Television Three

Television Three (also known as Three) is a Filipino television network based in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. It is owned and operated by the Teleradio Broadcasting Company.

The network was launched on January 3, 1970, though in black and white broadcasts. The station started color broadcasts on March 20, 1970 on select programs, and on August 17, 1971, they started broadcasting in full color. Three currently airs original entertainment and informational programs such as: NewsJournal Three, Top 3, Afternoon Movies, Chef, Three Originals, which are divided into three segments (Three Comedy, Three Drama, and, Three Horror and Suspense) and more.

E Television: 1966-1969
See also: E Television

On December 17, 1966, E Television began operating on channel 6. It was an experimental/general entertainment television network that broadcasts for 6 hours a day, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

It mostly airs game shows, movies, news, cultural, and live talk shows. They ceased broadcasting on December 25, 1969, in favor of launching Television Three. E Television's documentaries and cultural shows are known for its experimental nature and were considered 'eccentric' during its time.

One of E Television's popular programs were Life!, a weekly satirical cultural show that features a music show, human interest stories, a talk show, and several comedy skits. It was loved by viewers because of its energetic nature.

Television Three (1st era): 1969-1972
On November 1969, DZAQ-TV, a flagship station of ABS-CBN, moved from channel 3 to channel 2. On December 30, 1969, The Teleradio Broadcasting Company took over the channel 3 frequency with DWTT-TV as its callsign. During that time, they only displayed several slides consisting their logo and texts about their launch.

On January 3, 1970, at 6:00 pm, Television Three was launched. It started with the slide from before, with the text now saying, "DWTT-TV Television Three begins its first broadcast day". It then cuts to black, followed by the Philippine national anthem. The less than 2-minute film displayed several clips of the city of Manila and then cuts to the Philippine flag waving in the final verse of the song. It also featured a superimposed text of the lyrics of the anthem. The said film was used until 1983.

After the national anthem, it cuts to a station ID and then a clock ID. An announcer says, "Good evening. This is Television Three broadcasting on channel 3. Our launch night will begin in a few moments." The launch night consists of several prominent singers and bands at the time, a talk show, musical performances, and a celebration. The launch night lasted 3 hours. A day after their launch, the network would broadcast for 14 hours a day, from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.

On September 23, 1972, the station was closed down due to the implementation of martial law by Ferdinand Marcos.

Omega Television: 1972-1973
The government allowed the station to operate weeks after the shutdown, and the station was reinstated on November 29, 1972. They launched as Omega Television, which broadcasts in mornings and evenings only. The television network's programming was divided to two parts: Omega 1, which broadcasts at 5:00 am to 11:45 am, and Omega 2, which broadcasts at 2:45 pm to 9:00 pm.

The television network was closed down on February 16, 1973, to be rebranded back to Television Three the next day. Omega Television was reinstated as a programming block on January 1, 1974, retaining Omega 1 and Omega 2. The programming block was discontinued on August 15, 2001.

Television Three (second era): 1973-present
On February 17, 1973, they relaunched as Television Three, still retaining the schedule of the previous network, this time, omitting the 3 hour break from between.

David Lynch short films
On August 7, 1971, they launched a weekly segment that showcases short films (usually two per episode). This was called Television Three Shorts. The program showcased psychedelic/motion graphic based films (formerly), live-action and animated short films, and short documentaries.

On their second episode on August 14, 1971, the program showed two of David Lynch's experimental short films, The Alphabet and Six Men Getting Sick, which has caused controversy.

David Lynch's Six Men Getting Sick short was abruptly cut after less than one and a half minutes, later closing to the segment logo.

It was because one of the employees complained that the two shorts they are airing might be too distressing for the viewers especially because of the continuous siren accompanying the short film. After the segment, the viewers called the station concerned about what they were airing. Since that episode, they stopped showing experimental/surrealist short films.

Many people thought that the station was hijacked during that time. Some people said that their neighbors panicked watching the station and others were confused. Some people thought that during Six Men Getting Sick, there were some sort of alarm, when in reality, it was just part of the short.

The show ended on September 4, 1971 after five episodes.