
=== Storer's only built Philippine station ===
The station was founded and launched as DZGS-TV on September 1, 1979 by George B. Storer as a sister to DZGS radio (720 AM and 103.3 FM, now owned by Nexstar Media Group). It is Storer's only station to be ever built by the company, as the other station, then-VGC affiliate (now SBN) DYCP-TV, was built by General Electric. Channel 48, despite built by Storer, was a joint venture between Storer and Oak Broadcasting, which led to its affiliation with the ONTV subscription network. ONTV's owner Oak Broadcasting lost profits and advertising revenues due to the network's piracy issues and the welcoming of cable television, and offered to sell their stake of channel 48. Storer Communications (Storer's new company name), which was acquired by KKR a year before, agreed to acquire full control and acquired Oak's stake in 1985, and left ONTV when the network closed. Then, the station relied on repeats of programs from the VGC network (the network which will eventually come to channel 48 ten years later) and expensive movies, which made DZGS the new "Movie Station", beating then-VGC (later WB, now PSTV) affiliate DWVP-TV (then on channel 5; now on channel 4).
During DZGS's rise, a series of ownership changes happened at Storer. First it was sold to investment firm KKR, then to Gillett Holdings in 1987.
SCI Television, DZGS's then-parent company, was acquired by television and film production company New World Pictures in 1993, with DZGS becoming its Philippine flagship, renaming the station to DWNW-TV, symbolizing its division New World Communications. At the height of New World's ownership, they started their own news department and a series of newscasts called TV-48 News (now FV48 News).
=== 1994 affiliation switch; purchase by VGC ===
VGC, which coincidentally owned DWVP from 1954 to 1983, bought channel 48 from New World on September 3, 1994. This was during its last periods when DWVP's owner Tribune Broadcasting announced that the station will switch to The WB Television Network. For the first 4 months, VGC had to operate channel 48 as an independent (a non-affiliate owned by VGC is normal in Manila; they owned then-Fox affiliate DWFS-TV, now DWCW-TV, then-NBC affiliate DZVN-TV, now DWFV-TV, and then-CBS affiliate DWUP-TV).
On January 12, 1995, the same day The WB started distributing programs to the Philippines, DWVP officially joined the WB and VGC moved to channel 48 and changed their branding from TV-48 to VGC 48 on September 17, 1995. During the interim of the branding transition, the branding of the newscasts were already changed to News 48 VGC, but their promo branding was The New 48.
== Gallery ==
dwnwinauguralsignonasvgcaffiliate.png|DWNW's inaugural sign-on as VGC affiliate (January 12, 1995)
dwnw4819951998.png|Logo from 1995-1998.
Category:San Fernando, Pampanga
Category:Philippines
Category:Pampanga
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1979
Category:Channel 48