A2Z (Philippine TV channel)
A2Z is a Philippine free-to-air blocktime broadcast television network that serves as a flagship property of ZOE Broadcasting Network in partnership with ABS-CBN Corporation through a blocktime agreement. A2Z's flagship television station is DZOE-TV which carries the VHF Channel 11 (analog broadcast) and UHF Channel 20 (digital broadcast; since November 12, 2020). The network's name is an abbreviation derived from the first letter of the names of two parent companies, ABS-CBN and ZOE, the number of the now-recalled channel frequency of the former, and the Latin alphabet letters  from the first letter A to the last letter Z. Background. ZOE TV-11. DZOE-TV Channel 11, also known as ZOE TV-11 was launched in 1998 after being acquired from Delta Broadcasting System. It served as the television arm of Jesus is Lord Church led by Eddie Villanueva. In 2005, ZOE TV-11 was leased by Citynet Network Marketing and Productions, subsidiary of GMA Network, to serve as originating station for its secondary television networks QTV and GMA News TV (now GTV). However, on April 24, 2019, GMA/Citynet announced that it will terminate its blocktime agreement with ZOE Broadcasting by  the end of May 2019. The split comes after the release of GMA's 2018 financial report which declared the increasing lease payments that the network contributes to ZOE for the past three years (from in 2016 to almost a billion pesos in 2018). GMA News TV disaffiliated from ZOE TV-11 on June 4, 2019 before the channel signed off the next day. On June 22, 2020, ZOE TV-11 returned on air and carried the feed of Light TV as part of its test broadcast operations, but on June 26 the simulcast was replaced by Hillsong Channel, which is owned  by Trinity Broadcasting Network, before reverting to Light TV feed on July 11. It is rumored to be part of marketing the channel for either possibly continuing the analog simulcast of their sister station UHF 33 or for blocktime / channel leasing. ABS-CBN shutdown and blocktime rumors. On May 5, 2020, the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corporation, including Channel 2, S+A, Radyo Patrol, My Only Radio, and all digital television channels of ABS-CBN TV Plus and Direct broadcast via satellite of Sky Direct and AMCARA (on June 30) was put off the air after the National Telecommunications Commission  (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida issued a cease-and-desist order demanding ABS-CBN to immediately cease all of its free TV and radio broadcasting upon the expiration of its legislative broadcast franchise. The Congress later rejected ABS-CBN's application for franchise renewal on July 10, and the NTC recalled all the broadcast frequencies (including its now-defunct sister networks S+A, Yey! and Asianovela Channel) assigned to ABS-CBN on September 10. Since 2017, ABS-CBN was subjected to disputes with the government of President Rodrigo Duterte due to several issues such as campaign advertisement controversies during the  2016 election, political meddling, biased reporting, and the legality of the operations of digital television channel Kapamilya Box Office (KBO), among others. ABS-CBN partially resumed its programming through the launch of its cable and satellite television network Kapamilya Channel on June 13, where it carried ABS-CBN's dramas and live entertainment shows, educational and current affairs programming before the May 5 stoppage. Since 2017, ZOE Broadcasting Network and ABS-CBN Corporation were reportedly held talks for possible airtime lease of Channel 11 or acquisition of the network itself if the issues regarding ABS-CBN's now-expired broadcast  franchise were ever floated. Reports of a blocktime agreement between ABS-CBN and ZOE begins to surface after the Congress rejected ABS-CBN franchise renewal in July 2020, with a tentative schedule offering for broadcasting 20 hours of airtime on Channel 11, and ABS-CBN programs such as "Ang Probinsyano", "ASAP Natin 'To!", "It's Showtime", and "TV Patrol" were being shopped to air on ZOE TV. Eventually, all ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs programs are declined to air on Channel 11 by the ZOE management due to editorial concerns until January 1, 2022, ABS-CBN News' "TV Patrol